Eaton: Pteridophytes observed in Florida 465 



Stenochlaena Kunzeana (Presl) Underw. Bull. Torrey 



Club. 33: 196. 1906 



This is a very pretty fern. The rootstocks are scandent, aris- 

 ing in and about the sink-holes and climbing neighboring trees. 

 They are flattened dorsiventrally, rooting from the under surface, 

 and at the growing end are rather sparingly clothed with thin 

 ovate-lanceolate, acuminate, purplish scales. The stipes are ar- 

 ranged alternately along the sides of the rootstock and are from 

 5 cm. to 1.5 dm. in length. Their bases diverge at a very small 

 angle and continue for some distance in the same plane, then 

 curve backward till the frond stands nearly at right angles to this 

 plane. They are flat and deeply grooved on the upper surface, 

 while the edges bear a sharp ridge which becomes a narrow wing 

 above. The fronds are from 1 to 4 dm. long and 3 to 9 cm. 

 wide in Florida specimens, of a coriaceous texture and dark glossy 

 green color, each pinna resembling a small holly leaf. They are 

 more narrowly oblanceolate, abruptly contracted above and grad- 

 ually so below. The rachis is grooved on the upper surface and 

 broadly winged. The pinnae are articulated to the rachis, and are 

 lanceolate from a cuneate base, the lowermost much reduced and 

 roundish, the margins deeply serrate with divaricate teeth. The 

 fertile pinnae are linear and densely fruited. I found this fern in 

 four hammocks about Gossman's ; viz. % Costello's, Ross's, Timb's 

 and Bauer's. In all it was sterile save for one frond. It attained 

 its best development in Ross's hammock, where rootstocks 12 dm. 

 long were observed ; but they are much longer in the tropics. It 

 was found fruited in a hammock near Cocoanut Grove, in 1905, 

 by O. Rodham. 



POLYPODIUM PECTINATUM L. 



First observed by Mr. Soar in Timb's hammock, Gossman's. 

 It was growing on the ground, prostrate logs and bases of trees, 

 and was quite scarce. Not observed elsewhere on the east coast. 

 Found sparingly on magnolia trees at Oviedo, and abundantly 

 over a small area in a hammock in Fahkahatchie cypress, on 

 logs, stumps and cypress knees, but not found in two other trips 

 to the cypress, nor at Whitewater Bay. 



