1905] Leavitt & Spalding,— Parthenogenesis in Antennaria 105 
side than in other forms of JV. spínulosum, but the pinnae overlap 
more than in most, if not all, of the specimens of var. dilatatum that 
I have seen. Moreover, the glandular indusia and the very thin, 
pale brown scales are distingushing marks. 
The other new fern, which is, however, much easier to recognize, 
is Botrychium obliquum, var. Oneidense, which, according to Waters, 
has been found before only in central New York, in the Catskills, 
and near Washington. It was growing in damp woods, like the 
typical form, but attracted notice by its blunter, clumsier appearance. 
It has shorter segments with fewer lobes, which are strongly rounded 
at the ends. The lower pinnae have each three pairs of these lobes 
besides a larger terminal one. The lobes look entire unless closely 
examined, when they are seen to be very faintly toothed. Only one 
plant was found, and of this only the sterile portion. 
JAMAICA PLAIN, MASSACHUSETTS. 
PARTHENOGENESIS IN ANTENNARIA. 
R: G. LEAVITT AND L. J. SPALDING. 
We have observed every necessary step in the formation of 
embryos directly from egg-cells without fertilization in Antennaria 
Jallax and A. neodioica. The flowers were carefully netted at a 
young stage and thus until the fruit was ripe were protected from 
pollen which might be brought from allied species or by a rare 
chance from the almost unknown male plants of the same species, 
either by insects or by winds. Microtome sections showed normal 
embryo-sacs and egg-apparatus and subsequent steps in the develop- 
ment of the embryo and endosperm; but no pollen tubes and no 
spermatic nuclei were seen. Details with drawings will be published 
later. Two other species under test conditions have shown embryo- 
formation, namely 4. canadensis and A. Parlinii. Inasmuch as two 
American and one European species of Antennaria have now been 
shown to be parthenogenetic, the last named two may be assumed 
to behave in the same way; but this will soon be a matter of careful 
determination by us. 
THE AMES BOTANICAL LABORATORY, 
NORTH Easton, MASSACHUSETTS. 
