29 81 



This is a large species with subdimorphous leaves, the sterile ones being much 

 larger than the fertile. Sterile lamina up to 50cm. long, 40 cm. broad, truncate 

 at base, upwards gradually narrowed to the pinnatifid apex. Pinnæ 15 — 20-jugale, 

 short-stalked, 15 — 20 cm. long, 3 cm. broad, the lower base bluntly rounded, the 

 upper one truncate and with a broad, obtuse auricle; margins broadlj' and shal- 

 lowly serrulate, towards the submucronate apex more distinctly serrate. Texture 

 membranous to firmly papyraceous, colour fresh-green, paler beneath. Stipe, rachis 

 and costæ beneath sparsely clothed with reddish or blackish small scales. Veins 

 in groups of 3-4, upcurved, not reaching the margin, free. — Fertile lamina 

 similar, but the pinnæ only 10 — 12 cm. long by 1',- — I'l cm. broad. Sori in the 

 lower half of the vein, in most specimens apparently exindusiate, but in a single 

 of Fendler's Trinidad-specimens the sori are covered by large, circular, peltate, 

 glabrous, coriaceous indusia; a single indusium is found in the type-specimen. 



D. saiicti-gabrieli can with certainty be referred to Stigmatopteris, differing 

 from the general type by its peltate indusia. 



28. Dryopteris subobliquata (Hook.) O. Ktze. Rev. 2: 813, 1891; 

 C. Chr. Index 296. — Fig. 2 b. 



Syn. Polypodhim siibobliquatnm Hk. spec. 4: 240, 1862. 

 Nephrodiunt sitbohliquatiim Bak. Syn. 261, 1867. 



Type from Surinam, Hostmann nr. 15 (Kew!). 



Closely related to the preceding species, but easily recognizable by several 

 characters. Leaf generally coriaceous, entirely glabrous, lamina lanceolate, about 

 40 cm. long with 10 — 15 pairs of rather remote, subopposite, short-stalked pinnæ, 

 which are all alike, 12 cm. long by 2^/4 — 3 cm. broad, the lower base shortly 

 cuneate, the upper one truncate, scarcely auricled, the margins lobed about half- 

 way down to the midrib into oblong, obtuse, entire segments; apex of pinnæ 

 mucronate. Veins simple, free, 3 — 4 to a side, short, not reaching the margin. 

 Sori small, furnished with an early falling, large, coriaceous, glabrous, peltate in- 

 dusium. 



I call here this distinct species D. subobliquata, although I have no doubt that 

 it is identical with Aspidium guianense Kl., Linnaea 20: 364, 1847; Peltochlaena 

 nephrodiifonnis Fée, Gen. 289 is probably the same. I have, however, not seen the 

 original specimen of A. guianense, which commonly is referred as a subspecies to 

 Polystichum abbreuiatum (Schrad.), and I shall not here create a new combination 

 of name, mainly because the position of the species in Dryopteris is very question- 

 able. It is possible that it may be a free-veined form of Polystichum abbreviatum, 

 still I think it can be regarded as a distinct species forming a connecting link 

 between D. sancti-gabrieli and Polyst. abbreviatum. Its systematic position will na- 

 turally be in Stigmatopteris. Some of the specimens seen have distinct immersed 

 glands. 



