54 UNDERWOOD: INDEX TO THE 
practice handed down to us from the past and is wholly at variance 
with the modern conceptions of evolution. The original centre in 
all probability was zo¢ in Japan so that the members of the /ernatum 
group are not varieties sprung from J&A. ‘ernatum, and it creates a 
false impression to continue to call them so. They are distinct 
things as everyone admits, and we maintain it is more rational and 
more in accord with our conceptions of evolutionary origin from a 
common stock to call them species. It is also much simpler and 
leaves us free to determine the original centre of distribution and re- 
lationship without prejudice. The practice of naming varieties on 
slight environmental characters ought to cease, and botanists should 
discourage the naming of such trivialities. A marked example of 
how far this reduction of species to varieties can be carried is seen 
in Dr. Christ’s reduction of Dryopterts marginalis and D. Goldieana 
to varieties of D. fiix-mas. For a European who has never seen 
either of the species growing in its native habitat to take such 
liberties with American species is to say the least violating the code 
of international courtesy and ought to stand as a warning to those 
who still hold to the ancient heresy that Europeans know more a 
about the American flora than we do ourselves, 
BorrycHium VirGINIANUM (L.) Sw. Schrader’s Jour. Bot. 18007: 
112. 1801, 
Osmunda Virginiana L. Sp. Pl. 1064. 1753. 
Botrychium gracile Pursh, Fl. Am. Sept. 2: 656. 1814. 
Botrychium anthemotdes Presl, Abh. Bohm. Ges. Wiss. 5: 323- 
1847. 
BoTRYCHIUM VIRGINIANUM Mexicanum Hook. & Grev. Bot. Misc. 
at 282. 18S: 
Botrychium brachystachys Kunze, Linnaea, 18: 305. 1844- 
Mexico. Moore referred this to B. ciceutarium, which he made 
a subspecies of 4. Virginianum. The species or variety appears 
to be quite rare in collections although Mr. Pringle once wrote me 
that it was quite common in Mexico. It is desirable that it be com- 
pared in the field with more northeastern types of the species. The 
region of Mexico has been widely traversed by Mr. Pringle and 
others who have brought to light a large number of new species, 
but they have almost as systematically neglected to collect the 
old ones, and consequently our knowledge of the distribution of — 
