CHEILANTHES CALIFORNICA. SHIELD-LIKE LIP-FEKN. I15 



ents during the past two years, most of them believing-, from 

 the pecuHarities already referred to, that they had found a new 

 genus, or at least a new species. The specimen from which our 

 drawing was made was sent by Dr. L. D. Morse, from San 

 Mateo, and supposed to be new. It is a much finer and more 

 delicate form than those generally received, if we may judge 

 from the drawing of one in Mr. Robinson's little book, "Ferns 

 in their Homes and Ours," and also one which has been criven in 

 Professor Eaton's " Ferns of North America." In Mr. Robin- 

 son's drawing the frondose portion is longer than the stalk ; but 

 our drawing, which represents the whole plant, with the fronds 

 of the past season as well as those of the present, shows that 

 this relative length of stalk and frond is as variable as characters 

 derived from the indusium, or from the lobing of the frond, and 

 herein shows the advantage of drawing all the fronds, old as well 

 as new, in order to give a clear idea of the exact characters of 

 the species; though, so far as we know, our work is among 

 the few which give drawings of complete plants in this way. 

 In most descriptions of ferns the proportionate lengths of the 

 fronds and stalks are particularly given. Our drawing shows 

 how this varies in the same plant. There is one frond 

 with the two portions about equal in length, as in Mr. 

 Robinson's drawing, — another has the frondose portion of 

 about the same length as the last, but with, the stalk double 

 the length, — while on the old fronds the stalks are very 

 long and slender in proportion to the length of the leafy 

 surface. Indeed, so far as we might judge by the appearances 

 of our picture, it seems to be the rule that the stem is short in 

 proportion to the length and breadth of the leaf-blade, — the 

 smaller the blade the longer the stalk. The knowledge of the 

 rules which govern these seeming variations is of great assist- 

 ance in enabling the student to decide on the species. Among 

 some of its resemblances Professor Eaton says: "This pretty and 

 delicate fern reminds one, by its general habit, of the still rarer 

 Cystopteris Montana. The frond, however, is of rather firmer 



