THE ROCK SPLEENWORTS. 



ence between the extremes of variation in the 

 fronds. In appearance certain forms approach 

 very closely to forms of A. montanum. Mr. C. 

 E. Waters, in the Fern Bulletin, gives this rule 

 for distinguishing them, " In montanum the 

 stipe is brown only at the base and the upper 

 part of the stipe and the entire rachis is flat- 

 tened, with two parallel grooves in front. In 

 Bradleyi the entire stipe and lower part of the 

 rachis is brown while in place of two grooves 

 we have a single distinct one with a slight 

 ridge running down the centre." Our illustra- 

 tion was made from plants collected in Miss- 

 ouri. 



The Pinnatifid Spleenwort. 



It is always a red letter day in one's cal- 

 endar when he chances upon the crinkly, dark- 

 green, tapering fronds of the pinnatifid spleen- 

 wort (Asplenium pinnatifidum) peeping from a 

 cleft in some gray cliff. This species is one 

 which the collector ever has in mind when 

 searching the shady ledges, for it belongs to 

 that rare class of plants whose location cannot 

 be determined beforehand. One visits the 

 woods, the swamps and the ravines in perfect 

 confidence of being able to find certain species, 

 but the pinnatifid spleenwort is not one of 

 them. Although it has a considerable range it 

 is common only in a few restricted areas. To 

 most of us, it comes as a sort of gift of the 

 gods, and makes memorable the day on which As * lenium pi 



e . A fertile frond 



it was found. 



