38 



delicate and sometimes moss-like filmy ferns represent striking 

 extremes as to size. 



The so-called "Boston Fern," well known in its numerous 

 forms as a house plant, is a species of Nephrolepis which is 

 native to the tropics, including the West Indies and tropical 

 and subtropical parts of North and South America. Dr. John 

 K. Small reports that in some of the "hammocks" of southern 

 Florida the fronds of this species of Nephrolepis not uncom- 

 monly have a length of eighteen feet, "while the maximum 

 length is twenty-seven feet and two inches." 



The interesting life-history of a typical fern was traced and 

 the talk was illustrated by photographs and by numerous li\ing 

 plants, representing the principal natural families. 



Marshall A. Howe. 



THE DISTRIBUTION OF SEED OF THE FRINGED 



GENTIAN 



An offer to furnish seed of the fringed gentian for sowing was 

 made by Dr. George F. Norton in the article on "How to Have 

 Fringed Gentians" in the November issue of this Journal and 

 also by the writer in an article by Marian Storm that appeared 

 in the New York Evening Post of December ii, 1923. 



In response to the requests that ha\e come from readers of 

 these two articles a total of 82 persons have been supplied with 

 from a half-thimbleful to a full thimbleful of seed each. (The 

 seeds are so small that a half-thimbleful includes, it was esti- 

 mated, at least 2500 seeds.) The requests came from thirteen 

 different states as follows, and in tlie numbers given: New York, 

 51; New Jersey, 17; Pennsylvania, 3; West Virginia, 2; and one 

 for each of the following states, Massachusetts, Delaware, 

 Maryland, Indiana, Michigan, Missouri, Arizona, Oregon and 

 California. 



The results of these numerous attempts to establish this 

 beautiful wild flower by direct sowings of seed will be of con- 

 siderable interest. If the species is strictly a biennial, first 

 flowers from these sowings may be expected in the late summer 

 of 1925, with the plants remaining in the rosette stage during 

 the season of 1924. It will be of interest to know if there is 



