Tracy's Ferns of Missouri

Abstract

It is now fifty years since Tracy began collecting notes and material for his Catalogue of Plants of Missouri which was published in 1886. In this Catalogue Tracy gives an account of all the Ferns and Fern Allies known to occur in the State, comprising 23 genera and 50 species, reported by 13 collectors, of which I am the only survivor. Those collectors report 50 localities, incidentally exactly the same number as that of the species. A comparison of Tracy's list with thz latest account of Ferns and Fern Allies of Missouri may be interesting at this time. I shall make notes on the species in the order presented by Tracy, and shall use his names. There are apparently 7 species included by Tracy in his Catalogue, that have not yet been collected in Missouri. This reduces the number of known species to 43, still a respectable list for that time. Th! following is a list of Tracy's Ferns and Fern Allies: 1. Equisetum arvense L.-Tracy says this is common, but he must have had in mind only the Missouri and Mississippi River regions, since this species is almost unknown in southern Missouri and the prairie counties of the northern part of the state. 2. Equisetum sylvaticum L.-Reported from Greene County by Shepard, but evidently an error of determination, as this species has not yet been collected in Missouri. 3. Equisetum robustum Braun.-Probably identical with the present species of this name. 4. Equisetum robustum affine Engelm.-Probably correct, as it is common to all the Missouri River region. 5. Equisetum hyemale L.-Evidently our E. Iaevigatum, which was regarded as E. hyemale by most writers at the time Tracy published his Catalogue. Tracy did not recognize E. laevigatum, although it is abundant along all the big river bottoms in the state. 6. Ophioglossum vulgatum L.-The same as our present species, except that the report of Jackson County by Bush was based on 0. Engelmanni. Tracy evidently not knowing 0. Engelmanni, did not include it in his catalogue. 7. Botrychium ternatum Swz.-I have no idea what Broadhead found in Vernon County, but I am assuming it was what we now know as B. obliquum. 8. Botrychium ternatum lunarioides Milde.-Not the eastern species, which was never found so far west. I have no idea what Tracy had in mind when he listed this species which he says is common. 9. Botrychium virginianum Swz.-This species of Botrychium is common throughout the state. Tracy supposed that it was uncommon and records it for three counties. 10. Botrych:um matricarifolium Braun.-Not the species of the east, which has never been found so far west as Missouri. 11. Polypodium incanum Swz.-Evidently our P. polypodioides, and thought by Tracy to be more restricted in the state. (626)