150 CONTRIBUTIONS FROM THE NATIONAL HERBARIUM. 
badly abraded specimens lacking a rhizome probably could not always be distin- 
guished from that species. The most distinctive points, both mentioned in the 
original description, are (1) the ferruginous rhizome scales and (2) the long articulate 
glandular-capitate hairs of the rachis. The first at once differentiates A. denudatum 
from all other species of this group, including A. monanthes which in all its forms has 
black or brownish scales. The second character also, though apparent only upon 
close examination, is nearly peculiar to this species, hairs very similar to these having 
been observed only upon several specimens of A. castaneum. 
The following specimen, consisting of two fronds in the U. S. National Herbarium, 
is tooincomplete toafford full data as to the usual position and arrangement of the sori: 
Ecuapor: Without definite locality, Jameson. 
17. Asplenium monanthes L. Mant. Pl. 1: 130. 1767. Pirate 1, 
Asplenium monanthemum L. f.; Murray, Syst. Veg. 933. 1784. 
Asplenium dentex von Buch, Beschr. Canar, Ins. 189. 1825. 
Asplenium menziesii Hook. & Grev. Icon. Fil. 1: pl. 100. 1829. 
Asplenium polyphyllum Bertol. Nov. Comm. Acad. Bonon. 4: 443. 1840, not Pres] ex 
Goldman, 1843. 
Asplenium arcuatum Liebm. Dansk. Vid. Selsk. Skrivt. V. 1: 241. 1849. 
Asplenium galeottu Fée, Gen. Fil. 192. 1852. 
Asplenium leptophyllum Fée, Mém. Foug. 7: 50. 1857, not Swartz, 1791, nor Lag. 
1802. 
Asplenium blandulum Fée, Mém. Foug. 7: 51. 1857. 
Asplenium polymeris Moore, Ind. Fil. 154. 1859. 
Asplenium bertolonii Donn. Smith, Enum. Pl. Guat. 4: 189. 1895. 
Asplenium trichomanes var. viridissimum Christ, Bull. Soc. Bot. Belg. 35: 195. 1896. 
Asplenium viridissimum Bommer, Bull. Soc. Bot. Belg. 35: 195. 1896, as synonym. 
TypE Locaity: South Africa. 
DistripuTion: Widely dispersed in Africa, including the Atlantic islands; upon 
the American continent extending from the Huachucha Mountains, Arizona, through 
Mexico and Central America to Chili; also in Jamaica and the Hawaiian Islands. 
Intustrations: Lowe, Ferns Brit. Exot. 5: pl. 7. A (as A. dentex); Brack. in 
Wilkes, U. S. Expl. Exped. 16: pl. 20. f. 2 (as A. monanthemum); Mett. Fil. Hort. 
Lips. pl. 9. f. 7, 8 (as A. monanthemum); Fée, Mém. Foug. 7: pl. 16. f. 2 (as A. gal- 
eottii); Fée, loc. cit. 7: pl. 14. f. 2 (as A. leptophyllum). 
The above synonymy, which is probably not complete, relates to the most variable 
species of this group and serves to indicate how many of its phases have been regarded 
as distinct species. The diversity of form is very great, and it is surprising, consid- 
ering the wide geographical range, that no definite and recognizable lines of cleavage 
should have developed, separating its more isolated elements finally into obviously 
distinct species. The recognition of its forms even as subspecies seems rather unde- 
sirable, since in most cases they do not appear to occupy separate areas and because 
their extremes are for the most part apparently connected by numerous intermedi- 
ates. Local conditions of environment seem to be unusually potent in determining 
size and fertility of individual plants and, consequently, size and shape of pinne. 
The species is especially subject to variation in character and extent of soriation, and 
an exceedingly interesting detailed morphological study might advantageously be 
made of this phase alone in its relation to leaf form and habitat. A few descriptive 
notes are here given, mainly in connection with the above synonymy. 
The type of Asplenium monanthes is from the Cape of Good Hope, and though the 
original diagnosis refers to the sorus as single and lying close to the lower margin 
neither of these characters is invariably true of South African material nor of plants 
from any other single region. (Two different collections from Natal and one from 
Madagascar are shown in pl. 1, figs. a, 6, and c.) Plants with a single long sorus or 
