MAXON—STUDIES OF TROPICAL AMERICAN FERNS. 171 
4. Bommeria pedata (Swartz) Fourn. Bull. Soc. Bot. France 27: 327. 1880. 
Hemionitis pedata Swartz, Syn. Fil. 20, 209. 1806. 
Gymnogramma pedatum Kaulf. Enum. Fil. 69. 1824. 
Neurogramme pedata Link, Fil. Hort. Berol. 139. 1841. 
Gymnopteris pedata C. Chr. Ind. Fil. 341. 1905. 
Type Loca.ity: Not stated, but presumably Mexico. 
DistriBuTION: Mexico and Guatemala. 
ILLUSTRATION: Swartz, loc. cit. pl. 1. f. 3 (as Hemionitis pedata). 
The confusion of Bommeria pedata with B. ehrenbergiana probably accounts for the 
reference of the latter species to Guatemala, where it is not now known to occur. 
Swartz’s illustration represents an imperfect frond but is otherwise characteristic. 
The following specimens are in the U. 8. National Herbarium: 
Mexico: Sierra de San Felipe, Oaxaca, alt. 2,100 to 2,400 meters, C. L. Smith 
2040. Comaltepec, Liebmann. Nogales, Mount Orizaba, alt. 1,260 meters, 
Seaton 41. Tonilé, Colima, Mexico, Jones 540. Rio Blanco, Jalisco, 1886, 
E. Palmer 151. Damp shady banks near Guadalajara, Jalisco, alt. 1,350 
meters, Pringle 1861; Pringle 11781. El Parque, Morelos, Orcutt 4390. La 
Venta, Jalisco, Lemmon. 
GUATEMALA: Patal, near Santa Rosa, Baja Verapaz, alt. 1,600 meters, von 
Tiirckheim II. 2327. Near Cerro Redonde, Dept. Guajiniquilapa, alt. 1,300 
meters, Lehmann 1684. Jumaytepeque, Dept. Santa Rosa, alt. 1,800 meters, 
Heyde & Lux (J. D. Smith 4086). 
Although the relationship of these four species among themselves is evident enough, 
the actual rank to be assigned to Bommeria as a group is not very readily determinable, 
since there is involved the consideration of many diverse elements coming from a wide 
geographic area and doubtless representing many separate lines of descent. These 
elements, which have been variously associated by different writers and concerning 
which there is at present no general agreement, include species currently referred 
to Ceropteris, Neurogramma, Gymnogramme, Hemionitis, Gymnopteris Bernh. (not 
Presl), and even Coniogramme and Dictyogramme. The task of arranging the many 
species of these and closely related genera is an extended one and can not be under- 
taken in the present paper. It may be worth while, however, to mention a few facts 
which must be regarded in any serious attempt to reduce the existing confusion. 
HEMIONITIS. 
The genus Hemionitis of Linneus, typified by the tropical Ameri- 
can Hemionitis palmata, embraces upward of half a dozen species 
having the fertile fronds long-stipitate, the blades simply roundish, 
cordate, or halbert-shaped to palmately 5-parted, the veins copiously 
anastomosing, and the naked sporangia following the course of the 
veins nearly throughout and thus forming a delicate regular network 
over the lower surface. Most of the species are soft-hairy, and their 
agreement in other general characters is so close as to suggest a 
common ancestry. 
A new species, received recently among other unidentified speci- 
mens from Costa Rica, may be described, in honor of its discoverer, 
as follows: 
Hemionitis otonis Maxon, sp. nov. 
Plants small, 4.5 to 8 cm. high. Rhizome short, minute, densely clothed with light 
brownish buff linear-attenuate subentire scales (2 to 3 mm. long), these concolorous 
or the larger ones marked conspicuously by a castaneous median stripe; fronds 
