A NEW DRYOPTERIS FROM JAMAICA 



By Willard N. Clute. 



WHILE collecting ferns in the vicinity of Cuna Cuna Gap, 

 Jamaica, early last March, I found at an altitude of about 

 2,500 feet a handsome species of Dryopteris growing in 

 moist shaded spots. Being well loaded with other plants at the 

 time and thinking it some common species, I gathered but four 

 fronds, and was quite surprised upon reaching home to find that 

 it did not agree with any species in Jenman's "Ferns of Jamaica.'' 

 Subsequent reference to the " Synopsis Filicum" gave no better 

 results and I am therefore persuaded that it is a new species, 

 although it is difficult to understand how so conspicuous a fern 

 could escape the eyes of fern collectors for so long. I would 

 describe it as follows: 



Dryopteris Gilberti n. sp. Caudex not seen. Frond 75- 

 nocm. long; stipes 35-40C111. long, densely clothed at base with 

 brown, shining, narrow-lanceolate scales i-ij4 cm - long spinescent 

 upon the edges, above clothed with similar scales which grow 

 shorter and fewer, leaving tubercules when they fall away; stipes 

 deeply channelled, medium brown : lamina 40-70 cm. long, sub- 

 deltoid, tripinnatifid, acute, lowest two or three pairs of pinnae 

 longest, the lowest pair broadest and deeper on the lower side 

 i6-2ocm. long, 6-ocm. wide, sessile except the lowest pair ; costae, 

 costulae and general lower surface canescent, above less so; pin- 

 nae pinnate, pinnules sessile, all except a few of the lower ones 

 adnate and decurrent on the inferior base; lower pinnae cut nearly 

 to the costa, upper shallowly lobed or toothed, segments very 

 blunt, slightly falcate, entire; veins free, sometimes forked pin- 

 nate in the segments; sori apparently naked, uneven in size, 2, 4, 

 or 6 in each segment, nearer margin than midrib and extending 

 nearly to the tips of the segments. 



The affinities of this species are with D. villosa (L.) Kze,, 

 from which it differs in the smaller, more delicate and compact 

 fronds, the smaller spinescent scales, blunt pinnules, flexible 

 rachis and smaller, apparently non indusiate sori. The descrip- 

 tion is based upon specimens in my own herbarium, collected at 

 Cuna Cuna Gap, March 7, 1900, No. 200a. 



I take pleasure in naming this fern for Mr. B. D. Gilbert, 

 whose kind assistance toward making my trip to Jamaica a success, 

 I here gratefully acknowledge. 



