10(3 

 BOTRVCHIUM SILAIFOLIUM PRESL 



By LrciF.N M. Uni>er\yood 



This species was originally described from Nootka Sound, and 

 all the American writers on ferns, commencing with D. C Eaton, 

 have confused a Californian species with it. I was led into the 

 same error some years ago and wish now to make a correction. 

 The collection of a large amount of material in the State of 

 Washington by Mr. J. B. Flett and by Professor C. V. Piper has 

 .'^hown that the species of that region is nearer to Presl's type 

 than any of the Californian material as j'et collected and there 

 seem to be no intermediate forms between the species of north- 

 ern California and the one of the states farther north. On the 

 other hand, Mr. Flett's specimens show gradations from my B. 

 occidentalc to the typical equiwilents of B. silaifoliuui Presl. 

 After I reached this conclusion two years ago, I learned that Mr. 

 Piper had independentl\' come to the same conclusion, viz., that, 

 B. silaifoliuui Presl and B. occidentalc Underw. were really one 

 species. B. occidentalc was described from tall rather slendei" 

 plants of the species quite in contrast with the more compact 

 form as originally described by Presl and represents an extreme 

 development of the species. The relation of D. C. Eaton's 

 '' snb-var. intcrvicdiinn'' to this species was pointed out to me 

 long ago by Mr. Gilbert and I am inclined to regard that form 

 as representing the eastern extension of the western species or 

 vice versa. I am not yet read}' to locate this latter form as a 

 variety or species, and hope that further collection and stud\' 

 will clear up some doubts in the matter. 



The synonymy of the w estern species then is as follows : 

 BoTRVCHiUM siLAiFOLiu.M Presl, Rel. Ilaenk. i: 76. 1825. 



(Type from " Nootka-Sund.") 



Botryehiuui occidentalc Underw. Hull. Torrey Club 25: 538. 

 1898. (Type from New Westminster, British Columbia.) 



Range: Washington to liritish Columbia. 



This transfer of the Washington and British Columbia plants 

 to B. silaifolinni leaves the Californian plants hitherto referred to 

 that species without a name. The)- nia\- be described as follows : 



