[Vol. 9 

 174 ANNALS OF THE MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN 



Stratford, plentiful locally in sandy gravel of tidal flats of 

 Housatonic River, 29 September, 1919, Eames 9671 (Gray 

 Herb.). 



Plants described by Eaton as /. Gravesii have the appearance 

 of robust forms of /. Braunii, are similar in abundance of sto- 

 mata, and appear like immature specimens in spore markings. 

 In cases where mature spores have been found in the soil, they 

 prove to have the spines characteristic of /. Braunii, as well as 

 the size. This is true of the specimens reported above from Con- 

 necticut, all of which have been collected at about the same sea- 

 sv.n of the year. 



There is one other possible position for this Connecticut ma- 

 terial, if the assumption that it is immature proves to be un- 

 founded. Young megaspores of the echinate group have very 

 much the appearance that all the spores of /. Eatoni Dodge 

 show. In habit, this stout form is enough like the latter to sug- 

 gest a possible connection in this direction. Experimental work 

 and collections through a longer interval of the fruiting season 

 should clear up this doubtful form. 



42b. Var. maritima (Underw.) Pfeiffer, comb. nov. 



/. maritima Underw. Bot. Gaz. 13: 94. 1888. 



I. echinospora var. maritima Eaton, Fern Bull. 13: 52. 1905. 



/. Macouni Eaton, Fern Bull. 8 : 12. 1900. 



Corm 2-lobed ; leaves 7-15, 3-12 cm. long, green, chiefly slen- 

 der, with fine-pointed tips and rather wide membranaceous bor- 

 der at base; stomata numerous; peripheral strands lacking; li- 

 gule triangular, little longer than wide; sporangia globose to 

 oblong, 3-4 mm. long, with velum usually narrow, sometimes 

 covering y 2 f sporangium; megaspores white, chiefly 380-500 M, 

 rarely 600 (j, in diameter, usually densely marked with stout 

 blunt spines, sometimes confluent into toothed ridges; micro- 

 spores 30-39 n long, chiefly papillose. 



Distribution: Atkah and Vancouver Islands, Washington. 



Specimens examined: 



Aleutian Archipelago: pools in Atkah Isl., Behring Sea, 26 Aug- 

 ust, 1891, Macoun 1^227 (Mo. Bot. Gard. Herb, and Gray 

 Herb.). 



Vancouver Island : Alberni, Barclay Sound, August, 1887, /. Ma- 

 coun (Mo. Bot. Gard. Herb.) ; Great Central Lake, 2 July, 



