374 REPORT OF DEPARTMENT OF BOTANY, BRIT. MUS., 1894. 



differs considerably ; this certainly is so, as between the type as 

 figured by Chamisso (and his specimens at Berlin) and the var. 

 tuheiculosus of Reichenbach all sorts of forms between can be found. 

 Under F. pectinatus he also places P. strictus Phil. Fl. Atacani. 358, 

 and describes as a new species (P. aulacophi/llus) Hieronymus and 

 Niederlein's No. 226 ; unless I am greatly mistaken, these are 

 simply the same plants. I had the latter plant some time with no 

 name, but directly Prof. Philippi sent me his P. strictus, I at once 

 named Hieronymus and Niederlein's specimens as such. They re- 

 mind me much of the P. marinus L. var. Macounii Moroug, from 

 Canada. 



Under P. pectinntiis L., Dr. Schumann also cites " P. indicus 

 Roxb. FL Ind, i. 452." I cannot imagine the cause of this extra- 

 ordinary mistake. We have the original specimens in England, 

 and it belongs to P. Tioxharghianus Schult. Mant. iii. 367 (1827); 

 i.e., the Indian plant with submerged leaves like liicens, and floating 

 ones like fliiitans or natans. 



Under P. striatus Ruiz & Piivon he cites Spruce's No. 5886 for 

 the Andes of Ecuador. This is not the species of Ruiz & Pavon, 

 but is conspecific with P. australis Philippi ined. 



Two other stations for Brazil may be added to those enumerated 

 by Dr. Schumann; i.e., "Organ Mountains, Prov. R. d. Janeiro, 

 Miers, No. 4230," Herb. Keiv ; "Colonic Theresoply, Prov. R. d. 

 Janeiro, 9, 1892," Fr. Wernerley in Herb. Zurich ! 



I have a note of having seen a specimen of P. paucijlorus Pursli, 

 from the Brazils, but unfortunately no reference to where. The 

 most southern station I know for this species is Porto Rico, about 

 18° N. lat., and Mexico, about 23° N. lat., the former being very 

 near the same latitude as it occurs in the North Pacific Ocean, i. e., 

 the Sandwich Isles. Even if correct, I know of no connecting 

 stations in Granada, Venezuela, or Guiana. 



I have also a note of having seen P. striatus Ruiz & Pavon from 

 Chili, but Prof. Philippi tells me he knows nothing of that species 

 as a Chilian plant. 



Among the synonyms placed under P. lucens L. is the rather 

 startling one of " P. sparganifolius Fr." ; I think this decidedly an 

 error, and that Fries's plant, whatever its grade may be, is essentially 

 nearest to the natans group. 



REPORT OF DEPARTMENT OF BOTANY, BRITISH MUSEUM, 1894. 



By William Carruthers, F.R.S. 



The Herbarium was enriched by the presentation by Mrs. 

 Hassall of the collection of Fresh-water Algte which belonged to 

 her late husband. Dr. Arthur Hill Hassall, author of the "British 

 Fresh-water Algte." This collection contains, as far as they have 

 been preserved, the types of Dr. Hassall's work ; their acquisition 

 is the more important as they must form the basis of any critical 

 revision of these plants. 



