CANADIAN FILIUINISjE. 205 



In Canada this fern is not common, and, as far as yet known, is confined to restricted 

 areas of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Quebec, Ontario and British Columbia. First noted 

 in Nova Scotia at "Whycocomagh, Cape Breton. — Lindsay. Aspey Bay, Lake Ainslie and 

 Cape Mabou Mountains, Cape Breton, N. S. — A. H. McKay. Keswick Ridge, N. B. — J. 

 Moser. Abundant and very luxuriant along the Gaspe coast, Que., at Fox River. — Macoun. 

 Among loose rock under the limestone cliff at the rear of Royston Park, Owen Sound, 

 Out., and about ten miles up the Georgian Bay, under the same range of cliff. — Mrs. Roy. 

 British Columbia. — Lyall. 



6. — A. rigidum, Swartz, (Rigid Wood-Fern), Syn. Fil. p. 53. 



Polypodium rigidum, Hoff. 



Polypodi/tm fragrans, L. 



Polystkhum strigosum, Roth. 



Polyslichum rigidum, D C. 



Nephrodium rigidum, Desv. 



Lastrea rigida, Presl. 



This is a handsome species, though rather stiff-looking (whence its name), somewhat 

 fragrant, nearly evergreen, of a dull green color. In height it varies from 1 to 2 feet, 

 and is found growing in crown-life tufts among rocks on mountain sides. Pootstock 

 short, thick, very chaffy, and covered with old stalk-bases ; stalks forming J to J the length 

 of the plant, rigidly erect, very chaffy especially at the base, greenish straw-colour when 

 dry; fronds smooth except for some scattered chaff along the rachises, green above but 

 paler and often more or less glandular beneath, lanceolate, ovate-lanceolate or somewhat 

 elongated-triangular in outline, leathery in texture, and bipinnate ; pinnae oblong-lance- 

 olate or the lowest triangular-lanceolate, and pinnate ; pinnules oblong, conspicuously 

 veiny and doubly serrate, with spinulose teeth ; sori large, nearer the midvein than the 

 margin ; indusia firm, convex with a very narrow sinus, bearing short-stalked glands on 

 their edges. 



But few specimens of this fern have been obtainable for examination, and those pre- 

 sented little variation, except that in the largest of the specimens, which measured only 

 4 inches wide by about 19 inches long, many of the pinnules were deeply pinnatifid into 

 doubly serrate lobes, a character also seen in some of the lower and basal pinnules of 

 medium-sized specimens. According to Prof. D. C. Eaton, his var. argutum presents no 

 points of specific difference from the typical rigidum, except that its fronds are larger and 

 broader. 



All the Canadian specimens of this fern seen were furnished by Mr. Fletcher, of 

 Ottawa, and were collected by Mr. J. J. Cowley, of Victoria, Vancouver Island, B. O, 

 some of them from the immediate vicinity of that City, others from Mount Finlayson, on 

 the same island. 



7. — A. marginale, Swartz, (Evergreen "Wood-Fern, Marginal Shield-Fern), Syn. Fil., 

 50. Hook., Fl. Bor.-Am., II, 160. Pursh, II, 662. Gray, Man., 666. Provancher, Flor. 

 Can., 718. Macoun's Cat., No. 2308. Fowler's N. B. Cat., No. 758. Ball, Trans. N. S. Inst. 

 Nat. Sci., IV, 153. Eaton, Ferns of N. A., II, 69. Underwood, Our Nat. Ferns, etc., 107. 



Polypodium marginale, L. 



Lastrea marginalis, Presl , Lawson, Can. Nat., I, 281. 



