—14— 



Milde's var. composition and var. palniata have both been 

 found in this country, the first having been collected in 

 Rhode Island by Collins and Chamberlain, and in Ver- 

 mont by Miss Slosson, and the second in Colorado by 

 Suksdorf. Specimens of Milde's " monstrosities " Lasus 

 furcatus, and other forms, have been collected in the 

 North Woods, New York State, by Mrs. Charles Barnes, 

 in the Rangely section of Maine by Miss Furbish, on Mt. 

 Tobey, Mass.. by Mr. Fuller, and elsewhere by others. 

 In fact there does not seem to be any possible form of 

 this wonderfully variable species that has not been found, 

 or is likely to be found, in this country. 



Now, in regard to the identity of B. ramosum Ascher- 

 son, and B. mat ric aria: folium A. Br., the real question 

 here is on the identity of the latter with Osmitnda ramosa 

 Roth, since Ascherson's combination rests on the assump- 

 tion that the two are identical. So that, while it may be 

 true that B. ramosum Ascherson, is identical with B. 

 matridarice folium Braun, if it is not identical with Roth's 

 Osmunda ramosa, on which it was founded, the name 

 can have no legitimate standing, and whether B. niatri- 

 cariccfolium A. Br., equals B. ramosum Ascherson, or not, 

 is immaterial if B. ramosum Ascherson does not equal 

 Osmunda ramosa Roth, on which it rests. 



Our enquiry, therefore, is the more important at the 

 present time, because if B. matricariccfolium and Os- 

 munda ramosa — this being the real question at issue — 

 are identical, then, under the new conditions created by 

 the Vienna Congress — which has so happily presented to 

 the botanical world such an admirable basis for universal 

 agreement — Ascherson's combination would prevail. 



Those of us who have heretofore upheld the first cor- 

 rect combination under a genus as the proper name of a 

 species, may regret the necessity for its abandonment, 

 but we are the more willing to acquiesce in the adoption 

 of the first legitimate specific name since the nomencla- 

 torial section of the Vienna Congress so overwhelmingly 

 rejected its use where its adoption would lead to such 



