330 



84 



have described or determined as resino-foetidum. I have examined the following 

 specimens from Brazil: Minas Geraes: Lagoa Santa, Warming (HH). In this 

 specimen two pair of sterile pinnæ are to be found, which are broader than the 

 soriferons ones and with basiscop segments enlarged and dentate. — Caldas, Mosen 

 n. 2174 (HH. HS), n. 2175 (HS). — Ouro Preto, M. Gomes n. 3009 (HC). — Glaziou 

 n. 15762, 15763 (HH). — Rio Grande do Sul: Passo Mansa, Haerchen (HR). 



The following specimens from the Andes lack the long, white hairs on rachis 

 and costæ beneath, characteristic of the plants from Brazil, otherwise they agree 

 very well with them : 



Venezuela: Caracas, Dr. Kosas (HB. HS). 

 Columbia: Ocaiia, Schlim n. 494 (HB). 



Costa Rica: Cartago, 2000- 2200m., Wercklé 1905 (HC). — San José, 1160m., 

 P. BioUey 1906 n. 25 (HC = var. eglandulosa C. Chr. Christ, Bull. Boiss. II. 7: 262. 1907). 

 Mexico, Schaffner, Karwinski (HB). 



I have above reduced Nephrodium resino-foetidum to a mere synonym of D. 

 cheilanthoides, and I have no doubt that I am right in doing so. I have only seen 

 a. few segments in Herb. Berol. of the type-specimen of N. resino-foetidum (Spruce 

 n. 5302), which Mettenius has named Aspidium cheilanthoides = resino-foetidum Hk. 

 Hooker describes the rachis as glabrous, as does Mettenius in his description of 

 A. cheilanthoides. The fact is, that the long, white hairs on the rachis and costæ 

 in the specimens from Brazil are very deciduous and in old specimens mostly 

 absent. In the specimens from Venezuela and Mexico, mentioned above, I find no 

 hairs, and these are thus most probably true resino-foetidum, but I am sure that 

 they in no way differ from the Brazilian form. Jenman has found resino-foetidum 

 in Jamaica, and he describes (Bull. Dept. Jamaica n. s. 3: 66. 1896) the rachis as 

 "stramineous, puberulous", quite as in most of our plants from South Brazil. A 

 remarkable character for resino-foetidum is mentioned by Hooker, who says, that 

 "the recent plant had a peculiarly foetid-resinous smell"; most singularly Jenman 

 says (1. c), that the growing plant has "a delicious peach parfume" and further it 

 has "densely viscid fronds and mucous stipites and caudex". Christ says (Farn- 

 kräuter d. Erde 253): "Pflanze kahl, aber mit einer bräunlichen, nach Asphalt 

 riechenden Substanz dünn überzogen". This peculiarity so diversely described is 

 not mentioned by Brazilian collectors; if true D. cheilanthoides agrees in this, the 

 last doubt as to its identity with resino-foetidum is removed. 



Another synonym of our species is without doubt Aspidium decrescens Kunze 

 hb.; Melt. Aspid. 84 n. 202. 1858; Dryopteris decrescens O. Ktze. Rev. Gen. PI. 2: 812. 

 1891: C.Chr. Ind. 261, from Venezuela, leg. Funck & Schlim n. 1229, of which I 

 have seen a fragment in Herb. Mett. (HB). This is certainly not the same as 

 Nephrodium decrescens Bak. Syn. 497 (Lindig n. 292). Mettenius sees the differences 

 between decrescens and cheilanthoides in the somewhat hairy frond with the lower 

 pinnæ conspicuously reduced and the medial sori of the former. As to these 

 characters the two first agree very well with good specimens of D. cheilanthoides, 



