Description of a J^eio Species of Botrychiicm, 1&3 

 BOTANY. 



Art. IV. — Description of a New Species of Botrychium; with 

 a drawing ; by the Rev. Edward Hitchcock, A. M. 



of Conway, Mass, 



This species grows, not very abundantly, in Conway, 

 Massachusetts. It was first noticed, two years since, and 

 with some doubt, referred to Botrychium lunaria of Swartz 

 and Wildenow. But upon a suggestion of Dr. Torrey that 

 it might be a new species, I have several times re-exam- 

 ined it during the two past summers, and feel so confident 

 that it is specifically distinct from any described Botrychi- 

 um, that I take the liberty to propose for it the name B. 

 simplex. 



Specific Character, 



Botrychium simplex : Frond simple, 3 lobed, or 3 cleft ; 

 segments unequal ; spike sub-compound, interrupted, uni- 

 lateral, bearing sessile] capsules, in the last part of June, 

 of the size of a mustard seed. In dry hilly pastures. 



Frond solitary, from a torn membraneous sheath, erect, 

 two to four inches high, glabrous, pale green, consisting of 

 a small spatulate leaf, an inch long, and one third of an inch 

 broad, usually divided into three — rarely four — unequal, 

 somewhat rounded segments, with their margins a little 

 notched. From the base of the leaf, about an inch from 

 the ground, springs a stalk,twice or thrice the length of the 

 leaf, bearing a sub-compound, unilateral, interrupted spike 

 of capsules, sub-two rowed. Root sending forth stout 

 sinjple fibres. 



This species is closely allied to B, lunaria of Europe : 

 but it differs in having a simple, instead of a pinnate leaf 

 " with six or seven pairs of obliquely imbricated,fan-shaped^ 

 entire, or notched leafets." (Smith in Rees' Cyc.) And 

 this difference exists in all the specimens, (more than 100) 

 which I have seen — not one being pinnate, or even " pseu- 

 dopinnate." (Nuttall.) Also, in having a spike hardly com- 



