THE POLYPODIES. 2cri 



on the rachis, forming a lobed border along it, but the 

 lower pinnae are separate. The lowest pair are lanceolate 

 instead of linear and are brought forward and downward 

 in a striking and characteristic manner. In herbarium 

 specimens, owing to the flattening of the frond, much of 

 this appearance is lost, but when the plant is fresh this 

 feature may almost serve to identify it. The fronds are 

 thin, glandular beneath, and slightly scaly on the rachis 

 and ribs. Sometimes both surfaces are pubescent. The 

 fronds are not evergreen and wither early in autumn. 



The sori begin to appear in June. They are borne on 

 both edges of the segments of ordinary fronds and are 

 without indusia as in the true Polypodies. They are 

 quite small and rarely extend to the tips of the seg- 

 ments. 



The name of beech fern is said to have been given to 

 this species from a supposition that it is partial to the 

 shade of the beech tree, but a wet rock would seem to be 

 nearer its first requisite, at least with us. It is also called 

 sun fern, perhaps from its growing in exposed places. 

 Many botanists call this Phegopteris Phegopteris. When 

 Linnseus named it, he thought it was a Polypodium and 

 called it Polypodium phegopteris. Later it was taken out 

 of this genus, and placed in a new one created to re- 

 ceive it, and christened Phegopteris polypodioides. The 

 question as to which specific name it shall bear depends 

 entirely upon whether or not we should allow it a new 

 specific name when the original one has been taken as 

 the name of the genus. Botanists, generally, dislike the 

 practice of making generic and specific names the same. 



This species is found from Virginia, Iowa, and Wash- 

 ington to the far North but is seldom found except in 

 the vicinity of rocks. It also grows in northern Europe 



