264 
A. P. Garber, growing in the waters of Prairie Creek in South 
Florida. It is as truly an aquatic plant as Pontederia or Sparganium, 
and has been found in still or slowly-moving waters in most tropical 
and many sub-tropical regions. It occurs in several of the West 
Indies, in Mexico, New Granada and Brazil, and in Africa, Mada- 
gascar, India, Java, Hong-Kong, Australia, the Philippines, etc. 
The sterile frond varies from a perfectly simple leaf to one which is © 
twice or three times pinnate ; the simpler ones are floating, and 
are produced early in the season, and the more ccompound fronds 
come later, and are emergent. The veins are everywhere finely 
reticulated. The fertile fronds have very numerous linear, or some- 
what pod-like, segments, with the margin reflexed to form a broad 
and continuous membranaceous involucre. The sporangia are 
scattered on the backs of the veins, and are sub-globose in form, 
and are more variable in respect to the ring than any other fern. 
This organ is sometimes entirely lacking, at other times it is com- 
posed of .a few obscure joints; and again it is very broad and nearly 
complete. So variable is the species that at least four genera and 
two suborders have been formed for its reception, and, though 
Hooker placed it at the end of Prerideae, its proper position among 
Ferns is by no means settled. Dr. Garber has as yet found only 
sterile plants, and it is to be hoped that he may be successful in his 
search for fruiting fronds. ‘ 
13. Cheilanthes microphylla, Swartz.—In the BULLETIN for 
May, 1875, I stated that this species was collected many years ago 
on the Mexican Boundary, but had not been received a second time 
from anywhere within our limits. Mr, A. H. Curtiss, has now dis- 
covered it, growing in considerable abundance, on old shell-heaps 
on an island near the mouth of the St. John’s river, Florida, and will 
have specimens in his next series of Florida plants. 
14. Asplenium firmum, Kunze.—Found ina limestone “ sink ” at 
Ocala, Florida, by Mr. W. H. Shockley, of New Bedford, Mass., in 
March last. This is another tropical American fern, which proves 
to be an inhabitant also of Florida. It has fronds from three to 
eight inches long, of a firm-membranaceous texture, ovate or oblong 
in outline, and once pinnate. The pinnae, five to twelve pairs, are 
variable in shape, being either lanceolate, oblong-ovate, or oval, 
obtuse, or acuminate, the base more or less excised in the lower side, 
and truncate(though never auricled) on the upper. The margin is more 
or less crénated or serrated, the sori moderately elongated, and the 
rachis slightly winged. The plant is plainly identical with speci- 
mens from Kew marked A. firmum, and with Fendler’s 143 from 
Venezuela. Concerning the proper specific name there is a good 
deal of doubt and confusion, which can scarcely be cleared away at 
present. Mr. Baker considers the species identical with part of 
Willdenow’s 4. adscissum, and calls the species by that name, and 
Mettenius seems to have been of the same opinion. But see Hooker’s 
Species Filicum, iii, p. 135. 
15. Asplenium cicutarium, Swartz.—Found by Mr. Shockley on _ 
or by limestone rocks near Lake Panasopkee, Sumter Co., Florida. 
The fronds are from a few inches to a foot and a half long (in 
