1 62 Rnodora [Augu«t 



we have seen, properly represented the original forms of Nephrodium; 

 yet singularly enough among the species so referred we find two, 

 L. patens and L. tetragona with connivent veins! 



At the same time Presl proposed two additional genera, Pleocnemia 

 for the species having some of the veins in the same as well as con- 

 tiguous groups united and Sagenia for those with the veins copiously 

 anastomosing, thus dividing Nephrodium into four genera. These 

 were subsequently reduced to subgenera, or sections by Sir William 

 Jackson Hooker, who, while substantially adopting Presl's arrange- 

 ment, treated Nephrodium as one comprehensive genus based on the 

 original character of the indusium, retaining Lastrea for the free- 

 veined, and establishing his own Bunephrodium for the con ni vent- 

 veined section. 



The order of arrangement adopted by Hooker in Genera Filicum 

 placed Eunephrodium in the first section with Schott as authority, 

 for the section only, but in Species Filicum Richard is cited as 

 authority for the whole genus. In Synopsis Filicum of Hooker 

 and Baker, the order of arrangement was changed so as to place 

 the free-veined section first, thus practically restoring the original 

 form of Richard's genus, and this form has continued to the present 

 time, so that it is not too much to say that there has been an almost 

 uninterrupted use of Nephrodium since its first establishment by 

 Richard in 1801. 



Now in tli is early publication of Nephrodium Filix-mas by Richard 

 we have just such a generic name and example; and no advocate of 

 the Rochester code can consistently reject it. It is, moreover, forti- 

 fied by the well-known vernacular name " Fougere mile" which 

 accompanies it, and made absolute by the addition of three more 

 species from Michaux's Flora that are congeneric. 



As Nephrodium Filix-mas is thus shown to be the earliest Nephro- 

 dium known, it not only fixes the initial date for the genus at 1801, 

 but, as it antedates N. aeros/iehoides, it effectually disposes of the 

 argument of those who claim that Nephrodium equals Polystichum 

 because N. aeros/iehoides, erroneously supposed to be the earliest 

 species, belongs to the latter genus. 



The absence of N. Filix-mas from Michaux's Flora was perfectly 

 natural, as it was not at that time known to be one of the North 

 American plants with which alone Michaux's Flora was dealing 

 Here then we have, first, the authentification of Richard's earlier 



