ae 
‘314. Dryopteris excelsa (Desy.) C. Chr. Ind. 264. 1905, excl. syn. 
Syn. Polypodium excelsum Desy. Prodr. 243. 1827. 
Type from the West Indies, exact locality not indicated (Fragment in B!) 
Perhaps a variety of D. ampla, but all specimens of so-called D. ampla seen 
from the islands of Martinique, Dominica and Guadeloupe are remarkably constant 
as to certain characters, by which they differ from D. ampla. — In size and cutting 
D. excelsa scarcely differs from D. ampla, and it has a similar large tuft of linear, 
silky scales at base of the stipes. The appressed scales of the stipes are broadly 
ovate or ovate-lanceolate, cordate and entire, yellowish-brown, thin, consisting of 
isodiametrical cells; rachis with similar, as a rule very few scales; those of the 
axils of the pinnz ovate or ovate-lanceolate, concolorous, yellowish-brown, or some- 
times somewhat darker in the middle; scales of midribs of secondary pinne beneath 
smaller, divergent, ovate shortly acute, as a rule darker and somewhat vaulted and 
iridescent (Fig. 10 b). Surfaces nearly without glandular hairs, the margins not ciliated. 
Secondary pinnules often long acuminated ; tertiary pinnules oblique, long decurrent. 
1'/x—2 em long, 4 mm broad, obtuse or shortly acute, rather deeply incised with 
about 5 falcate, subacute lobes on each side. Indusium not found. 
By these characters D. excelsa, I think, may be safely distinguished from 
D. ampla; its broader, more oblique and long decurrent tertiary pinnule of the lower 
pinne give it a somewhat different habit; the lamina is often fresh green. It is 
more difficult to find good distinguishing marks between it and D. equestris, with 
which METTENIvs united it, a treatment followed in Ind. Fil. D. equestris has, however, 
the margins ciliated, indusia are not rarely found, the surfaces of not too old 
specimens more or less glanduloso-pubescent, the scales are darker and the segments 
more shortly decurrent. 
Martinique, Pére Duss nr. 1562 (B, RB), 1581 (BB) s. n. (B) BELANGER (RB). 
Dominica, Imray nr. 56 (H, B) 
Guadeloupe, L’HERMINIER-nr. 29 (B, RB), 120 (B); Pére Duss nr. 4061 (W), 4340 (B, RB); Husnor 
nr. 390 (B); HeRTer nr. 5337 (RB). 
315. Dryopteris equestris (Kunze) C. Chr. comb. nov. 
Syn. Aspidium equestre Kze. Linnaea 18: 347. 1844; Mett. Aspid. 73 nr. 175. 
_ Lastrea ciliata Liebm, Vid. Selsk. Skr. V. 1: 273 (seors. 121). 1849! 
Polypodium alsophiloides Liebm. 1. c. 208 (seors. 56)! 
Aspidium Bourgaei Fourn. Mex. pl. 1: 98. 1872! 
Dryopteris Bourgaei C. Chr. Ind. 255.1905. 
Aspidium scabriusculum Davenp. Bot. Gaz. 21: 255. 1896! 
Dryopteris Davenportii C. Chr. Ind. 260, 1905. 
Type from Mexico, leg. Lemotp nr. 42 (not seen). 
METTENIUS, who evidently knew authentical specimens of A. equestre Kze., has 
referred to this species a series of specimens in B, which agree with Lastrea ciliata 
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