79 



that no less than five species of ferns* have been discovered within 

 the geographical limits adopted for Gray's Manual, since the publi- 

 cation of the last edition, is sufficient evidence that our botanists are 

 neither idl'e nor allowing much territory to remain unsearched. 



New York State, from its diversity of favorable conditions, can 

 justly claim the first rank in the richness and extent of her fern 

 treasures. Other States may surpass her in a singular particular: 

 Alabama produces the smallest fern ( Trichomanes Pefersii)\ California 

 produces the richest, in the *' golden-back " {Gymnogra?Time triangu- 

 laris); Florida produces the most anomalous, in Viitaria^ Ceratop- 

 teris and Ophioglosstim palmatum\ but no State can excel New York 

 in number of species, variety, richness or profusion. 



The States which approach nearest in number of species are Cal- 

 ifornia and Florida. The former has the advantage of an extent of 

 ten degrees of latitude against four degrees in New York, and the 

 nearer approximation to an insular climate which favors fern growth. 

 The latter (Florida) has the advantage of a semi-tropical climate pe- 

 culiarly adapted to this order of plants. 



It would be interesting to compare the fern growth of all our 

 States and Territories, yet this can hardly be done in the present 

 state of our knowledge of distribution. The following, however, may 

 be safely compared: New York, 52 species; California, 46 species ; 

 Florida, 42 species; Kentucky, 39 species; Illinois, 37 species ; Ar- 

 kansas, 37 species; Michigan, 30 species; Texas, 27 species ; and 

 Arizona, 24 species. 



Of the forty-six species found in California, ten are shared in 

 common with New York, and fourteen of the Florida species also 

 occur in New York.* Of the thirty-one genera of American ferns, 

 nineteen are found within the limits of New York; Florida can boast 

 an equal number, yet she monopolizes all the species oi five 'genera, 

 viz.: Acrostichum^ Vittaria^ Blechnum^ Ceratopteris and Nephrolepis. 

 California has'representatives of only seventeen genera. 



The listf enclosed gives the ferns of New York State as far as 

 known. 



Bloomington, III. Lucien M. Underwood 



74. Note on Mertensia Virginica. — The account of Mertensia 



Vi)"ginica, DC. {Pidmojfof-ia of Linnaeus), in the May number of the 



J 



interestincr. 



It is, indeed, a thing to excite wonder that this plant, so often 

 found in cultivation, should not have firmly established itself in New 

 ^ ^rsey^ which possesses a climate and a soil so favorable to its growth. 



Its home is in the South-west; but it has grown freely without 



J 



*Adiantiini CaplUiis- Veneris^ 'L,., Aspic fihirn 7 i fide, lluds., -^ Bradlcyi.'E.xiion^ 

 IVoodsia hyperhorea^ R, Br., and BotrycJdiun mairicariae folium^ R, Br. 



f As the list sent by Prof. Underwood is, with few exceptions, the same as one 

 given by us on page 268, Vol. vi, of the Bulletin, we have thought it unnecessary 

 to repeat it here. The additions made by him to that list are Aspleuium Bradhyi 

 and -^, ^/5tv/i>i//;'j- (detected within the State more recently), and the varieties ohliq- 

 tium and dissectuni oi Botrychiuni tcnuitum. The latter we inadvertently omitted. 



—Eds, 



