rs2 BOTANICAL GAZETTE [AUGUST 
not possible, as has turned out in so many other cases, that the truth lies 
between the two extreme views? May it not be that the spikes of O. 
palmatum represent lobes of the leaf, and that certain of the upper ones 
in strong growing plants have suffered splitting or duplication? Such 
a view would take into account the effects of the peculiar life habits of 
this species, and at the same time would explain the identity in origin 
of the lower spikes with that found in the other members of the genus. 
In his recent paper Bower supports his interpretation by eight con- 
siderations, two of which are referred to above. Under one heading 
he urges the fact that “the identity of the margins of the leaf, so far as 
these are defined by the vascular strands, is entirely merged by the 
repeated fusions of the strands on the adaxial face of the elongated 
petiole” (p. 289). Yet, while describing the insertion of the petiolar 
strands on the central cylinder of the stem, BowEr shows that the 
leaf gap is obscured by a vascular commissure stretching across the 
gap at the point of attachment of the leaf trace bundles, and this fact 
does not cause a doubt as to the existence of a leaf gap. Apparently 
the anastomosing of vascular strands is characteristic of the plant, and 
the relationships of the parts can be best interpreted by comparison 
with simpler members of the family; this is what I have sought to do. 
Professor BOwER’s caustic remarks concerning my paper on the 
Ophioglossaceae may the more readily be passed over in view of the 
fact that he has expressly repudiated his former view as to the relation- 
ships of the group, and hence accepts the main contention of my paper. 
_ With the candor characteristic of a true scientist, he has considered the 
evidence accumulated since 1896, and decides that the balance is in 
favor of allying the Ophioglossaceae with Filicales rather than with 
Lycopodiales. As a consequence of this, he regards the fertile spike 
not as a sporangiophore, but as one or more pinnae, here again agreeing 
with my conclusions. If now it is admitted that the fertile spike in 
most members of the group represents one pinna or a fused pair of pinnae, 
it is difficult for me to see why the interpretation should not be pushed 
to its logical end. The pinna nature of the fertile spike is most clearly 
seen in Botrychium; if the spike of O. vulgatum or O. reticulatum has a 
vascular supply which originates in a way similar to that of species of 
Botrychium, it may be regarded as representing two fused basal lobes 
of the leaf. The spike of O. pendulum has a similar vascular supply 
and may also be regarded as having the same morphological nature. 
A basal median spike in O. palmatum has a vascular supply identical 
with this; why then should it not be interpreted in the same way 
