CHRISTENSEN, NEW FERNS FROM MADAGASCAR. 5 



Dryopteris parvisora C. Chr. sp. nov. 



PI. 1, Fig. 5. 



Rhizomate ignoto. Stipite incomplete 20 cm longo, V2 

 cm crasso, glabro, fusco-stramineo, supra anguste trisulcato. 

 Lamina herbacea, utrinque viridi, late-lanceolata vel ovato- 

 lanceolata, tripinnatifida, 70 cm longa, medio 30 cm lata, 

 utrinque ad costas costulas venasque pilis rufis glandulifor- 

 mibus brevissimis sparse instructa, faciebus glabris. Pinnis 

 primariis infimis paulo abbreviatis, sequentibus majoribus, 

 lanceolatis, 20 cm longis medio 8 cm iatis, alternis, 6 — 8 cm 

 inter se distantibus, patentibus, breviter petiolulatis, acumi- 

 natis, bipinnatifidis, costa alata; supremis sensim minoribus, 

 sessilibus vel adnatis, pinnatifidis. Pinnulis recte patentibus, 

 10 — 12-jugis, alternis, late lanceolatis, 4 cm longis, 1 V2 cm 

 Iatis, basalibus (praesertim acroscopicis) minoribus, IV2 cm 

 inter se remotis, basi adnatis, ala 1 mm lata ad costam con- 

 nectis, apice obtusis, ad medium inter costam et marginem 

 pinnatifidis. Segmentis 8 — 9-jugis, oblongis vel subquadratis, 

 oa Vs cm longis et Iatis, apice obtusis vel rotundatis, ssepe 

 leviter crenatis. Vena mediani segment! flexuosa; venis ul- 

 timis liberis simplicibus, 2 — 3-jugis. Soris in venis paulo 

 inframedialibus, perparvis, punctiformibus; indusiis renifor- 

 mibus, rufis, glabris. 



Madagascaria: Moramanga, in silvis primsevis, 1. 10. 

 1912, nr. 371. 



This is apparently a very distinct species. I have seen a 

 specimen of it once before from Madagascar 1. Humblot nr. 

 308. Amongst tropical African species of Dryopteris it mostly 

 recalls D. mascarenarum Urb., which is similar in cutting 

 and small sori but has a decidedly crinite rachis. D. Boryana 

 which has been recorded as Madagascarian, also is similar in 

 size and degree of cutting, but is as to several characters 

 different. Our new species resembles in general habit more 

 the Corean Athyrium pterorachis Christ, and the East Asiatic 

 Diplazium decurrenti-alatum (Hk.) C. Chr. than any other 

 fern, especially by its obtuse pinnules and segments and its 

 winged secondary rachises,but the sori are typicaly dryopteroid, 

 although exceedingly small. 



The position of D. parvisora within the genus is doubtful. 



