Særtryk af Botanisk Tidsskrift. 26. Bind. 2. Hefte. København 1904. 



Arbejder fra den Botaniske Have i København. Nr. 17 



On the American Species of Leptochilus 



Sect. Bolbitis ^,3^^«^ 



by NE A' VORIC 



BOT 



Carl Christensen. (i^ 



oeveral authors have referred to a single genus, Gymnopteris, 

 all the Acrosticha of the „Synopsis Filicum" with irregularly netted 

 veins, while authors as Pres), J. Smith and Fée have referred these 

 ferns to a number of genera, based principally on differences of 

 the venation. The genus Gymnopteris was founded in 1799 by 

 Bernhardi on Herts ruffa L. {Gymnoyramme Desv.) and is, as Prof. 

 Underwood correctly has shown, synonymous with the later Neuro- 

 yramnie Link (1841), founded on the same species. Consequently 

 another name should be taken up for Gymnopteris af authors, and 

 newly Prof. Underwood has proposed Anapausia PresP), but this 

 author, the most modern and the most consequent also as to the 

 question of fern-nomenclature, has here evidently overlooked that 

 both Leptochilus K\L (IS^åf), Poikil opter is Eschwe'ûer {IS'27 ; Poecilo- 

 pteris Presl 1836) and Bolbitis Schott (1834) are older names than 

 Anapausia Presl (1836, as genus 1849). The genus Leptochilus 

 was founded on Acrostichum axillare Cav. in 1824 by Kaulfuss 

 (Enura. Fil. 147), and being the oldest generic name applied to any 

 species of Gymnopteris of authors I propose it used for all the 

 species of this genus of Acrostichaceous ferns. 



Prof. Underwood has in the same publication taken up a few 

 other old names, which surely incorrectly should suspersede later 

 and wellknown generic names. Thus he prefers Alcicornium Gaud, 

 to Platijceriiim Desv.. Callipteris ßory to Anisoyonium Presl and 

 Belvisia Mirbel to Hymenolepis Klf. 



') L. M. Undenvood: A Sunimaiy of our Present Knowledge of tlie Ferns of 

 the [Philippines. - Bull. Torr. Club. 30:055. 1903. 



