46 
312. Dryopteris meridionalis (Poiret) C. Chr. comb. noy. — Fig. 8. 
Syn. Polypodium meridionale Poiret, Enc. 5: 553. 1804. 
Aspidium frondosum Wikstr. Vet. Ak. Handl. 1825: 437. 1826! 
Aspidium nemorosum Jenm. Gard. Chr. Febr. 3. 1894! 
Nephrodium nemorosum Jenm. W. Ind. and Guiana Ferns 223, 1908 (non Desyv.). 
Aspidium consobrinum Fée, 11. mém. 85. 1866, t. descr. 
Type from Guadeloupe, leg. Baprer (Herb. Lamarck !); also in Herb, Willd. 
nr. 19807 (B). 
Rhizome stout, erect, the crown densely clothed with linear-acuminate reddish- 
brown or blackish-brown scales. Stipes strong, 30 em or more long, at base with 
many, upwards with rachis gradually fewer, 
long hair-pointed brown scales. Lamina 
firmly herbaceous, brownish when dry, 
broadly ovate, 50—75 cm long and nearly 
as broad, tripinnatifid or subtripinnate. 
Pinnz often opposite, of larger leaves at 
distances of up to 10 cm, lanceolate, 20—30 
cm long, 8—10 cm broad, stalked, acumi- 
nate, the basal ones a little shorter than 
the next pair with their middle basiscopic 
pinnule a little produced, while the basal 
basiscopic pinnula is shorter than the fol- 
lowing. Secondary pinnules subopposite, at 
distances of about 2 cm, lanceolate, 4—6 
em long, 1*/4—1°/s em broad, acute, the 
Fig. 8. D. meridionalis (Poir.) C. Chr., upper ones decurrent, the middle and lower 
Secondary pinnules, nat. size; segment X 2. ones adnate at the posterior base, the lower- 
most ones of lower pinne quite free, all 
incised nearly to the midrib. Tertiary segments oblique, 6—10 mm long, 3 mm 
broad, subacute, decurrent, the lower basal one broadly adnate to the midrib of the 
pinna, from which its midrib often springs out, all deeply and obliquely dentate 
with 3—4 teeth or lobes to each side. Veins pinnate in tertiary segments, distant, 
oblique, not reaching the margin, often forked in ultimate lobes. Sori 6—8 to a 
tertiary segment. Indusia rather thin, reddish, deciduous. Spores echinate. — Midribs 
of pinn and pinnule above with many Ctenilis-hairs, beneath with several ovate- 
acuminate, reddish scales, those of the tertiary segments subbullate, tertiary midribs 
and veins with some few small, glandular hairs; leaf-tissue of both sides glabrous 
or sometimes slightly glandular beneath. 
I have given a detailed description of this most distinct species, because it 
has been greatly misunderstood, by authors referred to D. ampla or to D. funesta, 
