POLYPODIACEAE. 473 



shorter than the blade, puberulent and usually bearing some scales toward the 

 base, otherwise smooth; pinnae usually many, rather close together, sessile, 

 mostly less than 1 dm. long, 1-2 cm. wide, lanceolate, long-tipped, deeply pin- 

 natifid, pubescent beneath, the segments ovate, obtuse or acute, entire, the lower 

 pair somewhat larger than the others; veins free. 



Pine-lands, coppices, sink-holes and marshes, Abaco, Andros, New Providence, 

 Lignum Vitae Cay, Rose Island. Eleuthera, Cat Ishind, Acklin's Island, Watling's 

 Island. Great Guana Cay, Great Exuma, North Caicos : — Florida; West Indies. 

 Referred to D. patens by Dolley, by Mrs. Northrop and by Coker. 



Dolley records a fern under the name Aspidium incisum Griseb. ; this name ap- 

 plies to a West Indian Dnjoptcrls not known to inhabit the Bahamas. The record 

 may apply to one of the preceding species. 



3. Dryopteris reptaiis (Gmel.) €. Chr. Ind. Fil. 288. 1905. 



Polypodium reptans Gmel. Syst. 2: 1309. 1791. 



Goniopteris reptans Presl, Tent. Pter. 182. 1836. 



Phegopteris reptans D. C. Eaton, Bull. Torr. Club 10: 101. 1883. 



Rootstock short; ascending or erect. Leaves usually several, reclining or 

 arching, 2.5-9 dm. long, once pinnate, often rooting at the apex and sometimes 

 along the rachis, the slender petioles mostly shorter than the blades; pinnae 

 several or many, oblong to lanceolate, about 4 cm. long or less, pubescent, obtuse 

 or acute at the apex, subtruncate at the base, crenate, sessile or very nearly so ; 

 veins slender; sori commonly few_, borne about midway between the midvein 

 and the margin; indusia vestigial or none. 



In caves, and sink-holes in coppices," Abaco, Andros, New Providence, Eleuthera, 

 Cat Island : — Florida : West Indies. Recorded by Mrs. Northrop as Dryopteris 

 asplcnioides Baker. Walking Wood-fern. 



4. Dryopteris cordata (Fee) Urban,. Symb, Ant. 4: 18. 1903. 



Phegopteris cordata Fee, Gen. Fil. 241. 1850-52. 

 Aspidium reptans cordata Mett. Asp. 99. 1858. 



Similar to D. reptans, but usually smaller, and with entire or merely undu- 

 late pinnae, and having the veins usually free. 



In sink-holes in pine-lands, Andros : — Cuba ; Porto Rico ; recorded from Jamaica. 

 Recorded by Mrs. Northrop as Goniopteris reptans cordata. 



Dolley records a fern as Aspidium a dianti folium Sw., but there is no such pub- 

 lished species. Schoepf's record of Polypodium pubescens L. was probably based on 

 some species of Dryopteris. 



17. NEPHROLEPIS Schott, Gen. Fil. 2^?. 3. 1834. 



Leaves spreading or pendent, pinnate, elongated; pinnae numerous, ap- 

 proximate, jointed at the base, with whitish dots on the upper surface. Sori 

 round, arising from the apex of the upper branch of a vein, usually near the 

 margin. Veins free. [Greek, referring to the shape of the indusium.] About 

 12 species, natives of tropical and warm-temperate regions. Type species: 

 Polypodium exaltatum L. 



Indusia reniform ; leaves 7-20 cm. broad. 1. N. exaltata. 



Indusia orbicular ; leaves 20-40 cm. broad. 2. N. hiserrata. 



1. Nephrolepis exaltata (L.) Schott, Gen. Fil. under pi. 3. 1834. 



Polypodium exaltatum L. Syst. ed. 10, 1326. 1759. 



Petioles 7-15 cm. long; leaf -blades 1 m. long or less. ■ Pinnae sessile, lan- 

 ceolate, sometimes crenulate, 2.5-8 cm. long, the upper side auricled at the 

 base, the lower rounded, the rachis nearly naked; sori almost marginal, cov- 

 ered with firm distinctly reniform indusia. 



In a cave. East Caicos : — Bermuda ; Florida ; West Indies ; continental tropical 

 America ; Old World tropics. Sword-fern. Boston Fern. 



31 



