162 Rhodora [SEPTEMBER 
areolatum Linn. and Osmunda caroliniana Walt. and the “Hab. in 
Carolinae limosis umbrosis." The synonymy and locality belong, 
then, clearly to Woodwardia areolata (L.) Moore, the description and 
the type material to the Canadian Matteuccia. But in interpreting 
Michaux's species the important weight should naturally be given 
the description and the type-material rather than the cited synonyms 
and locality, which do not accord with the description or with the plant 
described, especially since the name of the plant described was not 
derived from either of the supposed synonyms. In 1809 Schkuhr ! 
beautifully illustrated some of the differences between the American 
Onoclea nodulosa and the Old World O. Struthiopteris, and it has been 
customary to cite Schkuhr's O. nodulosa as different from that of 
Michaux which most students, following the synonymy rather than 
the description, have generally referred to Woodwardia areolata; but, 
as indicated above, Michaux’s plant is identical with Schkuhr's. The 
fact that Michaux's type-material and the synonyms cited belonged 
to different plants was clearly recognized by Desvaux, who took up 
the Michaux plant as Struthiopteris nodulosa, based on “Onoclea 
nodulosa Micu., Fl. Am. bor., 2, p. 272. Exel. syn. Scuk., Fil. t. 104.” ? 
In 1810, Willdenow, recognizing in the American plant a species 
distinct from his European Struthiopteris germanica, called it S. pensyl- 
vanica, and under this name the American plant was maintained as a 
distinct species by Nuttall, Torrey (in his Compendium), and other 
early discriminating students of our flora. Subsequently, however, 
the American and the European plants have been generally treated 
as identical, though in 1862 Lowe treated the American plant as 
Struthiopteris germanica, var. pensylvanica.* 
A comparison of a series of European specimens with the American 
material indicates that the earlier students of our flora were apparently 
correct in their interpretation of the American and the European plants 
as distinct species. In Matteuccia Struthiopteris of Europe the fertile 
frond has subentire or merely undulate pinnae. "These are well illus- 
trated by Schkuhr (Krypt. Gew. i. t. 105), by Hooker & Bauer 
(Gen. Fil. t. 69 A), by Britten (Eur. Ferns), by Ettingshausen & 
Pokorny (Physiotypia Pl. Austr. i. t. 14), and by Thomé (Fl. von 
! Schkuhr, Krypt. Gew. i. 96, 97, tt. 104, 105 (1809). 
? Desv. Mém. Soc. Linn. Paris, vi. pt. 2, 287 (1827). 
3 Willd. Sp. v. 289 (1810). 
* Lowe, Ferns, Brit. and Exot. ii. 138 (1862). 
