THE FERNS OF NICARAGUA. 



179 



texture. A form which was common along the Los Sabalos 

 River has 3 to 5 pairs of lateral pinna?, the lowest pair com- 

 pound, the lobes of the pinna?, etc., narrow, acuminate, and 

 somewhat crenate. The fronds measure 11 to 21 inches in 

 length, and 9 to 15 inches in width, and are thinly herbaceous 

 in texture. The rachises are short-hair}-, and the stipes are 

 scaly at the base. Specimens from Ometepe and the deep 

 woods near Castillo are thin, almost membranaceous in texture, 

 and have the stipes and rachises lighter-colored. The former 

 are very small, the stipes measuring 3 to 5 inches in length, 

 and the fronds 4^ to 6% inches in length, and 3 to 5 inches 

 in width. The pinna? are deeply crenate or lobed, but none 

 are compound. The stipes and rachises are short- hairy. 

 The latter have 1 to 3 pairs of lateral pinna?, the lowest some- 

 times compound at base, and the stipes, rachises, main veins 

 and margin of the frond are copiously covered with spreading, 

 whitish or brownish hairs. The fronds are 6 to 12 inches 

 long, and 5 to 12 inch wide, and the stipes are 8 to 19 inches 

 inches in length. All of the specimens agree in having a 

 smooth, reniform (or rather cordate at the sinus) indusium, in 

 venation and the position of the sori, and in having a long 

 basal lobe on the lower side of the lowest pair of pinna?. The 

 species is terrestrial in habit. 



Reported from Chontales by Hemsley. 



10. N. macrophyllum {Szvartz) Bak. 



Hook, and Bak., Syn. Fil., p. 300; Hemsl., Biol. Cent. Am., vol. ill, p. 648; 

 Hitch., PI. Bah., p. 155. 



Aspidium macrophyllum Swz., Syn. Fil., pp.43, 239; Presl, Rel. Haenk., p. 

 29; Mett., Fil. Hort. Bot. Lip., p. 95, pi. xxn, fig. 13; Mett., lib. Ein # 

 Farng., pt. iv, p. 122; Eaton, Fil. Wr. et Fend., p. 211; Hook., Sp. Fil., 

 vol. iv, p. 55; Smith, Hist. Fil., p. 202; Smith, Ferns, Br. and For., p. 

 H5- 



Bathmium pxppigii Presl, ( ?) — Fourn., Sertum Nic, p. 256 (on authority 

 of Hemsley). 



Typical specimens of this species were common along the 

 somewhat rocky banks of the San Juan River, below Castillo. 



Reported from Chontales by Fournier (as Bathmium foef- 

 pigii), and by Hemsley. 



