4 
Fern Notes. VI. 
+ 
By George E, Davenport. 
Aspidiwn Filix-mas^ Swz., in California. — In the Bulletin for 
February, 1882, I announced the discovery of this species on Mt. 
Wrightson, in Arizona, by Mr. Prlngle, and expressed the convic- 
tion that its discovery so near to California would stimulate the bot- 
anists of that State in their efforts to find it, as its presence there 
was more than ever probable. I now have the pleasure of announc- 
ing its discovery in the Halcomb Valley, in the San Bernardino 
Mts., at an altitude of about 9,000 feet, on the ist of August, 1882, 
by those keen-eyed botanists, the brothers Parish. 
This discovery is especially interesting from the fact that all pre- 
viously reported discoveries of the species in California have appa- 
rently come from the very strong resemblance which some forms of 
the A, argutmn of Kaulfuss bear to it ; but, whatever doubts may 
exist in regard to other specimens, there seems to be no question as 
to the identity of the plant sent by Mr, Parish. The characters are 
unmistakably those of Filix~mas as distinguished from those of 
argutum. 
These characters have previously been pointed out (/. r.), but it 
niay be well. to state here, in addition, that I have not found more 
than 5 fibro-vascular bundles in the stipes in my own specimens of 
Filix-mas^ so far as I have examined them, although the number may 
reach 7 in others, as stated in Ferns of North America. 
In my specimens from Canada (Mrs. Roy), Colorado (Brandegee 
and others), Ddkota (Walter Jenney), and Arizona (Mn Pringle), 
the number is uniformly 5, and there are but 5 in my specimens 
from England. In argutum I have found from 3 to 5, according to 
the size of the fronds, and probably the correct number for Filix- 
/waj^will be from 5 to 7, according to the size of the fronds; but, 
since the same number (5) occurs in both species, and in specimens 
of a nearly corresponding size, it is evident that this character can- 
not be relied upon for positive determination. 
The plant which I have received from Mr. Parish is small, 
heavily fruited — the fructification descending to the lowest pinnae 
and, on account of its deeply serrated margins, belongs rather to the 
form described as var. incisum than to the typical European form. 
I have also received from Mr. W. N. Suksdorf the upper portion of 
a large frond, apparently belonging to A.^Filix-mas^ which was col- 
lected by him in Washington Territory in July, 1882. The range 
of this species in the United States may now be given as extending 
from Canada (Owen Sound), or Newfoundland, according to 
Kunze (who stated positively that he had " seen true Filix-mas from 
Newfoundland"), to Washington Territory, in the north-west, by way 
of Northern Michigan and Dakota, and to Southern California, in the 
south-west, through Colorado and Arizona. Its presence, therefore, 
in intermediate stations is to be expected, 
Botrychium Virgitnanum^ Swz., var. gracile. Hook. & Grev. {B. 
graciie, Pursh.)— Mr. Suksdorf sends from Washington Territory a 
specimen of this little fern, which Pursh (Fl. Amer. Sept. Vol. ii., 
