Nov., 1913.] The Classification of Plants, X. 203 



SYNOPSIS OF THE LEPIDOPHYTA. 



I. Sporophyte homosporous; leaves without a ligule. 



Lycopodie.^-, LYCOPODIALES. 



1. Sporangia unilocular; sporophylls undivided, lycopodiace.e. 



a. Stems branched, with numerous leaves. Lycopodium. 

 Note — The lower species are without terminal cones 

 but with zones of sporophylls alternating with sterile 

 foliage leaves, the higher have definite terminal cones. 



b. Stems unbranched with a few basal leaves and a small 

 cone at the tip of a naked peduncle. Phylloglossum. 



2. Sporangia bilocular or trilocular; sporophylls two-parted. 



psilotace.e. 



a. Leaves numerous, rather large and spreading, with a 

 definite midrib; sporongia with two cavities. 



Tmesipteris. 



b. Leaves small and rather distant without a definite mid- 

 rib; sporangia with three cavities. Psilotum. 



IL Sporophyte hetcrosporous; leaves with a ligule. selaginelle.e. 



1. Without increase in thickness of stem, herbs. 



SELAGINELLALES, selaginellace.e, Selaginella 



2. With increase in thickness of stem, fossil trees. SIGILLARIALES, 



a. Leaves spirally arranged, but the bark without parallel 

 vertical flutings or ridges. 



lepidodendr.\ce/E, Lepidodendron, etc. 



b. Leaves spirally arranged, but the bark with parallel, 

 vertical flutings or ridges, the leaf-scars thus appearing 

 in vertical rows, sigillariace.^, Sigillaria, etc. 

 Note — Several other imperfectly known families belong 

 to this order. 



Britton and Brown's Illustrated Flora — The appearance of the 

 second edition of Britton and Brown's Illustrated Flora marks 

 another stage in the progress of American systematic botany. 

 The revision was made at an opportune time and has been well 

 carried out to meet present conditions. A commendable conser- 

 vatism is shown quite generally throughout the Avork in disregard- 

 ing trivial variations and fluctuations. Much improA^ement is also 

 shown in some new illustrations. 



The ''Illustrated Flora" will be indispensable to every working 

 botanist in the region covered. It will be the book to which one 

 will go for the final solution of difficitlt systematic problems. It is 

 the desire of the reviewer that this manual shall be taken as the 

 standard reference for practical work on the local flora, and the 

 numerous plants submitted from various sources throughotit the 

 state will be referred to its nomenclature. In this wa}' alone will 

 confusion be avoided. 



The present work appropriately follows the rules of priority 

 disregarding the legislation of recent European congresses, which 

 were after all not true representative bodies of the botanists of 

 the world. Had the recent congresses been held in New York or 

 on the Pacific coast the results, would no doubt, have been difter- 

 ent. Strict priority will in the end give more uniform results than 



