IO Rhodora [January 



i. Polystickum acrostichoides Schott, Christmas Fern, and 



2. Polystickum aculcatum Roth, var. Braunii (Spenner), n. comb. 

 (Aspidium Braunii Spenner.) I am not sure that those who maintain 

 specific rank for this fern are not correct, but prefer for the present 

 to adhere to Prof. Eaton's treatment. 



III. Nkphrodium (from vtcfrpos — kidney, with reference to the 

 form of the indusium) Richard. 1 — Indusium kidney-shaped, or cord- 

 ate-reniform with a sinus attachment. The genus is well represented 

 in New England by two distinct sections, as follows: — 



Section i. Evergreen, or partially so; the sporophylls generally 

 withering in late autumn; rootstocks caudiciform, forming crowns; 

 fibro-vascular bundles 3 to 7 roundish. The section embraces the 

 following species : — 



JV. marginal* Richard, JV. cristatum X marginal Davenport, JV. 

 cristatum Richard, JV. Goldieanum Hooker, JV. Boottii Davenport ace. 

 to Gilbert, JV. spinulosum Desvaux, and N.fragrans Richardson. 



Section 2. Herbaceous; fronds withering early, rootstocks rhizo- 

 matose, wide creeping ; fibro vascular bundles flattish, two in number. 

 Contains the following species: — JV. Thclyptcris Desvaux, JV. Nove- 

 boraeense Desvaux, JV. simulatum Davenport. 



A fern now to be described will become a member of the First 

 Section, as will some other forms to be described later on. 



In the arrangement which I have here presented, and which it is 

 my intention to adopt in practice, I have not taken into account 

 Bory's Lastrea, as being apparently founded on a misapprehension 

 of the true character of Nephrodium it can only properly be regarded 

 as a synonym ; neither have I taken into account Adanson's Dryop- 

 teris, which the Rochester advocates are striving so hard to establish, 

 because a genus so ill defined, with its type standing for one thing 

 and its description for another, has no just claim for consideration 

 as against the more clearly defined Nephrodium which has been in 

 use for nearly a century. 



Note 6. An anomalous Fern. — Eate in the autumn of 1894 

 (Nov. 4) I found growing in one of the woodland swamps in Medford, 

 near plants of Nephrodium marginale, cristatum x marginal, cristatum, 

 Clintonianum and spinulosum, a strange fern which 1 could not satis- 



1 Richard's name does not appear in Michaux and for that reason some 

 authors cite Michaux as authority for the names used therein, but Richard 

 has been generally recognized as the real author. 



