Notes to Plant List. 



1. Botrycliium obliqunm Muhl. 



This polymorphous species is abundant throughout our 

 range. All the named "varieties " occur, but so connected by 

 intermediate forms that it seems impossible to separate them 

 definitely. Moreover, all or most of the forms may often be 

 found in the same station. The "variety" dissectum Spreng. 

 is abundant, constituting at least TO per cent of the species. 

 The compiler was somewhat surprised to find this form as 

 abundant at Sandwich, 60 miles north, as at Manchester. An 

 old field, part orchard, yielded hundreds of plants of B. obliquum^ 

 about 15 per cent of them being good dissectum . As might be 

 expected, the plants when growing in the open are stouter, more 

 coriaceous and more copiously fruited than when growing in 

 shade. This difference is particularly noticeable in the dissected 

 forms, which when growing in damp shady places have the 

 sterile segment of the frond thin and membranous and cut into 

 exquisite lace-like patterns. 



Both at Manchester and Sandwich were found interesting 

 departures from the normal production of the sporophyll. In 

 typical specimens a single sporophyll springs from near the base 

 of the plant. The following abnormal forms were noted : 



1 . 2 or 3 sporophylls from the normal point : 



2. 2 from the normal point, and i or 2 from near the 



base of the petiole of the sterile segment : 



3. i from the normal point, and i or 2 from near the 



middle of the petiole of the sterile segment : 



4. None from the normal point, 2 as in the preceding : 



5. i from the normal point, i occupying the place of 



one of the ternate divisions of the sterile segment. 



