652 Slosson: Notes on Trichomanes 



In this state of affairs all attempts to fix upon the oldest name 

 for any species of the genus, excepting Linnaean species, must 

 be temporarily given up. We have first to see if the current idea 

 of the plant may not be erroneous, and if the plant can be defi- 

 nitely pinned to a given name. During the last three years I 

 have been fortunate enough to obtain for examination, mostly 

 through the kindness of European botanists, types of various 

 species, and to have had for comparison with such adequate plates 

 of published species as do exist, a large collection of tropical Amer- 

 ican plants, including the collections at the New York Botanical 

 Garden, and many specimens from the United States National Mu- 

 seum at Washington which Mr. William R. Maxon has kindly 

 allowed me the privilege of examining. In these "Notes" photo- 

 graphs of these types will be published, and old plates reproduced 

 side by side with photographs of herbarium specimens when it 

 appears that the identity of any species has been misunderstood and 

 can be definitely fixed upon in this way. This should give part of a 

 foundation for a future revision of the genus. Photographs, when 

 sufficiently enlarged, do not mislead. A beginning in this direction 

 has already been made by others. The most notable instance is 

 Dr. Carl A. M. Lindman's excellent paper, "Remarks on Some 

 American species of Trichomanes sect. Didymoglossum Desv.",* 

 which may well serve as a model. Dr. Lindman's fine illustrations 

 are drawings made by the aid of a camera lucida, not photo- 

 graphs,.but I have preferred photography'as sometimes bringing out 

 characters the eyes may overlook. 



The subject of the present paper is the identity of Trichomanes 

 pyxidiferum L. 



Linnaeus's description of this species reads as follows if 



"pyxidiferum 5. TRICHOMANES frondibus sub-bipinnatis: 



pinnis alternis confertis lobatis linearibus. 

 Filix pyxidifera. Plum. fil. 74. /. 50. 

 Dareae tunbrigensis facie. Pet. fil. 104. /. 13./. 13. 

 Habitat in America." 



Plumier's plant was from Santo Domingo. The locality of 



* Ark. Bot. i: 7-55. 1903. 



tSp. PI. 1098. 1753. ^" V 



