300 
widely distributed in tropical areas from Malaya 
to Polynesia. 
Lintott 161a, l6lb (C), Williams 2997, 
3075, 3082 (W), Twyford S.P. 153 (S), Mat- 
thews unnumbered (K), Cuming 1394 (K) . 
Phymatodes pitcairnense (Copel.) Brownlie, 
comb. nov. 
Polypodium phymatodes L. Brown, B.P. Bi- 
shop Mus. Bull. 89, 87, 1931 (in part). 
Micro sorium pitcairnense Copel. Occ Pap. 
B.P. Bishop Mus. 14(5): 74, 1938. 
Common, creeping on banks along paths. 
This is a close relative of P. nigrescens, but with- 
out the distinct veins of that species. Unlike 
Copeland, I do not find that the sod of any of 
the specimens are relatively marginal, so that 
these may not be the same as his species. How- 
ever, until a full revision of the Pacific members 
of this genus is undertaken, I feel that it is 
unwise to introduce further new names for 
minor differences. 
Lintott 160 (C), Williams 3067, 3077, 3084 
(W), Twyford S.P. 36, 65 (S), Matthews No. 
12 (K). 
PACIFIC SCIENCE, Vol. XV, April 1961 
VITTARIACEAE 
Vittaria elongata Sw. 
Local, in one area growing on moist rocks. 
The limitations of this species are somewhat 
uncertain in the Pacific area, and the Pitcairn 
example is doubtfully assigned to it. It may in 
fact be closer to V. rigida var. samoensis de- 
scribed by Christensen ( 1943 ) . In the widest 
sense the species extends from tropical Asia to 
Polynesia. 
Lintott 151 (C),Fosberg 11309 (K). 
In addition to the above-listed species there 
are two sheets at Kew (Cuming 1388) identi- 
fied as Polypodium sandwicense. The specimens 
belong to the genus Ctenitis and approach close 
to Dryopteris samoensis (C. Chr 1943), but the 
fact that it has not been found by any subse- 
quent collector indicates that it is probably 
extinct on Pitcairn or has been wrongly ac- 
credited to that island. 
I wish to thank the professors W. R. Philip- 
son and Harold St. John for making the Lintott 
collection available for study, and I wish to 
acknowledge the use of material from the Do- 
minion Museum, Wellington, the Department 
of Agriculture, Suva, and the Herbarium, Royal 
Botanic Gardens, Kew. 
