Underwood: The genus Alcicormum 589 



we were to decide nomenclature on a principle ofpurely temporizing 

 expediency and in entire disregard of principles, as advocated at 

 the recent Vienna congress, we might argue the continuance of the 

 name Piaty cerium^ but once adopting the principle of priority of 

 publication as a fundamental law and the date of 1753 as initial, 

 which annuls the old conceptual idea of a genus, we are forced to 

 adopt Alcicorninm, 



The stag-horn ferns, which have attracted attention since the 

 time of Plukenet, two centuries ago, by their bizarre appearance 

 and habit of growth, are, with one exception, confined to the 

 tropical and sub-temperate regions of the Old World. Except for 

 Hooker's treatment in Species Filiciun they have never been mono- 

 graphed, and as the recent literature relating to individual species 

 is greatly scattered we present this preliminary revision with refer- 

 ences to the numerous illustrations that have been published, par- 

 ticularly since these ferns are attracting considerable attention in 

 cultivation at the present time. In this connection we shall 

 attempt to elucidate the nomenclatorial tangle not only of the 

 generic name but of the specific name of one of the commonest 

 species, since two of the species of the genus have been more or 

 less mixed during their entire history. 



In 1705 Plukenet (Amal. Bot. //. ^^p. / 2) figured a sterile 

 African plant with the designation Neiiroplatyceros aethiopicus, ner- 

 vosis foliis^ cornu cervhmm refer entibiis (page 15O- 



Miiller, in 1785, described Osmitnda coronaria (= Alcicorninui 



coronariicui) from Siam. 



Willemet was the first to describe Aerostiehum alcicorne, in 



1796 (Usteri, Ann. 6^^: 61), as follows : 



Acrosdchum {alcicorne) frondiformibus lobatis : lobis dichotomis. N. Habitat 

 in Madagascaria. 



Stadtmannus plantam siccam dabat, 



Fructificalio non adest in meo specimine. In altero loborum aversam partem 



occupabat. 



In 1799 Cavanilles (Anal. Hist. Nat. I : 105) described ^r;w- 

 tichiun bifiircatuni from Port Jackson, New Holland. 



In Schrader'sjour. fiir die Botanik (1800': n, i8oi)Swartz 

 described an Acrosticwn alcicorne with no referen ce whatever to 



"^Cf. Carruthers. The Nomenclature oi Plaiycerium. Jour. Bot. 38 •- '23-/\5- 

 1900. Mr. Carrutbers gives a number of interesting points on the early history ol Use 

 species, but does not begin to fathom the nomenclatorial difficulties. 



