126 The Philippine Journal of Science i9is 
to be expected that the Chinese themselves have the necessary 
interest and training to accomplish much in working up the 
botany of China, and for the present, at least, such work as 
is done must of necessity be largely accomplished by the foreign 
residents. The local resident who has an interest in the study 
of the natural sciences is as a rule infinitely better located to 
secure productive results than is the casual visitor or explorer 
who has but a limited amount of time to devote to field work; 
here as in other subtropical and tropical countries field work 
must be carried on in all months of the year, and in this respect 
the local resident always has the advantage of position. It is 
greatly to be desired that the botanical work on the flora of 
Kwangtung be continued and that botanical exploration be 
extended to the more remote and inaccessible parts of the 
province. 
POLYPODIACEAE 
ATHYRIUM Roth 
ATHYRIUM WICHURAE (Mett.) comb. nov. 
Asplenium wichurae Mett. in Ann. Mus. Bot. Lugd.-Bat. 2 (1866) 237. 
Diplazium wichurae Diels in Engl. & Prantl Nat. Pflanzenfam. I 4 
(1899) 226. 
Kwangtung Province, Loh Fau Mountain (Lofaushan), Merrill 10988, 
Levine 1481, August 16, 1917, on damp shaded* banks in deep ravines, altitude 
1,000 to 1,100 meters. 
This species, previously known from Japan, China, and Formosa, has 
not before been reported from Kwangtung Province. Except in its creep- 
ing rhizomes it closely resembles Athyrium bulbiferum (Brack.) ( Dipla- 
zium bulbiferum Brack.; Athyrium pinnatum Copel., non Allantodia 
pinnata Blanco). I follow Copeland in treating Diplazium as congeneric 
with Athyrium, as in examining a large series of specimens it becomes 
evident that the two genera cannot be retained as distinct on account of 
the very numerous intermediate forms; it is sufficiently difficult always to 
distinguish between Athyrium and Asplenium, yet the number of inter- 
grades between the latter are few in comparison with those between 
Athyrium and Diplazium. 
The synonymy of the following Formosan species is here adjusted: 
ATHYRIUM TEN U ISSI MUM (Hayata) comb. nov. 
Nephrolepis tenuissima Hayata Ic. PI. Form. 4 (1914) 202, /. 137. 
Athyrium obtusifolium Rosenst. in Hedwigia 56 (1915) 335. 
Formosa, Arisan, Ito 66, October, 1910, Faurie 364, May, 1914 (cotype 
of Athyrium obtusifolium Rosenst.). 
This species is manifestly an Athyrium with dryopteroid sori and is 
closely allied to Athyrium macrocarpum (Blume) Milde. The species as 
described by Hayata ( Nephrolepis tenuissima Hayata) is identical with 
Athyrium obtusifolium Rosenst., but Hayata’s name being the older is here 
