125 177 



its forms. — The fasciculated stipites are deciduously hairy, scaly below, strami- 

 neous, the lamina up to 1 m long, firmly herbaceous or even papyraceous, generally 

 dark-green; rachis quadrangular slightly hairy; pinnæ up to 20 cm long, 3 — 4 cm 

 broad, the lower ones often somewhat reduced and reflexed, strigosu on the costæ 

 above, more or less softly pubescent and glandular beneath, especially on costæ 

 and veins; segments subacute, as a rule falcate, the edges often revolute ; veins 10 

 to 16 to a side often somewhat prominent beneath, the lower pair not meeting at 

 sinus but separated by a cartilagineous membrane below the sinus; sori medial or 

 supramedial, the indusium persistent, softly hairy by whitish hairs. 



D. patens is distributed over the whole tropical America, common in the 

 West-Indies, Central-America and South Brazil, apparently rather rare in Mexico 

 and the South-American Andes. I have failed to find characters by which forms 

 from different regions may be distinguished from each other, f. inst. most Brazilian 

 specimens agree exactly with the Central-American ones; below I describe four 

 varieties, which however are connected with the type by intermediate forms. It is 

 often impossible to determine with certainty specimens which lack rhizome and 

 lower part of the stipe. 



Specimens from jAfrica and Polynesia are often determined D. patens; this 

 species are however no doubt confined to America; the Polynesian plant is partly 

 D. Harveyi (Mett.), partly 1). Brackenridgei (Mett.), the African D. Bergiana (Mett.) 

 and Ü. Gueintziana (Mett.). 



Below I enumerate some of the specimens examined, mainly such which 

 bear a collector-number. 



West-Indian Islands: Trinidad, Fendler nr. 18 (B, W); Herb. Trin. Bot. Garden nr. 335, 336 (Wi, 

 6252 (G) — Grenada, W. E. Broadway nr. 1Ö23 (B); Eggers nr. 6478 (C, W) — St. Vin- 

 cent, GuiLDiNG nr. 746 (B), H. ct G. Smith nr. 789 (B) — Barbados, (H); Eggehs nr. 

 7312 (W^ — Martinique, Sieber nr. 354 (B); L. Hahn nr. 35 (B|; Bélanger nr. 78 et 8U 

 (B); Père Duss nr. 19, 24, 221 (C), 1578 (B), 41.')0 (W); Isert (H) - Dominica, Imray (B); 

 Eggers (RB) — Guadeloupe, LHerminier nr. 157 (B); Père Duss nr. 291 (Cj, 4030 (C), 

 4031, 4035, 4038, 4041—43. 4046, 4047. 4344, 4424 (W) — Montserrat, Ryan (H) - Saba 

 (S) — St. Croix, Eggers (H) — St. Thomas, Eggers nr. 455= (B, C); Raunki.kr nr. 13 

 (CC) - Porto Rico, Sintenis nr. 1975 (C), 2829, 5868 (W) ; Mr. et. Mrs. Heller nr. 518a, 

 927 (W); A. A. Heller nr. 6343 (W); Underwood and Griggs nr. 273. 632 (W) — San 

 Domingo, Eggers nr. 1866 a (B); Prenleloup nr. 726 (C) — Haïti, Weinland nr. 32 

 (B) — Jamaica, Day nr. 18 (B); G. L. Fisher nr. 983 (R); Underwood nr 2791, 2522. 

 3235 (W); Hart nr. 316 (W); Maxon nr. 830, 932, 1398, 1825, 1928, 2263, 2559 (W^ — 

 Cuba, Oriente, Wright nr. 1002 (B, S, W), 2118 (W); Eggers nr. 4906 (R, W); Maxon nr. 

 3924, 4101, 4102, 4252, 4280 (W); Prov. Santa Clara, R. Combs nr. 284 (B); Prov. Habana. 

 Baker nr. 3804 (W) - Prov. Pinar del Rio, Palmer et Riley nr. 138, 165, 346, 809 (W), 

 Caldwell et Baker nr. 7006 (W); without localitj', E. Otto nr. 81 (Bj; Linden nr 

 1396 pt. (B). 



Bermuda: Devonshire Marshes, St. Brown and N. L. Britton nr 84 (CCl. 



Florida: South of Miami, Dade Co, A. A. Eaton 11I|i905 (W). 



Mexico: Dept. Vera Cruz, Jicaltepec, Tlapacoyo, Colipa et Mirador. I^iebmann (H); Izliuatlancillo, 

 BoURGEAr nr 2779 (H); Misantla. Schiede nr. 761 (Bi: Kerber nr. 435 (W|; Cordoba, 

 H. Funck nr. 56 iW). 



