362 Broadhurst: Struthiopteris in North America 



Maxon's two plants vary in the bases of the sterile pinnae; in 

 no. 5650 the base is gradually narrowed through a distance of 

 about 2 cm.; in the other, no. 5442, the base is the widest part of 

 the pinna. Excepting also the irregular character of the margin 

 of the latter, the two plants are similar; there is nothing else from 

 the mainland that approaches them in stipe characters, and only 

 one plant (Tonduz logoy, the type of S. sessilifolia) with such 

 long, numerous pinnae. S. chiriquana differs from S. sessilifolia, 

 however, in having brightly colored, shining stipes, the upper 

 pinnae partly adnate, straighter pinnae with practically naked 

 costae, and much lighter colored fertile pinnae with very delicate, 

 deciduous indusia. 



U.S. Christii (C. Chr.) Broadh. comb. nov. 



Lomaria spissa Christ, Bull. Boiss. II. 4: 1092. 1904. (Not 



L. spissa Fee.) 



Blechnum Christii C. Chr. Ind. Fil. 152. 1905. 



Lamina very large; "rachis" 1 cm. thick, red-brown; pinnae 

 20 cm. long, 2 cm. wide, the apex elongated, the base cordate and 

 sessile, covering and extending beyond the rachis; margins finely 

 dentate with regularly crisped undulations; costae scaly, the scales* 

 oval, appressed; veins prominently projecting below. (Sporo- 

 phyls not described.) 



Type: In Christ's herbarium; from Costa Rica. 



Distribution: Apparently limited to Costa Rica. 



Specimens included: Costa Rica: Tablaro, "1900 m. VII, 

 '08," Braveas 143 (N). 



Christensen changed the specific name of Christ's Lomaria 

 spissa to Christii, because Fee had earlier used L. spissa for an 

 African species. The very incomplete description given above has 

 been rearranged from Christ's description of L. spissa. Following 

 are some additions based upon the sheet from Christ's herbarium 

 mentioned above. The fertile frond is slightly abnormal, having 

 broad sterile tips on some of the pinnae; the following additions 

 have not been incorporated into the description, though a frag- 

 ment kindly sent by Christ indicates that these smaller fronds are, 

 except in size, decidedly like his specimen. 



Sterile frond 52 cm. long; stipe 14 cm. long, and 1 cm. thick at 

 the base, angulate, the scales numerous, deciduous, 1-2.5 cm. 



