458 BENEDICT: ANTROPHYUM 
venation, which is that of a very young leaf of Vittaria lineata as 
figured in a paper on the life-history of that species by E. G. Brit- 
ton and A. Taylor.* But further study showed me that it was 
certainly congeneric with Hecistopteris pumila (Spr.) J. Smith, which 
possesses similar paraphyses and spores, and, as shown by 
Goebel, + has a vittarioid prothallium. The only distinction, ex- 
cept in form, is found in the venation, free-forking in H. pumila, 
and pinnate-anastomosing in H. minima. Dr. Christ has described 
another species, H. Werckleanat (Antrophyum Werckleanum §); 
which seems to be intermediate in form between the other two, 
and may show a transitional type of venation. In the ma- 
terial of H. minima examined (Endres), one frond was found show- 
ing a forked tip. The sori are not sunken as stated by Baker in 
his description, but entirely superficial and in other respects like 
those of H. pumila. Taken together, the three species form a 
very natural genus with affinities close to Vittarta. 
New York BoTaANICAL GARDEN. 
* Mem. Torrey Club 8: 158-211. p/. 27-77. 1902. 
{ Flora 82: 67. 1896. 
$ Bull. Bois. II. 7 265. 1907. 
§ Bull. Bois, II. 5’: 11. 1905. 
