126 ^^^ Philippine Journal of Science i9i8 



to be expected that the Chinese themselves have the necessary 

 interest and training to accomplish much in working up the 

 botany of China, and for the present, at least, such work as 

 is done must of necessity be largely accomplished by the foreign 

 residents. The local resident who has an interest in the study 

 of the natural sciences is as a rule infinitely better located to 

 secure productive results than is the casual visitor or explorer 

 who has but a limited amount of time to devote to field work; 

 here as in other subtropical and tropical countries field work 

 must be carried on in all months of the year, and in this respect 

 the local resident always has the advantage of position. It is 

 greatly to be desired that the botanical work on the flora of 

 Kwangtung be continued and that botanical exploration be 

 extended to the more remote and inaccessible parts of the 

 province. 



POLYPODIACEAE 



ATHYRIUM Roth 



ATHYRIUM WICHURAE (Mett.) comb. nov. 



Asplenium wichurae Mett. in Ann. Mus, Bot. Lugd.-Bat. 2 (1866) 237. 

 Diplazium wichurae Diels in Engl. & Prantl Nat. Pflanzenfam. 1* 

 (1899) 226. 



Kwangtung Province, Loh Fau Mountain (Lofaushan), Merrill 10988, 

 Levine 1481, August 16, 1917, on damp shaded banks in deep ravines, altitude 

 1,000 to 1,100 meters. 



This species, previously known from Japan, China, and Formosa, has 

 not before been reported from Kwangtung Province. Except in its creep- 

 ing rhizomes it closely resembles Athyrium bulbiferum (Brack.) (Dipla- 

 zium bulbiferum Brack.; Athyrium pinnatum Copel., non Allantodia 

 pinnata Blanco) . I follow Copeland in treating Diplazium as congeneric 

 with Athyrium., as in examining a large series of specimens it becomes 

 evident that the two genera cannot be retained as distinct on account of 

 the very numerous intermediate forms; it is sufficiently difficult always to 

 distinguish between Athyrium, and Asplenium, yet the number of inter- 

 grades between the latter are few in comparison with those between 

 Athyrium, and Diplazium. 



The synonymy of the following Formosan species is here adjusted: 



ATHYRIUM TENUISSIMUM (Hayata) comb. nov. 



Nephrolepis tenuissima Hayata Ic. PI. Form. 4 (1914) 202, /. 1S7. 

 Athyrium, obiusifolium Rosenst. in Hedwigia 56 (1915) 335. 

 Formosa, Arisan, Ito 66, October, 1910, Faurie S6Jt, May, 1914 (cotype 

 of Athyrium obiusifolium Rosenst.). 



This species is manifestly an Athyrium with dryopteroid sori and is 

 closely allied to Athyrium macrocarpnm (Blume) Milde. The species as 

 described by Hayata (Nephrolepis tenuissima Hayata) is identical with 

 Athyrium obtusifolium Rosenst., but Hayata's name being the older is here 



