1915] PETRY—OPHIOGLOSSACEAE 347 
in O. vulgatum, the branching is dichotomous, and the two branches 
in each case showed an almost exact equality. 
In the examination of the material of these two species of Ophio- 
glossum, careful search was made for evidence of axillary buds, such 
as have been described for Helminthostachys by GWYNNE-VAUGHAN 
(5), and for Botrychium Lunaria by Lane (9). No such structures 
have been found in any case; neither is there any evidence of 
adventitious budding except upon roots. From this it may be con- 
cluded that the true branching of these species is always dichoto- 
mous. 
Helminthostachys 
Lanc (8) has briefly described the anatomy of two branching 
thizomes of this genus. In both, the branches are definitely 
axillary in position, and it is certain that they have developed from 
the vestigial buds described by GYWNNE-VAUGHAN (5). In each 
case, the vascular supply of the branch comes from a mass of 
accessory xylem which develops outside the usual xylem of the 
stele, either locally at the base of the branch, or surrounding the 
stele. There is no connection between the branch stele and the 
subtending leaf trace. 
Material of Helminthostachys has not been available during the 
Progress of this investigation. 
Botrychium 
THE OCCURRENCE OF AXILLARY BUDS 
All the investigation of branching and of the occurrence of buds 
has been confined to examination of B. Lunaria. On this account, 
it has seemed advisable to examine other species of this genus with 
regard to these points. Rhizomes of five species have been secured 
with branching specimens representing four of these species. 
The genus Botrychium, as organized by PRANTL (12), consists 
of two sections: EuBorrycHiuM, with five species; and PHyLto- 
TRICHIUM, with eleven species. The latter section is divided into 
* The fall description of this material | has just been published (Lanc, Wm. H., 
Studine tn } anatomy of € III. On theanatomy 
and sac of the ‘ie of H. eiminthostacleys seylanica. Ann. Botany 29:1-54. 
bls. 1-3. figs. 1-8. 1915). In this paper Lanc concludes that although no jeaulas 
cambium is present, “the development of this seceunoty xylem should rightly come 
“under the conception of secondary thickening.” : 
