45 



FERNS : SYNOPTICAL LIST— XXXIII. 



Synoptical List, with descriptions, of the Ferns and Fern-Allies of Ja- 

 maica. By G. S. Jenman, Superintendent Botanical Gardens, 

 Demerara. 



7. Nephrodium oligocarpum, Jenra. — Root-stock erect ; stipites tufted 

 erect, slender, 4-6 in. L light brown, puberulous, with a few pale scales 

 at the base ; fronds bipinnatifid, lanceolate, reduced both ways, l%-2 ft. 

 1. 4-6 in. w M chartaceous, light green, surfaces more or less freely 

 pubescent ; rachis slender, channelled, light coloured, pubescent ; pinna) 

 spreading contiguous, numerous, sessile, 2%-3% in. 1 %— | in. w. taper- 

 ing to a finely acuminate serrate-entire point, deeply pinnatifid, lower 

 ones dwindling distinct small auricles ; segments close, connected at 

 the slightly dilated base, linear- ablong, blunt, 1-1 \ li. w. 2%-4 li L, 

 chartaceous ; margins even or slightly crenulute and reflexed ; veins 

 simple, evident on the upper surface, 6-8 to a side ; sori submarginal 

 or nearer the margin than rib, involucre pubescent. — Aspidium, Kth. 



Common both in forests and open places above 3,000ft. altitude. 

 Dominica, Guiana, (Adpun n. 1138) This has much the character of 

 contetminum, but is not so lax in habit. It is best distinguished by 

 its light green colour, pubescent surfaces and sori closer to the margin 

 than midrib. The pubescence of the surface, and the texture, varies 

 with the situation of growth. 



8. N. Kaulfussii, Hook. — Rootstock erect ; stipites caespitose, 4-8 in. 

 1. downy, slender ; fronds bipinnatifid, 1—1% ft. 1. 4-6 in. w. oblong- 

 lanceolate, the acuminate apex pinnatifid, the lower 2-3 pairs of pinnae 

 reduced, the lowest conspicuously, firmly chartaceous, all parts grayi>h 

 and more or less pubescent ; pinnae 3-4 in. 1. 6-8 li. b. contigu us but 

 apart, spreading, sessile, the tapering, point serrate-entire, below this 

 deeply pinnatifid ; segments very close, round pointed, or subacute, 

 3-4 li. 1. from the sharp sinus, 1% li w. ; margins even or crenulate ; 

 veins simple ; sori medial ; involucres densely ciliate, fugacious or 

 not. — Aspidium, Gr. 



Infrequent or rare above 2,000 or 3,000 ft. altitude. There are 

 Jamaica specimens of this in the British Museum Herbarium but none 

 from this source at Kew. Grisebach unites it with oligocarpum Kth., 

 and ascribes it to St. Vincent also. It has a grayish aspect something 

 like jamaicense, but is less stiff and all the veins are quite free. 



9. N. conterminum, Desv. — Rootstock erect ; stipites erect, dark with 

 a few deciduous scales at the base, 2-3 in. 1. ; fronds bipinnatifid 

 lanceolate, or ovate-lanceolate, 2-2% ft. 1. 6-9 in. w., reduced at the base 

 to mere auricles ; chartaceous or subcoriaceous, pellucid ; naked, upper 

 dark clear green, under paler; pinnae in distant or subdistant widely 

 spreading, opposite sessile pairs, which are broadest at the base and 

 thence taper gradually to the attenuated long subentire finely acumi- 

 nated point, central ones 3-5 in. 1. \— § in. w. at the base, cut almost to 

 the rachis into close, oblong, rounded or bluntish segments, the inner 

 ones of which are 3-5 li. 1. 1-1% li. w., the basal pair the largest and 

 crenate or lobate; margins entire, reflexed; veins simple, 6-10 to a 

 side; sori intramarginal and often partly covered by the reflexed mar- 

 gin, involucres as large, pale, naked rachis channelled, stiff but rather 



