482 Eaton: Pteridophytes observed in Florida 



Tectaria minima Underw. Bull. Torrey Club 33 



199. 1906 



* 



This plant is very distinct from T. {Aspidium) trifoliata, with 

 which it has been confused. The rootstocks are small (about 

 5 mm. in diameter and 2-6 cm. long) and prostrate, clothed at 

 the growing end with narrow, lance-acuminate dark scales, the 



bases of which persist for several years. Contrary to the usual 

 habit of ferns with horizontal rhizomes, the fronds arise from all 

 parts of its surface, those beneath growing out laterally, then 

 erect. The stipes are usually from one to two, rarely three 

 decimeters long. They are slender and nearly naked, green or 

 somewhat castaneous, especially near the base. They are slightly 

 grooved on the edges, and puberulent on the upper surface near 

 the top. The laminae are lance-ovate to triangular-ovate, acute 

 or acuminate, about 6-15 cm. long and nearly as broad. They 

 are herbaceous and dull, entirely lacking the beautiful gloss of the 

 last species, and the upper surface is somewhat hairy-puberulent, 

 most pronounced on the veins. When simple they have much 

 the appearance of a maple leaf. Usually the basal lobes are dis- 

 tinct, with two or three lobes on the lower margin and the upper 

 margin undulate. The apical lobe of the frond bears several 

 usually obtuse lobes on each side, these passing to undulations 

 towards the acuminate tip. The venation is similar to the last, 

 but the paracostal areoles are usually without free veinlets. The 

 indusia usually appear to be peltate because of the overlapping 

 of the M full " basal lobes. 



Sides of lime-sinks and neighboring lime rocks in all the ham- 

 mocks of the Homestead region. Found also in Cuba and the 

 Bahamas. At Ross's hammock I found a form with pentagonal 

 fronds 2-2.7 dm. long, and 2 dm. wide, the lower pair of pinnae 

 petioled and deeply lobed, the second pair cut to the rachis, the 

 chief segments coarsely lobed. This appears to be an extreme 

 form of the present species. This species differs from the last in 

 the horizontal, small rootstocks, smaller size, outline of the fronds, 

 the dull surface, the divergent rather than falcate lobes, the reni- 

 form indusia, the lack of veinlets in the paracostal areolations and 

 the scarcity of free veinlets in the others. 



hi 



