19 
- few blackish sporangia forming an intramarginal line, immersed in 
the waxy mass; margin [of the segments] very narrow, slightly 
scarious.”— Mettenius, Cheilanthes, p. 21. This species is united 
with N. candida by Hooker, though with much hesitation, and by 
Mr. Baker both species are referred to WV. sulphurea, J. Smith, a — 
name founded on the old Preris swphurea, Cavanilles. What name — 
this fern will eventually bear I cannot now determine. The name 
of N. Borrigiana was doubtfully used for it in the first edition of 
Mann’s catalogue, referring to Cheilanthes Borrigiana, Reichen- 
bach, but I now think the description of WV. eretacea, above trans- 
lated from Dr. Mettenius, comes nearer to it. I have seen no 
authentic specimens of either VV. cretacea, Liebm., Pteris sulphurea, 
Cay. P. lutea, or P. aurantiaca, Cav. Should it prove to be either 
of these last, one of Cavanilles’ specific names must be adopted. 
It is assuredly distinct from NV. candida, Hook., a name based on 
Cheilanthes candida, Martens and Galeotti. . candida is Mr. 
Wright’s New Mexican 820 and 2,124, and WN. eretacea his 821. 
Neither species has been sent from California, but the Californian 
Gymnogramme triangularis, which has a considerable resemblance 
to the present fern, is sometimes mistaken for it, and vice versa. 
6. Asp(dium unitum, Metteniuvs, in Annales Mus. Lugd—Bata- 
vorum, I’, p. 230, var. ctaBrum, Mett. /.c., has just been found near 
Enterprise, Florida, by Mr. C. E. Faxon, of Cambridge, Mass. 
The fronds grow froma very long and slender, nearly naked, black, 
creeping rhizoma, are one or two feet high, and pinnate with many 
pairs of narrow linear pinne serrately lobed about half-way to the 
midrib. The lowest pair of veinlets unite near the midrib, and 
send out a solitary veinlet to the sinus, where also the second pair 
of veinlets reach the margin. The fruit-dots are very small, and 
are placed close to the margin, forming an almost continuous border. 
The texture is somewhat rigid, and the plant is not closely related 
to any other species of the genus yet found in the United States, 
its nearest ally being A. putens. It is a well-known fern of the 
West Indies, and is No. 1,100 of Mr, Wright’s Cuban collection. 
*.* Mr. John Robinson, of Salem, Mass., has just issued a new 
Check-list of the Ferns of the United States and British America, 
both in pamphlet form, printed on alternate pages, for oni ue te 
in cutting out labels, and on thin folio post, a single sheet, red ee 
marking desiderata, etc. The list, which is the best hitherto pub- | 
lished, preserves the numbers used in Mann’s Catalogue, and gives” 
o ty-six species and twelve varieties. Our 
ne hundred and twenty pe apceegonitare ts 
well-known Aspidium acrostichoides, so aval er dex 
rations, is hap christened CuristMas Frrn—a ee eee I 
certainly hope vill be generally adopted. D. C. oe 
§ 28. Botanical Morphology.—In the American a . we 
May, Prof. T. D. Biscoe contributes a study of the serra nds — : 
of Duckweed (Spirodela), which is full of instruction: for “= ond ae 
_ nute dissections and investigations which lie at the aol Pegg ution 
of botanical science. Many causes have led botanists 1n_ — a 
to give their attention more particularly to the systematic part 0 
