125 177 
its forms. — The fasciculated stipites are deciduously hairy, scaly below, strami- 
neous, the lamina up to 1 m long, firmly herbaceous or even papyraceous, generally 
dark-green; rachis quadrangular slightly hairy; pinnz up to 20 cm long, 3—4 cm 
broad, the lower ones often somewhat reduced and reflexed, strigose on the coste 
above, more or less softly pubescent and glandular beneath, especially on costae 
and veins; segments subacute, as a rule falcate, the edges often revolute; veins 10 
lo*16 to a side often somewhat prominent beneath, the lower pair not meeting at 
sinus but separated by a cartilagineous membrane below the sinus; sori medial or 
supramedial, the indusium persistent, softly hairy by whitish hairs. 
D. patens is distributed over the whole tropical America, common in the 
West-Indies, Central-America and South Brazil, apparently rather rare in Mexico 
and the South-American Andes. I have failed to find characters by which forms 
from different regions may be distinguished from each other, f. inst. most Brazilian 
specimens agree exactly with the Central-American ones; below I describe four 
varieties, which however are connected with the type by intermediate forms. It is 
often impossible to determine with certainty specimens which lack rhizome and 
lower part of the stipe. 
Specimens from jAfrica and Polynesia are often determined JD. patens; this 
species are however no doubt confined to America; the Polynesian plant is partly 
D. Harveyi (Mett.), partly D. Brackenridgei (Mett.), the African D. Bergiana (Mett.) 
and D. Gueintziana (Mett.). 
Below I enumerate some of the specimens examined, mainly such which 
bear a collector-number. 
West-Indian Islands: Trinidad, FENpLER nr. 18 (B, W); Herb. Trin. Bot. Garden nr. 335, 336 (W), 
6252 (C) — Grenada, W. E. Broapway nr. 1623 (B); EccERs nr. 6478 (C, W) — St. Vin- 
cent, GuriLDiNG nr. 746 (B), H. et G. SurrH nr. 789 (B) — Barbados, (H); EcGERs nr. 
7312 (W) — Martinique, SrEBEn nr. 354 (B); L. Hann nr. 35 (B); BELANGER nr. 78 et 80 
(B); Pere Duss nr. 19, 24, 221 (C), 1578 (B), 4150 (W); IsERT (H) Dominica, Imray (B); 
EccERS (RB) — Guadeloupe, L'HERMINIER nr. 157 (B); Pére Duss nr. 291 (C), 4030 (C), 
4031, 4035, 4038, 4041—43, 4046, 4047, 4344, 4424 (W) — Montserrat, Ryan (H) — Saba 
(S) — St. Croix, EccEns (H) St. Thomas, EccEns nr. 455 € (B, C); RauNkLER nr. 13 
(CC) — Porto Rico, SiNTENIs nr. 1975 (C), 2829, 5868 (W); Mr. et. Mrs. HELLER nr. 518a, 
927 (W); A. A. HELLER nr. 6343 (W); UnpERWoop and Grices nr. 273, 632 (W) — San 
Domingo, EccEns nr. 1866 à (B); PnENLELOUP nr. 726 (C) — Haiti, WkiINLaAND nr. 32 
(B| — Jamaica, Day nr. 18 (B); G. L. FisHer nr. 983 (R); UNpERwoop nr. 2791, 2522, 
3235 (W); {Hart nr. 316 (W); Maxon nr. 830, 932, 1398, 1825, 1928, 2263, 2559 (W) - 
Cuba, Oriente, Wricut nr. 1002 (B, 5, W), 2118 (W); EcGERs nr. 4906 (R, W); Maxon nr. 
3924, 4101, 4102, 4252, 4280 (W); Prov. Santa Clara, R. Comps nr. 284 (B); Prov. Habana, 
Baker nr. 3804 (W) — Prov. Pinar del Rio, PALMER et RILEY nr. 138, 165, 346, 809 (W), 
CALDWELL et BAKER nr. 7006 (W); without locality, E. Orro nr. 81 (B); LINDEN nr 
1396 pt. (B). 
Bermuda; Devonshire Marshes, Sr. BRowN and N. L. BnrrroN nr. 84 (CC). 
Florida: South of Miami, Dade Co, A. A. EaroN llI/1995 (W). 
Mexico: Dept. Vera Cruz, Jicaltepec, Tr4PrAcovo, Colipa et Mirador, LikBMaANN (H); Izhuatlancillo, 
BouncEAU nr. 2779 (H); Misantla, ScuiEpE nr. 761 (B); KEnRBER nr. 435 (W); Cordoba, 
H. Funck nr. 56 (W). 
