Pteridophyten. 197 



"5. The species whose ontogenies were studied differ from most 

 f'erns in beginning with a uniseriate type, but usually they show 

 secondarily the free dichotomous venation l'ound in other ferns. 



"6. The tribe illustrates cleaiiy how one type of areolate vena- 

 tion may have been derived from a free dichotomous type. 



"7. In comparing the parallel adult and ontogenetic venation 

 series, affirmative evidence for the theory of recapitulation is found 

 in the inheritance in at least one primitive species of Vittaria of an 

 unnecessary juvenile stage which in another more advanced species 

 of Vittaria has been eliminated." 



The genus Vittaria is divived into 2 subgenera, Euvittaria, and 

 Radiovittaria Benedict, the latter new, with V. remota F6e as its 

 type species. 



One new species is described : Polytaenium quadriseriatum 

 Benedict, irom Hayti, the type being Nash and Taylor 1360. 



The following new "combinations" occur: Vittaria minima (Baker) 

 Benedict {Antrophyum minimum Baker, Hecistopteris minima Be- 

 nedict); Polytaenium cayennense (Desv.) Benedict {Hemionitis cayen- 

 nense Desv.); P. lanceolatum (L.) Benedict {Hemionitis lanceolata L.); 

 P. brasilianum (Desv.) Benedict {Hemionitis brasiliana Desv.) ; P. dis- 

 coideum (Kunze) Benedict (Antropyum discoidenm Kunze); P. aneti- 

 oides (Christ) Benedict {Antrophyum anetioides Christ); P. Dussianum 

 (Benedict) Benedict {Antrophyum Dussianum Benedict); P. Jenmani 

 (Benedict) Benedict {Antrophyum Jenmani Benedict); and P. ensi- 

 forme (Hook.) Benedict {Antrophyum ensiforme Hook.). Maxon. 



Bower, F. O.. Note on Ophioglossum palmatum. (Rep. Brit. Ass. 

 Section K., Sheffield, 1910.) 



A note on Ophioglossum palmatum, subsequently expanded into 

 a paper published in the Annais of Botany, p. 277—298, 1911 (Ab- 

 stract in the Botanisches Centralblatt, N°. 38, 1911, p. 300—307). 



Isabel Browne (University College London). 



Bower, F. O., On Two Synthetic Genera of the Filicales. 

 (Rep. Brit. Ass. Section K, Sheffield, 1990.) 



The note deals with the genera Plagiogyria and Lophosoria. 

 The section dealing with the former genus has been enlarged and 

 published in the Annais of Botany, April 1910 (Abstract in the 

 Botanisches Centralblatt N°. 38, 1911 , p. 306— 307). It is suggested that 

 the mechanical possibilities of a further elaboration of the sorus on 

 the lines followed in the genus Gleichenia — namely the closer packing 

 of the sporangia and their median dehiscence being exhausted — 

 Lophosoria pruinata (Br.), formerly included in Alsophila, adopted 

 a lateral dehiscence while maintaining the Gleicheniaceous charac- 

 ters of a naked simultaneous sorus. The solenostely of Lophosoria 

 is suggestive of the anatomically more complex of the species ot 

 Gleichenia. It is held that the former genus may be the most pri- 

 mitive member of a sequence the more complicated Cyatheaceous 

 members of which acquired a gradate sorus protected by scales. If 

 this view is correct the erect habit of the more advanced Cyatheaceae 

 is probably a secondary rather than a primitive condition. 



Isabel Browne (University College London). 



