MACLOSKIE: REVISION OF FLORA PATAGONICA. 13 



BLECHNUM L. 



Add Macl., p. 133 : 



B. AUSTRALE L. forma GENUINA (Hicken). 



According to C. Christ. Ind. Fil., B. australe and B. auriculatum Cav. 

 (syn. B. hastatum Kaulf.) are separate species. Mr. Hicken, in his paper 

 "Quelques Fougeres Argentines," declares that the character considered 

 to be, above others, of specific importance, viz., the position of the sori, 

 is very varying. The sori have now a marginal position, again they are 

 disposed along the middle nerve, but often enough they have an inter- 

 mediate position. According to Mr. Hicken, B. australe, B. auricnlatum 

 and B. trilobum Presl are all varieties of one species. These varieties are 

 named genuinum, hastatum and trilobum. Only the first of these, char- 

 acterized by the position of the sori, being close to the middle nerve, 

 belongs to our district. 



Having examined numerous specimens of B. australe and B. auricu- 

 latum preserved in the Ricksmuseum in Stockholm I arrived at the opinion 

 that of the varieties set up by Mr. Hicken at least var. genuinum and var. 

 hastatum represent only extreme forms. 



B. AURICULATUM CaV. 



W. Patagonia, in its northern section on both sides of the Cordillera. 



B. PENNA MARINA (Poir) Kuhn. Macl., p. 132. 



Also in S. Chili and S. Brazil and from here through Patagonia and 

 Fuegia to Cape Horn; in the Falkland Is. too; besides being widely 

 distributed in the southern temperate zone. 



The following forms occur in our district; forma polypodioides (Desv.) 

 C. Chr. Some Ferns, p. 6. Falkland Is. 



B. AUSTRALE (Ktze.) C. Chr., Some Ferns, p. 6. 



S. Fuegia; W. Patagonia, viz., in the district of deciduous beeches; also 

 in the bushy steppe of Fuegia and S. Patagonia. 



B. TABULARE (Thunb.) Kuhn. Macl., p. 132. 



C. Christiansen, Some Ferns, p. 9, states that the question of identity is 

 not well cleared up between the S. American forms of Blechnum generally 

 referred to B. tabulare and the genuine B. tabulare occurring in S. Africa. 



