154 102 
Aspidium decrescens Kze.; Mett. Aspid. nr. 202. 1858. 
Dryopteris decrescens O. Ktze.; C. Chr. Ind. 261. (Venezuela, FuNCK & 
ScnuLiM nr. 1229, L!) 
Nephrodium atomiferum Sod. Rec. 48. 1883. (Ecuador, Sopiro, Kew!) 
Nephrodium Sprengelii var. persicinum Jenm. Journ. Bot. 1879: 261. 
(Jamaica !) 
Dryopteris cheilanthoides var. eglandulosa C. Chr. Bull. L'Herb. Boiss. II. 
4: 262. 1907. 
Dryopteris supina var. Biolleyi Christ, Bull. L'Herb. Boiss. II 7: 262. 
1907; C. Chr. Revision 308. 
170. Dryopteris multiformis n. sp. — Fig. 17. 
Ecuador, in preruptis montis Pichincha, 3000 m., leg. A. MrrrE (RB !). 
Rhizomate oblique erecto, parce squamoso. Stipitibus subfasciculatis, strictis, 
griseo-stramineis basi fuscescentibus, sulcatis glabris, squamis brunneis sparse 
onustis, 15—25 cm longis. Lamina ovato-lanceolata, ad apicem  pinnatifidum 
sensim decrescente, versus basin subito attenuata, 40—70 cm longa, 10—30 cm lata, 
firmo-herbacea vel membranacea, opaca, griseo-viridi, valde variabili: bipinnatifida- 
bipinnata-tripinnatifida, subglabra vel dense pubescente, rachi costis costulisque 
utrinque pilis albidis tenuissimis, longis, pluricellularibus, patentibus plus minusve 
hirtis, marginibus ciliatis, faciebus glabris, costis subtus squamis parvis nonnullis 
instructis. Pinnis semper oppositis, sessilibus, infimis 2—3 paribus valde reductis, 
auriculiformibus, sequentibus 2—3 paribus parum abbreviatis, reflexis, medialibus 
maximis, recte patentibus, inter se 3—4 cm remolis, oblongis vel lanceolatis, acu- 
minatis, plus minusve partitis, segmento vel lacinia basali posteriore semper aucto, 
falcato, basi auriculam rachin tegentem ferente. In eadem planta form:ze sequentes 
reperte sunt: 1) forma bipinnatifida, dense pilosa (fig. 17 a—b); pinnis 
6—8 cm longis, 1!/,—2 cm latis, ad alam 2 mm latam pinnatifidis; lacinis acutis, 
subfalcatis, marginibus integris revolutis; venis simplicibus, 6—7-jugis. 2) forma 
bipinnatifida major subglabra (fig. 17 c—d); pinnis ad 20 cm longis, 3 cm 
latis; ad alam 3 mm latam pinnatifidis; lacinis acutis, subfalcatis, marginibus 
subintegris, vix revolutis; venis simplicibus, 10—12-jugis. 3) forma bipinnata 
vel tripinnatifida subglabra (fig. 17e); pinnis ad 20 cm longis medio ad 6 cm 
latis, versus basin attenuatis, a basi ad medium pinnatis, a medio ad apicem pin- 
natifidis; pinnulis ad costam late adnatis, subremotis, basi utrinque auriculatis, 
auriculis ovatis acutis, sursum integris vel plus minusve profunde lobatis; pinnula 
basali anteriore reducta, venis in pinnulis maximis ad 16-jugis, plerumque furcatis 
vel subpinnatis. — Soris medialibus exindusiatis, sporangiis glabris. 
This remarkable species is certainly closely allied to JD. cheilanthoides; the 
second form described above resembles very much the large Mexican form of D. 
