BOTANY OF THE ROUTE. 71 



ASPIDIUM SPINULOSUM, Wilkl. " ex-Hooker." (G.) Woods; 4-6 feet high. 

 A. MUNITUM, Kunth. (G.) Woods, common; forming dense tufts 3 or 4 feet high and wide. 

 Blechnum BOREALE, Swartz. (G.) Spruce forest at coast, not rare; 2 feet high. 

 Maechantia polymorph a, (HepaticceJ Linn. (Steilacoom, S.) 



I have received the following letter from Mr. Samuel Ashmead, relative to two interesting 

 marine plants, which were submitted to him for examination. 



Academy op Natural Sciences, 



FhiladelpMa, April 20, 1857. 



Dear Sir: I received the two specimens of marine Algas from Washington Territory, and as 

 they do not decompose in fresh water, I transferred them to new papers and marked the names 

 thereon. 



Phyllospoea Menziesii, Ag. This plant was first discovered by Mr. Menzies in the deep 

 waters of Nootka Sound, where it sometimes grows to an enormous length. The specimen you 

 send is much injured by transportation; hundreds of the marginal leaves were broken off. It 

 is a fertile specimen having "receptacles," which renders it very interesting. You will find 

 it accurately described by Harvey in his Nereis Bor. Am. p. 62, vol. 3, or 5, Smithsonian Con- 

 tributions to Knowledge. Collected in Puget Sound, by Dr. G. Suckley, U. S. A. 



Callophyllis laciniata, Kutz. This plant is exceedingly rare on the American coast; the 

 species is subject to considerable variety of form, but it is easily recognized under the micro- 

 scope, by the peculiar internal structure of the frond. You will find it also described by 

 Harvey, Nereis Bor. Am. p. 171, vol. 3, or 5, Smithsonian Contributions to Knowledge. Col- 

 lected at Shoalwater bay, by Captain C. J. W. Russell. 



As I bad not before seen either of these species, I am much pleased to be able to add them 

 to my collection. 



Very truly, yours, &c., 



SAMUEL ASHMEAD. 



Doctor Cooper. 



