﻿ON THE BOTANY OF JAPAN. 421 



who refers to the latter species the T. Ruprechtii of Griscbach, T. Sibirictcm of Ruprecht, 

 Bromus hifidus of Thunberg, and B. aveiueformis of Steuclcl, and distinguishes T. 

 cernuum of Northwestern America by its bearded ovary. The inflorescence of the 

 latter is also much looser, and the spikelets mostly smaller. It will be seen, by the ac- 

 companying tabular view, that most of the Grasses in this collection are of northern 

 temperate types, and of widely diffused species. There are others in the southern part 

 of Japan of a different character, most of them well-known Indian or Malayan species. 

 The FiUces of the collection have been critically studied by Mr. Eaton, of New 

 Haven. The characters of a few new species are published in the Proceedings of the 

 American Academy, 4. p. 110. The distribution of those species which occur in other 

 portions of the northern temperate zone is appended to the tabular view. The spe- 

 cially American species are Adiantum pedatum, which also occurs in Oregon ; and 

 Osmimda cinnamomea, which does not.* One specially European form occurs, viz. 

 Athyrium fontamim. Those which occur all round the world are Athyrium Filioc- 

 foemina, Lastrea dilatata, and Poli/podium vulgarc ; while Lastrea Filix-mas ranges 

 round the Eastern continent, but is wanting throughout America, and Struthiopteris 

 Germanica is apparently absent from Western America only. Blechmmi Spicant is 

 more interrupted, being unknown through the whole breadth of Asia east of the 

 Caucasus, but found in Kamtschatka, Japan, and on the northwestern coast of America, 

 and again wholly absent from the rest of the New World. Osmimda regalis, on the 

 other hand, is apparently absent from all Western America, although (in the form of 

 0. spectdbilis^ very common in the Atlantic United States : it appears to be absent also 

 from all Northern Asia, but occurs in the Himalayas, according to Sir William Hooker 

 both in the ordinary state, and Avith sterUe and fertile fronds separate. Since the latter 

 is, then, just the same as O. Japionica, the range of O. regalis under this form would 

 extend to China and Japan. We may expect some day to receive from Japan or 

 Mantchuria 0. Claytoniana (O: interrupta, Michx.), a species so far as now known 

 strictly divided between Eastern North America (from Newfoundland and Pennsylvania 

 to Lake Winipeg) and the Eastern Himalayas. Surely there can be no question of 

 the complete distinctness of this species from 0. cinnamomea, however each may vary 

 in respect to the sterility or fertility of the fronds. 



* Wliile this sheet is under revision, a letter from Dr. Hance, of Hong Kong, informs me that, among the 

 plants which he has received from the northern part of Japan and the coast of Mantchuria, occurs another and 

 most peculiarly American Fern, viz. Onoclea sensihilis. This is a wide-spread species in the Atlantic United 

 States, extending south to Florida and to Texas, and northwest to the valley of the Saskatcliawan. 

 VOL. VI. NEW SERIES. 64 



