296 



50 



tam Sw. Fl. Ind. occ. prod. 133. 1788; Phcgopteris sancta Fée, Gen. Fil. 243. 1852; 

 Aspidium sanctum Mett. Pheg. und Aspid. 76 n. 181. 1858; Christ, Fainkr. 252; Nephro- 

 cliiim scmctiun Bak. Syn. Fil. 267. 1867; Jenman, Bull. Dept. Jamaica II. 3: 20. 1897. 

 — Phegopteris tenella Fée, Gen. 243. 1852; 7 mém. 62 tab. 25, fig. 2. 1857. 



This species, well-known from earlier times (Sloane tab. 49 fig. 2), is in its 

 typical form easily recognizable by its small size — the whole plant being often 

 only 10 — 15 cm. high — by its tliin, but rather firm, glabrous grass-green leaf, 

 which is often finely glandulose on the underside, and especially by its unequal- 

 sided pinnæ, their lower side being very reduced and excepting the basal segment, 

 which as a rule is quite free and somewhat lengthened, only a narrow serrature 

 with very oblique teeth along the midrib of the pinnæ, while the upper segments 

 are considerably longer and more patent; the upper basal segments is always much 

 the largest and with the next following two or three often quite free and not rarely 

 with lobed margins. I have seen no indusium. 



Among others I have seen the following specimens of this typical form : 

 Jamaica, Swartz (HH). Maxon n. 1829 (HH). 

 San Domingo: Barrabas, C. Raunkiær 1905 (HH). 

 Cuba: Arrogo de Pedro, 500 m., Eggers n. 4885 (HC). 

 Puerto Rico, Sintenis n. 5828. 6581 (HC). Ventenat (HH). 

 Dominica, Eggers n. 456, 2780 (HC). 



The species is also recorded from Guatemala and Ecuador (Sodiro). 

 A very different variety of this species, but connected with the type by 

 numerous transitions, is: 



var. Balbisii (Sprengel) — [Fig. 20]. 

 Syn. Polypodium Balbisii Sprengel, 

 Nova Acta 10: 228. 1821 (non Dryopleris 

 Balbisii Urban; C. Chr. Ind. 253 = D. 

 Sprengelii), according to identification by 

 Prof. HiERONYMUs, and it also may be 

 Nephrodium sanctum var. magnum Jenman, 

 Bull. Dept. Jamaica 3: 20. 1906. In its 

 most developed form this variety is very 

 unlike the typical D. sancta. Leaf 3 dem. 

 long, upto 10cm. broad, bipinnate, the 

 pinnæ with many pairs of free pinnulæ 

 only connected with a very narrow wing 

 to the midrib. The larger pinnæ are 

 nearly equal-sided, while the smaller on 

 the upper part of the leaf resemble the 

 pinnæ of the typical form. The free pin- 

 nulæ linear, 1 — l'/4cm. long, about 2 mm. broad with more than their own breadth 

 between them, the anterior edge deeply serrate, the posterior one less incised or 



Fig. 20. D. sancta (L.) O. Ktzc. var. Balbisii (Spr. 



