Vol. XVIII, pp 231-232 December 9, 1905 



PROCEEDINGS 



OF THE 



BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON 



A NEW LYCOPODIU]\r FROM GUATEMALA. 

 BY WILLI.\M R. :\rAXON. 



By permission of the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution. 



Among a collection of Gnatemalan plants received at the 

 U. S. National Museum in 1902 there was a single specimen of 

 'Lycopodium which at that time we were unahle to refer satis- 

 factorilj' to any species known from middle America. While 

 manifestly of close alliance to L. aqicalvpianum of the West 

 Indies it seemed to offer notable differences, but in the absence 

 of additional material we hesitated to describe it as new. During 

 January of 1905 we were fortunate in visiting the precise locality, 

 in Alta Verapaz, whence this- specimen had been received ; 

 and although we were able to collect but a single additional 

 plant this accords so perfectly with the former in the characters 

 distinguishing it from L. aqualwpianum, its nearest ally, that 

 we have no doubt that they represent a distinct species: 



Lycopodium dichaeoides .sp. nov. 



Plant i)endent, 25 cm. long, the type specimen four times dichotomously 

 branched intheapical half at reojular intervals : leaves bright green, sessile, 

 divergent, in four ranks, those of the lower main stem 9 to 10 mm. long by 

 4 to o mm. wide, broadly subspatulate, the upper ones gradually smaller (6 

 to 7 mm. by 3 to 3.5 mm.), exactly oblong-oval, imbricate in drying ; all 

 obtuse or with a very slight apiculation, the niidvein concealed throughout : 

 strobiles very short (8 to 18 mm.), stout, simple or mostly once forked, con- 

 spicuously quadrangular; sporophylls 1.5 mm. long, rigid, achene-like, 

 47— Proc, Biol. Soc. Wash., Vol. XVIII, 1905. (231) 



