400 BENEDICT: REVISION OF THE GENUS VITTARIA 
grooves, to say nothing of other marked differences. The material 
illustrated (Endres) does not show the narrowed apices believed 
to be characteristic of the species, but the blunting appeared to 
be abnormal. In the Wercklé material, of which two plants and 
a photograph of a series of plants were seen, the narrowed almost 
acuminate tip was an evident character. 
Vittaria minima, in spite of its obvious differences from the 
other species, falls naturally into the genus and into the subgenus 
Radiovitiaria. There was so little material that no attempt was 
made to section the stem or petiole, but the brown coloration of 
the petiole probably indicates the presence of the kind of collen- 
chyma found in this subgenus. The fact that the spores and 
paraphyses are indistinguishable throughout the seven species is 
further evidence of close relationship. 
It is also worthy of note that there appear to be good grounds 
for believing that V minima is a real connecting species between 
Vittaria and Hecistopteris J. Smith, as has already been indicated 
in the synonymy. The occurrence of identically the same type 
of paraphysis and spore in Hecistopteris, as well as the suggestively 
similar leaves sometimes developed in this genus, lead to the 
suspicion that Hecistopteris is probably more a genus of taxonomic 
convenience than one of generically different evolution. 
2. VITTARIA GARDNERIANA Fée, Mém. Foug. 3: 15. pl. 3. 1851 
Vittaria Karsteniana Mett. Ann. Sci. Nat. Bot. V. 2: 207. 1864. 
(Type from Colombia.) 
Vittaria gracilis Kuhn; in Moritz, Linnaea 36: 67. 1869. (Type 
from Colombia.) 
Rhizome erect, unbranched, 1.5-2.5 cm. long, with the per- 
sistent petiole bases about 0.05 cm. thick (about 2 mm. thick in 
section), radially symmetrical, the scales brown, iridescent, soft, 
lanceolate, 5-8 cells wide at the base. Leaves several, erect or 
spreading, 20-40 cm. long, usually very thin, the petiole solid, 
about I mm. thick (less when dry), terete at first, but soon be- 
coming flattened and angled laterally, dull brown or greenish 
brown, or becoming polished, 1-3 cm. long, the lamina broadest 
(3-5-7 mm.) near or just above the middle, narrowed very gradu- 
ally above and below, with or without a median brown stripe 
extending a few centimeters along the surface from the petiole, 
either thin, and with all the veins prominent, or thicker, and with 
