: 9 o2] Davenport, — Notes on New England Ferns, — V 165 



placed in the genus, have any weight, as it would act with equal force 

 against nearly all of the early fern genera, especially the Linnaean 

 Polypodium and Asp/enium, which were quite as badly mixed up as 

 Richard's Nephrodium. 



In tracing out the historic evolution of Nephrodium from its publi- 

 cation in Marthe's Catalogue in 1801, it is interesting to note the 

 fact that Richard's name does not appear at all in connection with 

 the reaffirmation and enlargement of the genus in Michaux's Flora in 

 1803, an omission which probably led to the habit of citing Michaux 

 as authority, at least for the original combinations. There would 

 seem however, to be little doubt that Richard elaborated the ferns in 

 Michaux's Flora. Pritzel's references to the matter are somewhat 

 indefinite, and the only certain inference that can be drawn from 

 them is the fact that Michaux and Richard were collaborators in the 

 preparation of the Flora, and as Richard was known to have been 

 the cryptogamic botanist, the inference that he was responsible for 

 the treatment of the ferns is unavoidable. 



Consequently if Richard was the real author of that portion of the 

 work it is only right to credit him with such combinations as occur 

 under Nephrodium. In accordance with this reasoning I have, in my 

 notes, cited Richard as authority for combinations usually credited 

 to Michaux. 



Now in Michaux's Flora we have three species, Nephrodium Nove- 

 boracmse, Desvaux, margina/e, Richard, and cristatum, Richard, that 

 are congeneric with Filix-mas and we may justly claim that the genus 

 is thoroughly grounded on a substantial basis. 



This is true whether we write Brown, Schott, Presl, Smith or 

 Hooker as authorities for subsequent changes. One fact stands out 

 clear and indisputable, and that is that the Swartzian group of 

 Aspidiums consists of two distinct types in the character of their 

 indusia, and Nephrodium has been used in the Richardian sense for 

 the type with cordate-reniform indusia for more than a century exactly 

 as I have stated. 



The treatment of the genus abroad has been more or less variable 

 according to the views of different authors, and in this country it 

 has, until quite recently, been used in accordance with the views of 

 Mettenius as approved by Prof. Eaton. Of late, however, there has 

 been an increasing tendency to recognize the independence of 

 Nephrodium, and this I believe will become more and more universal. 



