42 
narrower secondary pinnule’ which are 5—6 mm broad, often somewhat contracted 
towards base, less deeply incised with shorter, not so close, mostly unisorous lobes 
Otherwise it agrees with the type, with which it is connected by some specimens 
from Porto Rico. 
Cuba; Oriente: Mt. Libano, Linpen nr. 1865 (Kew, RB, type-number); Maxon, nr. 4251 (W); Monte 
Verde, Wricut nr. 830 (CC, B, S, W); Josephina, north of Jaguey, Maxon nr. 4109 (RB. W): 
La Perla, SHAFER nr. 8519 (W). 
309. Dryopteris melanosticta (Kunze) O. Ktze. Rev. Gen. Pl. 2: 813. 1891. 
C. Chr. Ind. Suppl. 108. 
Syn. Aspidium melanostictum Kunze, Linnea 13: 148. 1839; Hook. sp. 4: 34 
pl. 233 B; Mett. Aspid. 73. 
Polystichum melanostictum Liebm. Vid. Selsk. Skr. V. 1: 276 (seors. 124)! 
C. Chr. Ind. 584. 
Lastrea Schiedeana Pr. Tent. 76. 1836 (nomen). 
Aspidium extensum Fée, Gen, 294. 1850—52 
Aspidium expansum Fée, 10. mém. 42. 1865. 
Aspidium Trianae Fourn. Mex. pl. 1: 98. 1872, pro parte? 
Type from Mexico ad Cuesta grande ad Chicanquiaco, leg. ScniEDE nr. 765 
(cotype in B!) 
The present species, common in Southern Mexico and Guatemala, is very 
closely related to D. nemorosa; as a fact smaller forms of it might very naturally be re- 
ferred to D. nemorosa as a variety. A long series of specimens at hand show, however, 
that these small forms are smaller plants of a species that grows much larger, and in 
its fully developed state it is considerably different from D. nemorosa. The original 
A. melanostictum Kze. is the smaller form, while the larger is A. exrtensum Fée, a 
name invalidated by A. extensum Bl. 1828 and by Fre himself altered into 
A. expansum. Fournier referred the large form to A. Trianae Mett., a totally different 
species, and he considered it diffent from A. melanostictum Kze. I cannot at all agree 
in this, cannot even distinguish the two forms as varieties. 
As to almost all characters D. melanosticta agrees with D. nemorosa: shape of 
lamina and pinne with adnate, decurrent pinnule (by these characters different 
from D. ampla and its allies), persistent rotundato-reniform indusia and_ bullate 
scales. Constant differences seem to be: lamina more broadly ovate, even in small 
leaves some of the larger tertiary segments are distinctly toothed, in D. nemorosa 
- always entire, and fewer scales along the midribs beneath. Scales, at least those of 
the midribs of tertiary segments, distinctly bullate, dull brown, those of the midribs 
of pinne of larger leaves from a nearly circular, bright-brown, scarcely bullate base 
suddenly contracted into a long, darker apex. Indusia large, persistent, rotundato- 
reniform, glanduloso-ciliate, deep red-brown with bright-brown edges; still the colour 
of the indusia is variable; in some larger specimens it is nearly concolorous with a 
black spot at centre. From D. meridionalis our species differs by colour of indusium 
and more close segments and lobes, 
