66 THE PLANT WOKLD 



As many persons may not recognize a plant by its common or 

 scientific name, it might be well to post in a conspicuous place a colored 

 drawing of it, or in the absence of this a dried specimen (suitably pro- 

 tected by glass) and requesting that if the plant is found in the vicinity 

 that it be not disturbed. Teachers of nature classes could be of great 

 assistance in bringing rare plants to the attention of their pupils in this 

 manner. In public lectures forming parts of nature courses, speakers 

 should be urged, when possible, to inform their audiences of this move- 

 ment, and request their cooperation. 



In this connection I can but urge again the formation of local 

 societies for plant protection, perhaps under the guidance of a central or 

 national organization, which could supply them with leaflets for distri- 

 bution and otherwise direct their energies into the most fruitful channels. 



And finally, after having dealt with the so-called "general public,' 

 it may not be amiss to say a word to the botanist. It has not usually 

 been thought necessary to protect plants from botanists, for of all 

 people they should be interested in the protection of our flora. No true 

 botanist will in any way endanger the perpetuation of a rare or inter- 

 esting plant, nor will he knovdngly become a party to such a crime. It 

 would be small encouragement indeed to the public for the botanist to 

 preach moderation to them and be known to indulge in unlimited or 

 indiscriminate personal accumulation. 



U. S. Nationai, Museum, Washington, D. C. 



AMONG FLORIDA FERNS. 



By a. H. Curtiss 



IN the years when D. C. Eaton led in the study of American ferns 

 there were a large number of botanists and dabblers in botany who 

 were so infatuated with that particular order of plants that a noted 

 writer of that period termed them "pteridomaniacs." I was that sort 

 of a maniac for about twenty years, but afterwards came to wonder at 

 such exaggerated regard for plants so simple and unvarying in general 

 structure. Since losing my special interest in ferns I have lost the run 

 of matters pteridological to such an extent that I do not know whether 

 " j)teridomaniacs " are more or less numerous than formerly. But I 

 take it to be a matter of course that fern-lovers will always be numer- 

 ous, and for that reason have often thought that some notes regarding 

 my rather intimate knowledge of Florida ferns would interest many. 

 The loss of my herbarium with its suites of specimens of nearly every 

 Florida fern, the pick of thousands, together with the fact that I have 

 not been among the South Florida ferns in a good many years, prevents 



