S8 THE AMERICAN BOTANIST. 



which, with the rue spleenwort and purple chff brake (or 

 neck-break as some of my friends called it) I first met in 

 Central Valley, N. Y. On the same rock w^as the maiden- 

 hair spleenwort. Other finds w^ere the maidenhair, Dry- 

 opteris Braunii, Cystopteris fragilis and bulbiiera, oak 

 beech and rattle-snake ferns Botrychium ternatum, the 

 sensitive, hay-scented, Christmas and lady ferns and the 

 brake. All of the Osmundas and several of the Aspidiums 

 had been found earlier in the season. The walking fern 

 with several of the other smaller ones I brought home and 

 planted in a large tin pan. Pellccahas alreadj^ succumbed, 

 but I hope that it will reappear and not act like the rue 

 spleenwort which never came back. Has any one been 

 successful in keeping this fern more than one j^ear ? Plants 

 sent to both Central Park and the Bronx did not thrive 

 for any great length of time. 

 New York City, N. Y. 



V^ 



FAMILY LIKENESS. 



BY M. F. BRADSHAW. 

 HEN w^e meet with a new acquaintance in a triend*s 

 family are we not likely to look first of all for some 

 likeness? Was ever a baby bom that was not declared the 

 image of its father or some other relative more or less re- 

 mote ? It is a silly thing and yet do we not all plead 

 guilty ? 



In plant families we are apt to expect the same, but 

 there are times when we look in vain for any similaritj'. 

 Careful microscopic investigation will surely bring to light 

 the family feature but on the surface no one could suspect 

 relationship. 



I have lately been interested in looking at some of the 

 Euphorbias. First and most familiar is Ricinus Commun- 

 is^ This plant is large and tall and handsome; one 

 would not expect to find a cousin growing as a thin mat 

 on the ground, but Euphorbia albomarginata grows thus 

 and its leaves and blossoms are both minute. 



The color of Ricinus is a dark glossy green with much 



