104 NEPHRODIUM, § LASTREA. 



bulate scales copiously rooting at the base, stipites tufted ge- 

 nerally short 2-3 inches and sometimes a span long copiously 

 paleaceous with lanceolate acuminate at length deciduous 

 scales, fronds 1^-2 feet and more long coriaceous upper half 

 or more ovate acuminate lower portion (or one-half) sud- 

 denly contracted into an elongated linear outline pinnated 

 pinnatifid at the apex, the larger pinnee 3-4 inches long I 

 inch broad sessile truncated at the base oblong (the sides 

 nearly parallel) shortly and rather obtusely acuminated pin- 

 natifid rather more than halfway down the rachis, segments 

 oblong-ovate obliquely subacute scarcely arcuate entire, vein- 

 lets prominent on the under side 8-10 on each side the cos- 

 tule the lowest opposite pairs closely approximating near 

 the sinus but not conjoined, lower pinucB sometimes 13-14 

 pairs nearly uniformly and very suddenly dwarfed and sub- 

 semihastate having a large auricle at the superior base, sori 

 copious nearer the margin of the segments than the cos- 

 tule, involucres soon deciduous. — Pr. Tent. Plerid. p. 81. 

 Aspidium, Hio. Sijn. Fit. p. 49. Willd. Sp. PL v. p. 238. 

 Metteii. Aspid. p. 93. Polypod., Sw. Fl. Ind. Occ. Lastrea, 

 Moore. 



Hab. West Indies, probably in most of tbe islands : Jamaica. JVilson, March, 

 etc.; Guadeloupe, i'//erw»jzer; Cuba, Wright, n. 823; Porto Rico, Schwanecke. 

 — One of the most easily recognized of Ferns. At first sight it might be taken 

 for a Eunephrodium. 



78. N. (Lastrea) triste. Hook. ; " frond short-ovate coria- 

 ceous pinnate, pinnee sessile lower ones subopposite long and 

 cuneato-attenuated at the base terminal one petiolated all 

 broadly lanceolate acuminated inciso-pinnatifid (destitute of 

 gland at the inferior base), segments falcato-oblong obtuse 

 sinuato-denticulate subglabrous above hairy beneath on the 

 cost?e veins and veinlets and on the suljreflexed margin, ra- 

 chis and long stipes tetragonous scabro-hirsutulous, sori uni- 

 seriate." ' Kze. — Polypodium triste, Kze. in Linmea, v. 9. p. 

 47. Aspidium, Metten. Aspid. p. 94. Nephrodium molle, 

 Liebm. in Herb. Nosir. ; an Fil. Mex. ? 



Hab. Peru: Iluallaga, Pceppig, in Herb. Nosir.,- Tarapota, Eastern Peru, 

 Spruce, n. 4037, 4006, 4091, 4343, 4748, Tanguranguas, Andes of Ecuador, S^yrace, 

 n. 5298 (iudusiiim purpurato-punctatum) and 5G08. Mexico : Calipa, Liebmann. 

 New Granada, Holton, n. 43. Surinam, Host^nann, n. 466. — I have little doubt of 

 all the specimens from the above localities being identical with Kunze's plant from 

 Pceppig. It is perhaps a common tropical South American species, and may rank 

 near to N. (Lastrea) tetragona (our n. 76), chiefly distinguished by its larger size, 

 more deeply pinnatifid pinnae, and their much attenuated base. Kunze compares 



