THE WEST-AMERICAN SCIENTIST. 
15 
OPHIOGLOSSUM NUDICAULE. 
BY D. CLEVELAND. 
This little fern, “dwarf adder’s 
tongue,” closely resembles the 
common adder’s tongue, O. vul- 
gatum of the Atlantic states and 
Europe. Indeed, when first sent 
to Prof. Eaton of Yale College 
andMr. Geo. E. Davenport from 
this coast, they were inclined to 
consider it a form of the latter. 
O. nudicaule, L. f. was first dis- 
covered at San Diego, near Old 
Town, by Dr.Parry when botanist 
of the Mexican Boundary Com- 
mission, in Jan’y, 1850, but the 
specimens then collected and 
shipped with other collections by 
sea to New York were lost on the 
passage. 
It was rediscovered by Dr. C. 
C. Parry at San Diego in March, 
1882 after several days of diligent 
search. 
During all the intermediate 
time—thirty-two years,—though 
botanists had carefully searched 
the country about San Diego, O. 
nudicaule had not been seen, nor 
its presence suspected. Dr. Parry 
might also have overlooked it, if 
he had not previously found it 
here. It is not strange that this 
fern should have escaped so ma- 
ny sharp-eyed collectors when we 
consider its diminutive size, the 
few weeks that the fronds are 
visible, and the failure of the 
plant to send up its leaves in dry 
years, when itis kept alive by its 
perennial root. This fern is most 
conspicuous about March, after 
a wet winter and is then abundant 
on the mesa in proximity to Do- 
decatheon Meadia—shooting star, | 
Selaginella and grass. Before its 
discovery ut San Diego, this fern 
was confined in this country to 
Florida, Georgia and the Caro- 
linas, where it is rare. 
BOTANICAL NOTES. 
The check-list of the known 
plants of this region, giving the 
local distribution, common names 
and other notes is now out. Price 
25 cts., free to botanical patrons. 
The following species were inad- 
vertently omitted. 
Polygala Fishiew, Parry, 
(Enothera micrantha, Horner, 
Collomia heterphylla, Hooker, 
elutinosa, Gray, 
Phacelia ciliata, Bentham, 
Fritillaria biflora, Lindl. 
Mimulus Parishii, Greene, is a 
new species recently collected at 
Los Angeles and also found near 
San Rafel, L. Cal. 
The delicate Woodsia of Lower 
Cal. is W. Mexicana. 
About two years ago, a wild po- 
tato.was found in the mountain 
region of Arizona, and specimens 
brought to San Francisco for dis- 
tribution. From the little tubers 
sent to San Diego, two crops have 
been harvested — each showing 
an increase in size upon its prede- 
cessor. Owing, perhaps, to the 
abundant rain of last season, this 
increase in size is more marked 
this season than last, some of the 
potatoes being at least three 
times as large as any in the orig- 
inal stock. Mrs. Z. R. Cronyn. 
—_—_——_q—____—_ 
Herbarium specimens offered 
for books or cash. 
