New Dorp, Stntr^n Id. N.Y. 

 (> ^ / Nov. 3Sd, 1R97. 



Dear ""T Davenpo^-t, ' 



1 thank ;'0u for your very interesting;; 

 letter and the specimens which you send me of the Alaska OphiogloH- 

 sum coll(--cted by Turner. 1 think yoii are quite right about there 

 Nbeinf'; resemblances to both 0. ^'ulgatura and 0/ reticulatum, and $et 

 < it does not exactly agree with either. It differs from the specimen 

 -collected by Plympton at Newton, Mass. ih being broadest near the 

 /base, instead of - t the middle and above, all the Unalaska specimea 

 'whic'n 1 have seen being either cordate, ovate or lanceolate, . It 

 nlso differs in the long approximate central areolae of 0. -'ulga- 

 tum being absent, and instead we have horter and broader, hexago- 

 bal areolae, ^vith several included veinulets, nri. there s a marked 

 differentiation and c ntinuation of the midvein, vmich shows a ten- 

 dency in several cases to hwcomw pinntely branched, --nrt hence would 

 thorw it in with '.he Ptoiloneura and 0, reticiilatura according to 

 .^rantl , instead of in the Para neura with 0. vulgatun. On the 

 whole, 1 am inclied to think it is a good ^ecies and rto refer it 

 according to prantl's ni at e to 0. pedimculosum of japan, if . not 

 that it is a new sp ecies. T.,ave you any .apanese specimens to compare 

 it with ?T,ro:^. Eaton has one from ^■'erb Mettenius, which does not 

 agreo wit^- either figured or ries cript ionas gi-"en by ^rantl.It is 

 not 0. re' icialatum. of Hexico nnd Tropica^ America. 



I will ask Mr. Pollard to send you. some better 0. arenariTim. it may 

 0. i.ilgatT?m, as you suggest, but it grew in dense colonies in sand, 

 all alike and mattzre. 



I hope you will come to see trie Botanic Harden^ soon, Yours trul 



