Eaton: Pteridophytes observed in Florida 481 



rachis and midnerves and one or two between them and the mar- 

 gin, the ends mostly free ; sori few, in a row on each side of the 

 midnerve, borne in a fork of a paracostal nerve at about the mid- 

 dle ; indusium reniform, withering-persistent. 



In lime-sinks, Bauer's hammock, Gossman's. This hammock 

 is nearly half a mile long and one quarter mile wide, in some places 

 with abundant sinks. This fern was found in but three of these, 

 rooting in the rough rocks of the sides from two to six feet down. 



^ .** W-*^ *^"*> 



spreading extensively by the proliferations of the fronds. 



Tectaria heracleifolia (Willd.) Underw. 



Rootstocks stout, erect, 1-3 dm. tall and 3 cm. in diameter, 

 sometimes aggregated into erect clumps 5 dm. tall and 1 dm. in 

 diameter, overlaid with wiry roots, clothed with long lanceolate- 

 acuminate dark-brown scales, the bases of which persist ; stipes 

 2—6 dm. long, stout, castaneous, shining, nearly flat above, grooved 

 on sides, with a few lanceolate-acuminate deciduous scales at base, 

 and more or less puberulent with very fine scattered or matted 

 scales; fronds ternate, ample, 1.5-5 dm. l° n g> J ~4 dm. wide, 

 chartaceous, glossy above, dull beneath, surface smooth, all the 

 principal veins finely puberulent, especially above ; lower pair of 

 pinnae mostly distinct, often petioled, mostly auricled at base, up- 

 wardly falcate,. acuminate, with a large upwardly falcate, acumi- 

 nate, coarsely crenate or lobed basal pinnule and several other 

 blunt, shallow lobes passing to undulations above, or in larger 

 specimens often more cut ; second pair of lobes often distinct, 

 upwardly falcate, more or less lobed or incised ; terminal portion 

 triangular-ovate, more or less incised or coarsely lobed below, 

 entire or undulate above, acuminate; young fronds ovate-lanceo- 

 late, acuminate, cordate, the sinus closed, with one or two rounded 

 shallow lobes at base ; paracostal areoles with free veins or often 

 small areoles, the rest of areoles irregular, mostly with free, sim- 

 ple or irregularly branched included veinlets ; sori large, round, 

 irregularly placed but mostly in two rows between the veins, on 

 an angle or fork of the first branch of the veins that form the 

 paracostal areoles. 



Growing in small lime-sinks in hammocks of the Homestead 

 region. A large glossy beautiful fern, very different in aspect 

 from the next. Apparently absent in some hammocks where that 

 is abundant. This fern has been known as Aspidinm trifoliatum, 

 from which it is distinct. 



