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CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES [Proc. 4th Ser. 



no gametophytic adaptations for carrying them through the 

 winter. They thus stand in sharp contrast to such species as 

 F. angulosa Raddi, which produce their spores in the late 

 winter or spring and which seem to be definitely perennials. 

 So far as observations go the Californian Fossombroniae are 

 all perennial and even, in some cases, produce tuberous thick- 

 enings of the stem, enabling them to withstand periods of 

 dryness. If this perennial habit proves constant the writer 

 suggests that the name F. longiseta be retained for all cristate- 

 spored forms of the region and that a range in the number 

 of peripheral projections from 18 to 32 be admitted. Of 

 course, if it should be demonstrated that the perennial habit 

 or the power to produce tubers was restricted to forms hav- 

 ing a more limited range in the number of surface-ridges, a 

 segregation might be indicated. 



It should be mentioned in this connection that the spores 

 with few ridges in the Californian specimens, although simu- 

 lating those of F. pusilla in a marked degree, do not abso- 

 lutely agree with them, owing to the fact that the ridges are 

 only 2-3[* high, while those of F. pusilla are usually 3-5i*. 

 high and may be as much as 7[x high in the case of the 

 var. decipiens Corbiere. Since, however, the ridges in poorly 

 developed plants of F. pusilla are often lower, this distinction 

 must be used with caution. It should be mentioned also that 

 Schiffner has recently described and figured, under the name 

 F. loitlesbcrgeri, 21 a perennial species from Dalmatia with 

 cristate spores, in which the number of marginal projections 

 is about 25. The spores thus occupy, so far as the number 

 of ridges is concerned, an intermediate position between those 

 of F. pusilla and those of F. wondraczeki. Although at first 

 sight F. loitlesbcrgeri might seem to approach F. longiseta 

 very closely, its spores are considerably larger, measuring 

 50-60[x in diameter, and the ridges are 6-7fJ. high. Since 

 the spores of F. longiseta are only 40-50[i. in diameter and 

 since the ridges are only 2-3^ high the two species seem to 

 be amply distinct. 



"Hedwigia 48: 195. f. i-H- 1909. 



