THE FERNS OF NICARAGUA. 



17, 



found along the La Juana River, is copiously clothed with 

 white hairs on the stipe, rachis, both surfaces of the pinnae. 

 and the indusium. and is almost wholly destitute of resinous 

 glands. This form was also collected near Castillo. Another 

 form, less common in the former locality, has comparatively 

 few hairs, but resin-dots are very abundant on the lower sur- 

 face of the frond. Similar specimens were found near Cas- 

 tillo, and those from Ometepe differ only in having the stipe 

 and rachis almost entirely smooth. This form, especially the 

 La Juana specimens, answers well to Eaton's var. strigosum. 



The specimen from Boca del Rama is wholly destitute of 

 hairs, but resin-dots are exceedingly abundant on the lower 

 surface of the frond, and on the rachis. The indusium in all 

 the forms is fugacious. Baker 1 savs of this species: •• Fee 

 makes of this a genus Oochlamys, characterized by an invo- 

 lucre receding from that of typical Nephrodium toward As- 

 pidium'' 



In younger specimens the indusium is distinctly rounded 

 cordate and clearly that of JYcphrodium. It is only when the 

 indusium is loosened and about to drop away that this char- 

 acter becomes indistinct. 



Fournier reports this species from near Xandaime under 

 the name Aspidium moUicidum Kze. 



2. X. mexicanum 3 Presl. PI. xviii. Fig. 5. 



Presl, Rel. Haenk., p. 3S; Mett., Ub. Ein. Farng., pt. iv, p. 64; Hook.. Sp. 



Fil.. vol. iv, p. 13S, pi. cclxii. 

 Nephrodium patulum Bak., — Hook, and Bak.. Syn. Fil., p. 276; Hemsl., 



Biol. Cent. Am., vol. in, p. 649: Bak., Jour. Bot., vol. xxn, p. 363 (from 



Costa Rica). 

 JLaslrea mexicana Hook, [non Lieb.), — Smith, Hist. Fil., p. 215; Smith, 



Ferns, Br. and For., p. 157. 

 Aspidium mexicanum Presl, — Eaton, Fil. Wr. et Fend., p. 209. 

 Aspidium mexicanum var. serratum Mett., — Fourn., Sertum Nic, p. 255. 



A single, sterile specimen was found near the La Juana 

 River. A comparison with specimens in the Shaw Herba- 



1 In Hook, and Bak., Syn. Fil., p. 26S, note under A . conterminum. 

 8 The author could find no good reason for substituting X. patulum for 

 Presl's older name, as has been done by Baker and others. 



