50 



THE AMERICAN BOTANIST. 



the "wild witch hazel tree," as an appropriate accompan- 

 iment of his fantastic imager3^ 



THE STAR FERN. 



When one has begun a collection of either living or 

 pressed specimens of ferns, the star fern (Hemionitis palm- 

 ata) is usually one of the first exotics to find a place in it. 

 Its hardiness, notwithstanding its tropical origin, enables 



HEMIONITIS PALM AT A. 



it to thrive in greenhouse or conservator^' life, while its 

 abundance in many parts of the West Indies causes it to 

 be represented in the collections of nearly every returned 



