MAXON—STUDIES OF TROPICAL AMERICAN FERNS. 591 
mal. Of the single specimen of a different collection, cited below, two of the 
three fronds have simple pinns, while those of the third range from simple 
to subequelly bipartite. This specimen has an incomplete rhizome which may 
be described as follows: Woody, horizontal, about 4 mm. in diameter, freely 
radicose on all sides, closely beset with rigid, oblique, imbricate scales, these 1.5 
to 2 mm. long, narrowly deltoid, attenuate-acuminate, opaque, very dark-cas- 
taneous by transmitted light (otherwise appearing fuscous), with a paler, 
mostly narrow border of 3 to 6 rows of minute, short to irregularly oblong, sub- 
quadrate or polygonal cells, these with pale-castaneous partition walls and 
nearly transparent outer walls. The scales of the under side of the lamina 
have precisely the structure indicated by Kunze’s illustrations. 
Only the following specimen, collected during the cruise of the Bureau of 
Fisheries steamer Albatross, is at hand: 
Ecvapor: Charles Island, Galapagos Group, April 8, 1888, Leslie A. Lee. 
10. Polypodium lepidotrichum (Fée) Maxon. 
Goniophlebium lepidotrichum Fée, Mém, Foug. 8: 93. 1857. 
TyPE LOCALITY: Orizaba, Mexico (Schaffner 451).* 
DISTRIBUTION: State of Veracruz, Mexico. 
This species, though strongly marked and represented in herbaria by at least 
two widely distributed numbers (viz, Bourgeau 2883 and Pringle 5586), has 
been passed by for many years, partly because of inadequate material, and pos- 
sibly also because of obvious deficiencies in the original description which made 
it difficult of application. If the two collections above mentioned are correctly 
referred to this species, the type specimen of which has not been seen, the num- 
ber of segments (about 40 pairs) stated by Fée is certainly incorrect, the actual 
number being far less; but in most particulars his description exactly fits these 
plants. he fronds are 30 to 60 cm. long and subfasciculate, the stipe a little 
shorter than the suborbicular to ovate-oval lamina. The very thick, creeping 
rhizome is covered on all sides with a closely packed mass of slender, silky, 
ferruginous scales, these 4 to 6 mm. long, straight, nearly acicular, tapering 
gradually from the slightly rounded base, which is 0.5 to 0.7 mm. broad. The 
rhizome scales of no other species of the whole group of P. squamatum and P. 
lepidopteis approach these in slenderness. 
The lamina is 20 to 35 em. long, 16 to 20 cm. broad and embraces 10 to 17 
pairs of linear, acute, entire pinne, the fully fertile pinne being 6 to 8 mm. 
broad, the sterile ones sometimes 15 mm. broad in their lower third. The lower 
surface bears numerous adjacent or contiguous, minute, closely appressed 
seales (these 0.6 to 0.7 mm. broad, with dark centers and broad, fimbriate, 
whitish margins), many of them with a long hairlike tip. The scales of the 
upper side are fewer, more deeply lacerate, and with a greatly elongate, seta- 
ceous tip, being more like those which thickly but laxly clothe the rachis and 
sulcate stipe. 
In dimensions and general form of lamina only P. lepidotrichum suggests P. 
collinsii, with which species it is elsewhere compared. From P. squamatum, 
with which it was merged by Fournier, it differs widely in habit and in form of 
lamina, and wholly in the character of its rhizome scales. 
18chajfner 198, from Cérdoba, is also cited. This number appears to have 
been mixed with Schaffner 197, the type of Goniophlebium pyrrholepis Fée. At 
least, no. 198 at Kew, as represented by fragments in the Underwood Herbarium, 
is very clearly P. pyrrholepis, according to description and by comparison with 
very covaplete material of that species. 
