jg 2 NATURAL HISTORY BULLETIN. 



Genus PHEGOPTERIS Fee. 



1. P. DECUSSATA {-L.) Mett. 



Mett., Fil. Hort. Bot. Lip., p. §g, pi. xvii; Smith, Ferns, Br. and For., p. 169. 

 Polypodium decussatum L. , Syst. Nat., p. 694; Swz., Syn. Fil., p. 40; Hook., 

 Sp. Fil., vol. iv, p. 243; Hook, and Bak., Syn. Fil., p. 307; Hemsl., Biol. 

 Cent. Am., vol. m, p. 656. 



Rather rare in deep woods near Camp Menocal. Stipes 2 

 to 3 feet, fronds 3 to 4 feet long. The stipes and rachises are 

 brown, densely coated with short whitish hairs. The veins 

 beneath are white-hairy, and the margins of the frond are 

 densely short-ciliated. The characteristic gland at the base 

 of each pinna, and the two opposite lines of scales on the stipe, 

 were present in all the specimens observed. A fine fern. 



Reported from Chontales by Hemsley. 



2. P. punctata [Thunb.) Mett. PI. xix, Figs, i, 2. 



Mett., Ob. Ein. Farng., pt. iv, p. 12. 



Polypodium puitctatum Thunb. (11011 Spruce), — Swz., Syn. Fil., p. 41 ; Hook. 



and Bak., Syn., Fil., p. 312. 

 Polypodium rugulosum Labill., — Hook.. Sp. Fil., vol. iv, p. 272. 

 Phegopteris rugulosa F^e, — Smith, Ferns, Br. and For., p. 171. 



A careful comparison with the cited descriptions, and with 

 specimens in the State University Herbarium and that of the 

 Shaw Gardens at St. Louis, renders this identification quite 

 satisfactory, though the species, which is widely spread, is not 

 mentioned in the Biologia Cent. Am., nor is it reported from 

 Central America in any work at hand, Colombia, S. Am., 

 being the nearest locality. The specimens in the collection 

 agree well with Hooker's description of P. rugulosum. The 

 resemblance to forms of Hyfole-pis, which is striking, is dis- 

 cussed in the note under P. rugulosum hy Hooker. 1 The fruit 

 however is distinct. The stipe shows but few tubercles 

 (where scales were attached), but its base is densely covered 

 with a tangle of long, very narrow (almost hair-like), light- 

 brown scales, most of which exceed an inch in length. Shorter 

 scales are also scattered along the rachises and main veins, 



1 Sp. Fil., vol. iv, p. 273. 



