On the names of three Jamaican species of Pof^podium* 



William Ralph Maxon 



The first portion of the following notes is in advance of a more 

 extended illustrated paper, the publication of which is unavoid- 

 ably delayed, dealing with the species commonly associated with 

 Xiphoptcris scrnilata (Sw.) Kaulf. under either Polypodiiwi or 

 Xiphopteris. 



t 



Jamaica said to represent the J 



podiu 



Swartz himself in both the 



Synopsis Filictim and Flora Indiae occidentalts had so amended the 

 original Prodronius (1788) description as to include the characters 

 offered by Schkuhr's plant as represented in the plate; in fact, 

 Schkuhr's plant was cited in the Synopsis Filicnm. It is probable 

 that the material possessed by both authors was very scant, and it 

 is hardly to be wondered that two distinct species of this closely re- 

 lated group should, as we believe, have been thus confused. The 

 strange feature is that with the more ample material since avail- 

 able for study, Schkuhr's plate should have been so universally 

 misidentified and that the confusion of the several other species 



should have been so great. 



For example : Hooker in 1861 described a Xiphopteiis Janusoni 

 from Ecuador which is in reality identical with the true Jamaican 

 myosuroides of Swartz (1788). The next year he incorrectly listed 

 myosuroides Sw. as a synonym of serndaUnn and cited Schkuhr's 

 plate erroneously under Polypodiinn setosnm (Kaulf) Mett., an ab- 

 solutely distinct species. 



Jenman is the only writer who has clearly distinguished the 

 several Jamaican species. He erred, however, in his use of specific 



* Published by permission of the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution. 



t [Mr. Maxon wrote i8og^ the title-page date, supposing that the plate was un- 

 published when cited by Swartz in 1806. Schkuhr's work, however, was issued in 

 parts; and the first part, containing the page (9) and plate (7) cited, appeared in 

 1804. A copy of this part, with its original cover, is in the editor's library. —J. 11. 



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