84 



Smilax of many species. Here and there are occasional overflows of larger 

 streams where the cypress flourishes, but pine is the prevailing forest 

 growth. From Gainesville southward through Ocala and on toward the 

 center of the state is found higher ground which, long before the phos- 

 phate fiend had bored the rocks for paying phosphate, was pitted with nat- 

 ural sink holes and caves where moisture is ever present and where the 

 frosts rarely penetrate. These extend to Brooksville and beyond, and are 

 found on either side of the Withlacoochee river. Further southward and 

 including the lower fourth of the peninsula are the low everglades with 

 saw grass lakes and scrub-palmetto barrens soaked with water during the 

 spring rains, which is reduced to scattered shallow ponds in the dry season. 

 Although Florida possesses a larger number of ferns than most of the 

 states of the Union (-43), and of these more than half (24) are found in no 

 other state, one who visits the state in the winter season will be impressed 

 with the rarity of ferns unless the state is reached before the usual Decem- 

 ber frosts have cut down the fronds. Along the rivers and wherever moist- 

 ure is abundant Woodward a Virginica grows luxuriantly in its season as 

 the most abundant fern. With it appear two of the Osmundas though far 

 less abundant than in northern swamps. It seems out of harmony with 

 our preconceived notions to find the fertile fronds of 0. cinnamomea grow- 

 ing from a circle of older sterile ones, but this condidon is common even in 

 January. Farther down the state Blechnum and Aspidium unitum and some 

 other species are occasional, but are rarely abundant, at least in the upper 

 two-thirds of the peninsula. In drier land Ptcris aquilina grows in a more 

 or less stunted condition, but in the more tropical parts of the state it grows 

 occasionally to an excessive height. Next to Woodwardia it is probably the 

 most abundant species. Polypodium incanum is everywhere found to a lim- 

 ited extent on tree trunks, but is found in profusion only in the southern 

 third of the state. At Orange Bend we found the mucrnnata form of Mar- 

 silia vestita in abundance rooting in sand and mud. While this is more or 

 less common from Oregon and Dakota to Southern California and Texas it 

 has never been reported bi fore from east of the Mississippi. Its presence 

 in Central Florida becomes almost as interesting a problem as that of its 

 congener, M. quadrifolia, in Northwestern Connecticut. No fruit could be 

 found in January, but in the latter part of March fruit was found in great 

 abundance. 



The uncertainty of frosts makes the collecting peiiod difficult to predict. 

 Sometimes the fall frosts hold ofl" until Januaiy, and often cease to be 



