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among the sporangia, which bears on its pedicel a rather large capitate, stipitate 
gland. Spores coarsely verrucose. 
In Jamaica D. effusa is, says JENMAN, a common fern from the lowlands up 
to 5000 feet, and the specimens seen are rather uniform; still JENMAN points out 
that only the plants growing in higher elevations produce a bud on the rachis a 
few inches below the tip of the lamina. The same typical form is also found in 
Porto Rico and Sto. Domingo. 
In some of the Lesser Antilles, Cuba, and on the continent from South Mexico 
to Peru and South Brazil D. effusa is represented by a series of forms, some of 
which are scarcely distinguishable from the type, while others seem rather different. 
I have tried to define some varieties, but 1 have failed to find good, constant 
characters. Most forms differ more or less from the type in texture, colour and 
pubescence; buds on rachis are found in all forms. It is possible to refer all speci- 
mens examined to one of the five groups, shown in the following arrangement, but 
this is entirely conventional, as several specimens could as well be referred to 
another group than that in which I have placed it. 
Lamina Pubescence 
1. f. typica (P. effusum Sw.) 
dark green, rather herbaceous, 4-pinnate, Cylindrical, shining glands spread over 
5-pinnatifid. - the under surface; rachises beneath 
without longer hairs. 
: Pol. dilatatum Liebm. 
Similar, sometimes more firm. Cylindrical hairs fewer, mostly confined 
to the veins, often opaque; Rachises 
II—IV shortly pubescent beneath. 
3. Pol. divergens Willd. 
Greyish dull-green, firm, 3-pinnate, 4- Cylindrical hairs absent or very few along 
pinnatifid, the veins; rachises II—III rather pubes- 
cent beneath. 
4. Lastrea grandifolia Pr. 
Dull-green, firm, 3—4-pinnate, 5-pinna- Cylindrical hairs few, opaque, along the 
tifid. veins; rachises II—IV glabrous or a 
little pubescent. 
5. Dryopteris confinis Maxon. 
Dull-green, chartaceous or subcoriaceous, Cylindrical hairs absent, but underside 
2-pinnate—3-pinnatifid ; small. sometimes with sessile glands; rachis 
Il most often glabrous. 
2 The best marked form is no. 3 which I have ealled var. divergens (Willd.) 
Hieron. on labels. In its typical form, represented by the original specimen of P. 
