184 132 



guish this D. Feci specifically from /). augescens, as the two are connected by all 

 intermediate forms. I call the large Mexican form 



var. puberula (Fee). 



Syn. Aspidhim piiberulum Fée, 10. mém, 40. 1865. 

 Nephrodium puberulum Bak. Syn. 495. 1874. 

 Dryopleris Fed C. Chr. Ind. 264. 1905. 



In structural characters scarcely different from D. augescens, but generally 

 larger: stipe up to 70 cm long, stramineous, glabrous, lamina 40—60 cm long: 

 pinnæ 15 — 20 cm long by 2 cm wide. Veins about 10, prominent beneath, the 

 lower 2 — 3 meeting at sinus, where as a rule a distinct apophysis is to be found. 

 Undersurface softly villous and sometimes glandulose. The rhizome is very long- 

 creeping. Segments generally very acute and close. 



An extremely variable variety; 1 refer hereto specimens coming very near to 

 typical augescens, others very much resembling D. normalis and D. patens, and 

 others again which are not unlike smaller forms of D. oligophylla. Still 1 have no 

 doubt that all these forms must be referred here and united with D. augescens. 

 The most difficult problem to solve is, however, whether the whole series of forms 

 is to refer to a separate species or ought to be united with D. normalis. The form 

 from Texas called D. normalis var. Lindheimeri seems to show that we have only 

 one very variable species, which should be named D. augescens, but on the other 

 hand it is unnatural to unite into a single species the typical fcjrnis of D. normalis 

 and D. augescens, and I prefer here to refer the different forms to two species. 



It is interesting to note that we here have another example of a series of 

 forms which in their distribution is quite analogous with the series I), opposita — 

 D. panamensis and 1). Sprengelii — D. Mercurii, all dealt with in my previous 

 papers, and with D. tetragona and the intricate forms of it from Mexico — Central 

 America. In all these series the first named species is found in the West-Indies, 

 where it varies only a little, while the second species is mostly developed in Cen- 

 tral America, where it varies extraordinarily and where some forms occur, which 

 scarcely can be distinguished from the corresponding island-species. 



Aspidium puberulum Fée was described after specimens from Mexico, near 

 Huatusco, Schaffner nr. 247 part. , which I have not seen. Fournier (PI. Mex. 

 1: 95) refer here some specimens of the Bourgeau collection which I have seen in 

 the museum of Paris. With these specimens agree more os less the following; 



Mexico: Lower California, Cape Region. Brandegee (W); Tres Marias Islands, E. W. Nelson nr. 

 4316 (W); Maltby nr. 161 (W) — Cuernavaca, Bourgkau nr. 1318 (H) - Puebla, Arsène 

 nr. 1614, 1691), 1820, 1991, 2006. 2026, 2036, 2145, 2150, 2151 (RB) - Morelia, Arsène 

 (RB, C) — Orizaba, H. E. Seaton nr. 67 (W) — Jalisco, near Guadalajara, Rose and Painter 

 nr. 7416 (W); Edw. Palmer nr. 455 (W); Colima, Edw. Palmer nr. 1229 pt. (W) - Aca- 

 pulco, Edw. Palmer nr. 442 (Wj — Tamaulipas, near Victoria, Edw. Palmer nr. 183 and 



