35 
Garden and University of Minnesota.” 
—Eaiton in Gilbert List N A ater ed 
phytes, 27 (1901). 
“Note, July, 1903.—I have seen no po- 
lygamous tendency in this, so marked 
in the species. Later material from 
several localities in Central Cal., show 
that it grades almost imperceptibly in- 
to Howelli, on one hand, and the type 
and Var. pallida on the other, so with 
the mostly unripe material furnished it 
is hard to draw the line.’’—A. A, Haton. 
ISOH1 Es ©RCUTTII A, A. Haton. 
“Plant terrestrial, submerged only 
during the growing season. Trunk 
slightly trilobed, 4-6 cm long by 3-5 
cm high, globose; leaves 6-15, 4-7 cm 
long, 6-7 mm broad, triangular, grooved 
above, slightly winged at base, with 
two (ventral and dorsal) weak bast- 
bundles, rarely with lateral ones also; 
stomata none (?); * sheaths fuscous, 
narrowly winged; velum entire; ligula 
lunate or semi-circular. Macrospores 
very smali, 240-320 u in diameter dark 
fulvous when wet, cinereous or glau- 
cous when. dry, brightly polished, with- 
out crests, but the surface finely pit- 
ted as if with pin-punctures, and often 
sparsely covered with a fine scaly- 
White dust. Microspores dark brown, 
22-35 u long, averaging 26 u long by 17 
u wide, spinulose. Growing on mesas at 
San Diego, Cal. Sent by C. R. Orcutt.** 
Found only in ‘‘wet’” seasons, waen 
there is sufficient rain to fill the low 
depressions on top of the mesas, in 
which it grows. As there are often 
Several dry seasons in succession it 
must have the power of lying dor- 
mant indefinitely, if, as may weil be the 
case, it does not make a small growth 
in winter even when not submersed. It 
is not unique in this respect, however, 
as well ripened specimens of HEatoni 
and Bootti have been found to retain 
sufficient vitality to grow after being 
dried and ‘kept in the herbarium six 
months or more, while Motelay (Mon. 
Isoetes) states that Engelmanni has 
been raised at the Botanic Gardens of 
Bordeaux from spores taken de! her- 
barium specimens. 
“A few 
may not be without interest to stu- 
dents of the genus. The rigidity of the 
leaves is not owing to the bast-bun- 
of its anatomical characters. 
36 
dles, which are small, but to the epi- 
dermal cells, which are large.(13-17 wu), 
with a very thick outer wall (4.4 wu). 
As with all terrestrial species, the leaf 
cavities are very small and the dissep- 
inents correspondingly thick, from 9-12 
cells on the vertical to 6 on the trans- 
verse, Occasionally a bast-bundle is 
absent and its place occupied by an- 
other layer of epidermal cells. I have 
been unable to find stomata but from 
the character of the plant I think they 
are present, at times, at least. The 
leaves are very small and difficult to 
manipulate, owing to the thick dissep- 
inents and walls, which must be re- 
moved after splitting the leaf by scrap- 
ing, before the stomata could be seen. 
The terrestrial species heretofore 
found all have stomata, though fewer 
than the amphibious. 
“This is the only North American 
srecies with ashy spores, though one 
black or dark brown spored species, 
Melanospora, is found. Colored spores 
are found on several widely separated. 
species. Tasmania gives Gunnii, Stu- 
arti, and Hookeri with glaucous or 
ashy spores; Australia gives Muelleri 
With ashy and tripus with fuscous 
spores. From South America we have 
Gardneriana with blackish spores, and 
from Central Africa Nigritana and 
Welwitschii with glaucous spores. Sev- 
eral other species have spores that are 
not chalk-white, the usual color. 
“Tn all cases the color seems to be a 
pigment secreted in the spore itself, 
the enveloping silica having the usual 
white color, and all elevations have a 
chalky whiteness 
“When the deposit of silica is thin 
the spores are dark brown, and ashy 
when it is thicker.’’—A. A. Eaton, Fern 
bulletin 8:13 (1900). 
IS EL S MEXICA A Underwuod 
‘““Amphibious: rootstock 2-lobed: ivs 
20-30, bright green, 12-22 cm long; sto- 
mata numerous: sporangia ovel. 5 mm 
* Epidermis mounted in glycerine and 
allowed to stand till well cleared show 
many stomata.—A. A. Eaton (17 Jl 
1903). 
** Since seen from Clovis and Pine 
Ridge, Fresno Co., Cal., C. H. Thomp- 
son. Soquel Point, Thompson. Santa 
Maria, Lower -Cal., C. R. Orcutt. 
