120 



THE FERN BULLETIN 



the Fern Bulletin to point out that Jenman was mis- 

 taken in supposing that the fronds perish after fruit- 

 ing and that what appears to be a second sterile frond 

 is in reality the old fruiting one of the year before from 

 which the fertile part has dropped. Thus reduced to 

 facts, the basis for making B. dichronum a species is 

 that it survives the winter in the tropics. We shall 

 ever maintain that species should differ from one 

 another in important particulars and not be separated 

 upon differences of latitude and temperature in their 

 habits. Having seen the plant in question in its native 

 woods, we are confident that it does not deserve even 

 varietal rank. 



Changes in Fern Names. — In a paper published 

 in Torreya shortly before his death. Dr. Underwood 

 called attention to some overlooked names for Ameri- 

 can ferns, which the appearance of Christiansen's "In- 

 dex" has made apparent. All but one of these have been 

 noted in the check-list of fernworts now being publish- 

 ed in this magazine, but it may be well to bring them 

 together here. If we follow Christiansen we shall 

 have Ceratopteris pteriodes (Hook) in place of the 

 well-known C. thalictroides (L), and Poly podium gly- 

 cerrhisa D. C. Eaton for P. faleatum or the more re- 

 cent P. occidentale applied to the liquorice fern of the 

 Northwest. Owing to a confusion of references to old 

 plates we are asked to use Pteris mult did a Poir in pi ice 

 of Pteris serrulata. L. f., although all authors confess 

 that there is no other P. serrulata and even the original 

 home of the plant which has been called serrulata is un- 

 known. If we follow Christiansen we will also write 

 Pellaea mucronata D. C. Eaton in place of P. Wright- 

 iaua Hook, and P. seabra Christiansen in place of P. 



