104 Rhodora [June 
and the unusual size of the fronds. The heavily fruited frond which 
was taken for pressing, when carefully examined, revealed glandular 
indusia covering the fruit-dots, but was so thick and heavy with its 
crowded pinnae that it could not be considered the variety ¿nterme- 
dium. On referring to Waters’s Ferns, it was found to correspond in 
all essential points with the description of the variety fructuosum, the 
principal part of which I quote: “Closely related to it (JV. spinulo- 
sum dilatatum) is one more variety that has rather large sori, with 
glandular indusia, that form two lines on the smaller pinnules or on 
the lobes of the larger ones. The fronds are tripinnate below, bipin- 
nate above. The stipes, which are one-third to one-half the entire 
length, are clothed sparingly with pale-brown ovate scales. .... This 
has been called variety /ructuosum on account of the numerous sori.” 
Dr. Robinson has since compared the fern with the forms of JV. 
spinulosum in the Gray Herbarium, and has verified my identification 
of it as var. fructuosum. Waters says: “So far it has been col- 
lected only in New York and Connecticut, but it may prove to be of 
much wider range.” ! 
Believing, then, that a careful search may bring it to light in other 
New England states, I think it worth the while to compare it more 
in detail with the type and the two more common varieties. It is 
distinguished from the type form of JV. spinulosum by the greater 
length of the lower pinnae, the larger sori, and the glandular indusia. 
Moreover, while the pinnae are not set more closely upon the rachis, 
the greater length of the pinnules throughout nearly the whole frond 
causes the pinnae to overlap and produces the appearance of 
crowding. 
Again, while the general outline of the frond is much like that of 
the variety ¿ntermedium, especially the unusually long and broad 
form of intermedium sometimes found, it is distinctly heavier and 
closer, and has thinner, paler brown scales on the stipe. 
The new fern, however, is much more likely to be confused with 
the variety dilatatum, especially the forms of the latter with length- 
ened fronds. As in var. dilatatum, the pinnae are very broad and 
finely taper-pointed, and the lowest pair have the pinnules on the 
lower side considerably longer in proportion to those on the upper 
! Since writing the above I have read in 7%e Plant World for February, 1905, 
that this variety was collected by Dr. Waters at McCall’s Ferry, Pennsylvania, 
during the Botanical Symposium held there last July, 
