420 CONTRIBUTIONS FROM THE NATIONAL HERBARIUM. 
slightly falcate, acutish, lightly to deeply crenate, the proximal basal one sometimes 
free, the others connected by a costal wing about 1 mm. broad on each side in the 
basal part, wider (about 2 mm. broad) toward the apex; costules prominent, glabrous 
above or bearing a few minute hairs, beneath not pubescent, bearing numerous pointed 
bullate scales similar to those of the costa; veins 7 to 10 pairs, oblique, mostly once 
(rarely twice) forked, glabrous; sori 3 to 6 pairs, large, seated at the fork of the veins, 
their position evident on the upper surface of the segment by sharp depressions; in- 
dusium bright brown, ample, deeply cleft into several long spreading acute segments, 
these fugacious; receptacle capitate, frequently bipartite with age, setose. Leaf 
tissue firmly membrano-herbaceous, dull dark green above, lighter below, discolored 
in drying. 
TYPE LocALITy: Cobstere, Martinique (Plumier). 
Distripution: Apparently confined to Guadeloupe and Martinique, at altitudes 
of from 400 to 1,100 meters. 
InLustRAtion: Plum. Trait. Foug. pl. 4. 
Concerning the identity of this species the writer wrote several years ago! as 
follows: 
“Cyathea muricata Willd. Sp. Pl. 5: 497.1810. Founded upon Plumier’s plate 4 
(Traité Foug.), representing a plant irom Martinique. Baker, following Kaulfuss, 
has regarded Sieber’s no. 374 irom Martinique as agreeing with the plate; but the 
resemblance is slight. Sieber’s plant. is a large state of Cyathea tenera; and the plant 
figured by Plumier is, so far as the writer knows, yet to be rediscovered. The C. 
muricata of Grisebach is said by Christensen to be C. furfuracea Baker. Costa Rican 
specimens (Pittier 1839) determined by Bommer as ‘Cyathea muricata Willd. (non 
Kaulf.)” are Cyathea onusta Christ .”’ 
To these notes it should be added that possibly Sieber’s no. 374, above mentioned, 
may have been a mixture of two or more species, since Presl ? also regarded his speci- 
men of this number as representing C. muricata; but that the specimen of no. 374 at 
the New York Botanical Garden is, nevertheless, clearly referable to Cyathea tenera 
(J. Sm.) Griseb. 
More recently the National Museum has received several specimens collected by 
Duss in Guadeloupe and Martinique which agree very well with Plumier’s plate 4, 
which was apparently the sole basis of Cyathea muricata Willd. These show the 
characters mentioned in the above description and serve to identify satisfactorily 
a species which has long been misunderstood, partly irom the anomalous character 
of the indusium, and partly from its rarity, since it seems to be confined to these two 
islands of the Lesser Antilles. The specimens referred to are: 
Martinique: Bois du Camp Colson, Duss 4602 (as Alsophila aspera? ). 
GuaDELoureE: Without locality, Duss 4157. Also, two specimens without 
number, Duss. 
The agreement of these with Plumier’s description and figure is close, particularly 
as to the general shape of the pinne and pinnules and as to the spiny stipes and 
rachises. The rachises are, however, much less spiny than figured—another instance 
of exaggeration of details by Plumier’s artist. The spiny covering is nevertheless 
oi precisely the type, though not degree, represented in plate 4, 
There is at hand also another specimen from Martinique (Duss 4600) which is very 
similar in its rachises (particularly as to armature and color) and in its narrower 
pinnules. It probably represents a species distinct from Hemitelia muricata, Further 
material of it is much to be desired. 
EXPLANATION OF PLATE 22.—Section of a primary pinna of Hemitelia muricata from Guadeloupe (Duss 
4157). Natural size. 
'N. Amer, Flora 16': 88. 1909. 
?Abh, Bohm. Ges. Wiss. V, 5: 349. 1848. 
