10 University of California Publications in Botany [Vol.10 



a distinct group, the distribution of whose members extends as far 

 north as Sitka, Alaska, with the southern limit in San Luis Obispo 

 County, California. Along with this character is usually found a 

 decided olive green color. 



Fucus nitens refers to a group of plants growing in San Francisco 

 Bay, which seems not to fit in well with any other described species. 

 It doubtless is an offshoot of the furcatus group, and very probably 

 hybridizes with it. 



The decision in the selection of edentatus as against inflatus for 

 the specific name seemingly best suited to certain of our narrow forms 

 is based upon the study of the original descriptions and illustrations 

 of the type specimens of each species. 



Fucus inflatus dates back to Flora Lapponica, of Linnaeus, 1737. 

 The diagnosis as given by Linnaeus in Species Plantarum, 1753, 

 p. 1159, is: "Fucus fronde bifida; laciniis ovato-lanceolatis inflatis 

 apice divisis." This will suffice in part for any species of Fucus that 

 has been proposed, just as well for one as for another. Through the 

 kindness of Dr. M. A. Howe, I have a habit sketch made by him of 

 two small parts of plants in the Linnaean Herbarium which, according 

 to Dr. Howe, is all that is left to indicate Linnaeus' conception of this 

 species. These small bits are sterile and Dr. Howe remarks, "The 

 enlargements, to which it owes its name, are possibly inflations which 

 have been flattened down in pressing, but I find no certain evidence of 

 this in the Linnaean specimen." Thus neither the description nor the 

 specimens seem to me in the least adecpiate to give one even an approxi- 

 mate idea as to the concept of Linnaeus regarding this species. Vahl, 

 in Flora Dauica, plate 1127, gives a diagrammatic sketch and a brief 

 diagnosis showing his conception of the species. The sketch is cer- 

 tainly of a plant quite different from that of Linnaeus. Of late years 

 there has been as great confusion in the use of the term inflatus as in 

 the use of furcatus. Foslie (1886, p. 109) proposes F. inflatus (L.) 

 Vahl for certain narrow forms. Kjellman (1890, p. 11) adopts the 

 name for a group of plants which he first separates into two groups, 

 a Finmarkicus and /? N ordlandicus , under which he describes nine 

 different forms. He left no illustrations and made no attempt to show 

 their relation to other described forms. Rosenvinge (1893, p. 834) 

 uses the name inflatus to include F. edentatus De la Pyl., F. evanescens 

 Ag., and F. linearis (Ed. De-Toni (1895, p. 195) accepts the group 

 as proposed by Kjellman. Borgesen (1902, p. 465) uses the term 

 inflatus to include certain Faeroe Island plants which he designates as 



