THE CHRISTMAS AND HOLLY FERNS. in 



nules, the holly fern was once believed to be an immature 

 form of this species or of the closely allied, P. aculeatum. 

 According to Dodge's " Ferns and Fern Allies of New 

 England," this species is common along the mountain 

 brooks of northern New England. In Canada it is found 

 sparingly in the Provinces of New Brunswick, Nova Sco- 

 tia and Quebec. Southward it ranges to the mountains of 

 Pennsylvania, having been collected at several localities in 

 that State. It is also found in Michigan. In the West 

 it is replaced by the true P. aculeatum as well as by the 

 varieties Californicum and angulare. 



The genus Polys tic hum as now defined contains about 

 thirty species, pretty generally distributed throughout 

 the world. The name is derived from two Greek words 

 signifying many rows. It is difficult to understand its 

 application here unless it refers to the rows of sporangia. 



