IOWA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. 1 37 



Bettila papi/rlfera, Betiila lenta, Populiis grandidentata, Dicr- 

 villa trifida and Coniiis circinafa. In a small grove of the 

 cherry-birch, and places thickly covered with the two 

 birches, may be found an abundance of the Aspidiuvi mar- 

 ginale, the only locality, until recently, in the state; also 

 Phegopteris Drgoptcris, Phegopteris polgpodioides, AspidiiDn 

 spinuJosum var infennediuni, AspJeniuui FUix-fannina, Polg- 

 podiiim ruJgare, Cystopteris fnigilis and the Lgcopodium 

 luciduhon. The Osmioida Clayfouiana is found a few miles 

 further north, along Pine creek, on the damp slope thickly 

 covered with Carpinus, Corniis circinafa, and Cgpripcdium 

 spectabiJe. A little more drying of the woods and pas- 

 turing will exterminate these localities. 



NOMENCLATUHE. 



The question of nomenclature of our ferns is discussed 

 by several recent writers, and there is no unanimity among 

 them. The confusion in names has in part resulted from 

 the subdivisions of genera and the disagreement as to the 

 code of nomenclature to be applied. Dr. Charles Mohr' in 

 his excellent monograph on the Plant Life of Alabama, 

 though agreeing in most points with Underwood," uses 

 different names for some of our common ferns, e. g., 

 Bernhard's generic name Cgstopferis — C. frag His (L.) 

 Bernh. is retained as in Gray's Manual, for which Under- 

 wood' substitutes the Fcli.r of Adanson — F. frag His (L.) 

 Underw. Shimek also uses the Bernhard name as the 

 correct one. Another student of ferns, Mr. Maxon, as 

 regards this genus, uses the Adanson name for this genus. 

 It is useless for us to go into the validity of this name, or 

 the many other changes which are proposed by some, 

 because in the absence of the literature, the citations can- 

 not be verified. 



It does seem, however, that before the new names are 

 adopted, that there should be unanimity among those who 



1 Plant Life of Alabama. Contr. U. S. Nat. Mus. 6: 310-1901. 



2 Our Native Forns and their Allie=!, with Synoptical Descriptions of the North Amer- 

 ican Pteridophyta North of Mexico, 1900. [6th Ed. ] 



3 A U.st of the ferns and fern allies of North America, North of Mexico, with the prin- 

 cipal synonyms and distribution. Proc. U. S. Nat. Miis. 23: 619, 1901. 

 10 I AS 



