346 kellerman: phototypes 



are young seedlings more subject to new-place effects because 

 of exposure to unusual environmental conditions, but there is 

 also a much more serous liability to variation thru pollination of 

 the flowers from some other species resulting in hybrid offspring. 

 Nevertheless spermotypes frequently, in fact usually, do repro- 

 duce the parent plant almost identically and if properly compared 

 with the type by a competent botanist yield type material of 

 great value. An unchecked spermotype has, of course, little 

 value. One great advantage of spermotypes is that they can be 

 secured from the seedlings of short-lived plants which could not 

 yield many mero types and few or no clono types. 



A little attention by collectors in securing seed from plants 

 likely to become the types of new species will in many cases 

 enable representative spermotypes of new species to be distributed 

 in large numbers. 



What with clastotypes taken from the type itself, clonotypes 

 from vegetatively propagated parts of the type plant, and spermo- 

 types from seedlings of it, there is certainly a possibility of dis- 

 tributing authentic material much mora widely than has been 

 customary in the past. 



BOTANY. — Phototypes, a means for wide distribution of type 

 material. Maude Kellerman, Bureau of Plant Industry. 

 Communicated by Walter T. Swi gle. 



Altho the use of the camera in a museum by the visiting botan- 

 ist is not a new thing the value of photography in herbarium work 

 has not as yet been adequately realized. 



Even very full notes cannot compare in value to actual photo- 

 graphic reproductions of the specimens themselves. The point 

 of view of monographers changes with i .creasing knowledge and 

 a character regarded as of little or no importance a. id hence 

 neglected at the time notes are made may come to be considered 

 of paramount importance later on. The camera, however, 

 records with unfailing accuracy and without prejudice all the 

 visible characters. 



Photographs of type specimens are, of course, of the greatest 



