15 
the frond. Several other examples of indeterminate apical 
growth in Polypodium were given and specimens of these shown. 
The topic ‘A Subgenus of Vittaria,’ was presented by Dr. 
R. C. Benedict as follows: Vittaria J. E. Smith is a genus of 
perhaps forty species of tropical ferns, nearly all of which have 
leaves of grass-like outline. Its classification is, therefore, more 
difficult than in the case of most fern genera, and is indeed much 
the same problem as would be offered by a genus of grasses if 
no flowers and fruits were available. The differentiation of the 
species demands a careful study of the microscopic characters 
of the spores, paraphyses, and scales, and a study by cross- 
sections, of the arrangement of the vascular tissues in stem and 
leaf, and of the position in which the sporangia are borne. By 
using these methods of study, it has been found possible to deter- 
mine specific limits accurately. 
The paper presented at the conference was concerned with 
one subgenus of Vittaria, Radioviltaria including seven species 
the characters of which have been sufficiently determined for 
publication. Illustrations of the seven species were shown. 
These with the text descriptions and discussion are shortly to be 
published. According to this paper the subgenus Radiovittaria 
includes seven species viz., V. minima (Baker) Benedict, V. 
Gardneriana Fée, V. remota Fée, V. stipitata Kunze, V. Morit- 
ztiana Mett., V. latifolia Benedict, and V. IWilltamst Benedict. 
The two last mentioned species are to be described in the forth- 
coming paper. Both are based on material collected in Bolivia 
by Mr. R. S. Williams of the Garden staff. V. minima has 
only recently been placed in Vitiaria, the material here included 
having been previously placed in two other gencra. 
A. B. Strout. 
NOTES, NEWS AND COMMENT. 
Mr. Percy Wilson, assistant curator, spent a part of the month 
of December and January collecting in the provinces of Pinar del 
Rio and Havana, Cuba. 
. Maxon of the National Museum, Washington, 
cicently pe several days at the Garden in continuation of 
his work on ferns for North American Flora. 
