ISOETES MINIMA n. sp. 



LANT amphibious; trunk, trilobed, 3-4 mm * wide by 2-3 



high; sporangium, unspotted, 4 mm - long 1.5 wide; velum, 



f-f indusiate ; leaves, 6-12, 2-4 cm- long, round, slender, 

 .67- 74 mm - in diameter, with four variable, peripheral bast bun- 

 dles. Dissepiments of leaves very thick, the lateral of width of 

 2-6, and median and dorsal of 6-9 very large cells. Macrospores, 

 globose, 290-350 fi, covered with short, slender, blunt, distinct 

 spinules. Equatorial commissure pectinate or beset with pol- 

 ished spinules. Microspores, papillose or sparingly spinulose, 

 white, 26-31 /a, average 27 // in length. Stomal a many, as in all 

 amphibia. Damp places in prairie near Waverly, Spokane county, 

 Wash. W. N. Suksdorf, No. 2365. 



This is a very peculiar species in many ways. Among United 

 States species it is the only trilobed one with partial velum. It 

 is one of three now known to be trilobed habitually, Nuttalli and 

 an undescribed species from California ( Orcuttii ) being the 

 others. It is the smallest American species. An entirely peculiar 

 character is shown by the equator, which resembles a ship's wheel 

 with the spinules for handspikes. — A. A. Eaton. 



It is a difficult matter to induce our ferns to put forth new 

 fronds upon being brought into the house in autumn, but when 

 they have had a proper rest they are more easily influenced. 

 Some roots of Polypodium vulgare and Dryopteris acrostichoides 

 brought into the house in February, and placed in a flower-pot, 

 began unrolling their fronds within a week. 



Having Phegopteris hexagonoptera "to burn," I amused 

 myself with the experiment you suggested in your last issue. I 

 have no "globules of carbonate of potash" to show, and am only 

 minus a fine lot of Phegopteris, as each burned to very black 

 ashes. The specimen had been gathered in different localities at 

 different times. — Miss Sadie F. Price, Bowling Green, Ky. 

 [The editor has recently tried this experiment, and while he got 

 no globules of potash, the ashes were pure white, and probably 

 had much potash in them. Under the most favorable circum- 

 stances, it may be possible to get globules of potash. — Ed.] 



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