220 Rhodora [NOVEMBER 
may, perhaps, be found there, being an aquatic and not subject to 
certain topographic disturbances, which would extinguish all things 
terrestrial. 
While little is said about Lycopods and ferns — we find this in- 
tensely interesting note concerning Lygodium palmatum, Swartz., my 
own station for which is South Scituate, R. I. 
“Lygodium palmatum — abundant on banks of Tar Kiln River, 
near Douglas Turnpike, R. I., July 4, 1834.” It would be well worth 
while to look up this long-forgotten locality — and then, in the inter- 
ests of science, again to forget it ! 
BROWN UNIVERSITY, 
DICKSONIA PILOSIUSCULA, var. CRISTATA. 
GEORGE E. DAVENPORT. 
HAVING recently visited the type station for Dicksonia pilosiuscula, 
Willd., var. cristata (Daenstedia punctilobula cristata, Maxon) in 
company with Mr. F. G. Floyd, who first brought this fern to notice, 
I have been able gradually to recall quite clearly the circumstances 
under which I saw it for the first time in 1873. I had not at that 
time taken up the study of ferns, but was more interested in the 
flowering plants, consequently I did not pay that attention to this form 
of the Dicksonia that I otherwise should have done, and the circum- 
stance itself passed out of my mind until Mr, Floyd’s discovery 
recalled it. 
I had been botanizing on the Great Blue Hill in company with 
the late veteran botanist, Mr. E. H. Hitchings, and, while following 
one of the brook ravines down from the summit of the hill, we came 
across this patch of bifid and crested Dicksonia. I now recall very 
clearly our stopping sometime to look at it, and commenting on the 
somewhat unusual occurrence, but, as we were after other things, and 
as neither of us at the time had any special interest in ferns, we made 
no collection of it, and I imagine it passed out of Mr. Hitchings’ mind 
as it did out of my own. 
The variation is interesting and difficult to account for. The 
plants are restricted to a small area, and the variety is intermixed 
with the normal form in such a manner as to suggest their both being 
attached to the same rootstock. Mr, Floyd and I, however, took up 
