POLYPODIACEAE. 473 



shorter than the blade, puberulent and usually bearing some scales toward the 

 base, otherwise smooth; pinnae usually many, rather close together, sessile, 

 mostly less than 1 dm. long, 1-2 cm. wide, lanceolate, long-tipped, deeply pin- 

 natifid, pubescent beneath, the segments ovate, obtuse or acute, entire, the lower 

 pair somewhat larger than the others; veins free. 



Pine-lands, coppices, sink-holes and marshes, Abaco, Andros, New Providence, 

 Lignum Vitae Cay, Rose Island. Eleuthera, Cat Island, Acklin's Island, Watling's 

 Island, Great Guana Cay, Great Exuma, North Caicos : Florida ; West Indies. 

 Referred to D. patens by Dolley, by Mrs. Northrop and by Coker. 



Dolley records a fern under the name Aspidium incisutn Griseb. ; this name ap- 

 plies to a' West Indian Dryopteris not known to inhabit the Bahamas. The record 

 may apply to one of the preceding species. 



3. Dryopteris reptans (Gmel.) C. Cnr. Ind. Fil. 288. 1905. 



Polypodium reptans Gmel. Syst. 2: 1309. 1791. 



Goniopteris reptans Presl, Tent. Pter. 182. 1836. 



Phegopteris reptans D. C. Eaton, Bull. Torr. Club 10: 101. 1883. 



Eootstock short, ascending or erect. Leaves usually several, reclining or 

 arching, 2.5-9 dm. long, once pinnate, often rooting at the apex and sometimes 

 along the rachis, the slender petioles mostly shorter than the blades; pinnae 

 several or many, oblong to lanceolate, about 4 cm. long or le?s, pubescent, obtuse 

 or acute at the apex, subtruncate at the base, crenate, sessile or very nearly so; 

 veins slender; sori commonly few,, borne about midway between the midvein 

 and the margin; indusia vestigial or none. 



In caves, and sink-holes in coppices, Abaco, Andros. New Providence, Eleuthera, 

 Cat Island : Florida : West Indies. Recorded by Mrs. Northrop as Dryoptens 

 asplenioides Baker. WALKING WOOD-FERN. 







4. Dryopteris cordata (Fee) Urban, Symb. Ant. 4: 18. 1903. 



Phegopteris cordata Fee, Gen. Fil. 241. 1850-52. 

 Aspidium reptans cordata Mett. Asp. 99. 1858. 



Similar to D. reptans, but usually smaller, and with entire or merely undu- 

 late pinnae, and having the veins usually free. 



In sink-holes in pine-lands, Andros : Cuba ; Porto Rico ; recorded from Jamaica. 

 Recorded by Mrs. Northrop as Goniopteris reptans cordata. 



Dolley records a fern as Aspidium adiantifolium Sw., but there is no such pub- 

 lished species. Schoepf's record of Polypodium pubescens L. was probably based on 

 some species of Dryopteris. 



17. NEPHROLEPIS Schott, Gen. Fil. pi. 3. 1834. 



Leaves spreading or pendent, pinnate, elongated; pinnae numerous, ap- 

 proximate, jointed at the base, with whitish dots on the upper surface. Sori 

 round, arising from the apex of the upper branch of a vein, usually near the 

 margin. Veins free. [Greek, referring to the shape of the indusium.] About 

 12 species, natives of tropical and warm-temperate regions. Type species: 

 Polypodium exaltatum L. 



Indusia reniform ; leaves 7-20 cm. broad. 1. N. exaltata. 



Indusia orbicular ; leaves 20-40 cm. broad. 2. N. liscrrata. 



1. Nephrolepis exaltata (L.) Schott, Gen. Fil. under pi 3. 1834. 

 Polypodium exaltatum L. Syst. ed. 10, 1326. 1759. 



Petioles 7-15 cm. long; leaf -blades 1 m. long or less. Pinnae sessile, lan- 

 ceolate, sometimes crenulate, 2.5-8 cm. long, the upper side auricled at the 

 base, the lower rounded, the rachis nearly naked; sori almost marginal, cov- 

 ered with firm distinctly reniform indusia. 



In a cave. East Caicos : Bermuda : Florida : W T est Indies ; continental tropical 

 America ; Old World tropics. SWORD-FERN. BOSTON FEKN. 



31 



