183 235 



slightly hairy on rachis and costæ by minute stellate and a few longer, simple 

 hairs. Veins 6— 8-jugate, the lower ones connivent to sinus or more often united 

 into a branch to the sinus. Sori about medial; indusium small, soon evanished. — 

 The erect, thick rhizome is clothed with dull-brown ovate scales and a few small 

 fibrils are found on the stem and the lower part of the rachis. 

 To this species 1 refer some few specimens from 



.Jamaica: Hart nr. 315 (W) — Mansfield, Maxon nr. 1823 (= Undkrwood nr. 2789! (W| — Bath, Maxon 

 111". 18ßö (= Underwood nr. 282(;) (W) — Cascade Portland, D. Watt nr. 227 (RB). 



From this species I cannot with certainty distinguish Nephrodium cahareum 

 Jenm. Journ. Bot. 1886: 271. Bull. Dept. Jam. II. 3: 162. 1896, Jamaica, Sherring 

 (Kew, auth. specimen), Hart 344 (W). It has the lower pinnæ more distinctly re- 

 duced, the most pinnæ are somewhat auricled on both sides and the rachis and 

 costæ beneath more densely stellate-puberulous; the pinnæ are shorter and like the 

 apex of the lamina not so long-acuminate. 



234. Dryopteris venusta (Hew.) O. Ktze. Rev. 3: 814. 1891. 

 C. Chr. Ind. 300. — Fig. 31 b. 



Syn. Aspidium venustum Hew. Mag. Nat. Hist. II. 3: 464. 1838. 



Nephrodium venustum Moore, Gard. Chr. 1855: 677 c. fig.; Bak. Syn. 294; 

 Jenman. Bull. Dept. Jamaica II. :i: 188. 1896; W. Ind. and Guiana 

 Ferns 233. 



Type from Jamaica (non vidi). 

 A handsome species, in its most developed form well-marked by its size, sub- 

 marginal sori and glabrous indusium. It resembles not a little D. Fendleri, but it 

 is easily distinguished from that species by its pinnatifid apex. — The thick erect 

 rhizome is clothed with large, brown scales. Stipe strong, quadrangular, up to 50 

 cm long, slightly scaly like the lower part of rachis. Lamina 7—9 dem long, gra- 

 dually narrowed into a pinnatifid apex, downwards a little reduced. Rachis mi- 

 nutely puberulous by stellate hairs. Pinnæ 20 or more to each side, up to 25 cm 

 long by 4 cm broad, incised halfway to the costa or more, sessile, or the lower 

 ones very shortly stalked, acuminate, the lower generally more or less shortened; 

 surfaces glabrous except the costæ beneath, which are minutely stellato-puberulous, 

 the margins ciliate. Texture firm, membranous, colour dark-green; underside often 

 minutely warted. Lobes broad, oblique, subacute or obtuse. Veins about 10-jugate, 

 the basal pair connivent to sinus or frequently united into a branch to sinus. Sori 

 supramedial or submarginal, furnished with a large, persistent, glabrous indusium 

 Sporangia glabrous. 



Known from Jamaica only; I have seen the following specimens: Ml. Diabolo, 

 Maxon nr. 1855, 1933, 1954, 2318 (W). 



