1897 ] BRIEFER ARTICLES 285 
of Zunariotdes in its more northern latitude. There are, however, some 
data bearing on the question that lead me to believe that the early 
fruiting of Alabama plants may be explained naturally without resort- 
ing to specific recognition. Milde credits /enarioides to Lake Superior 
(Macoun) and Montreal (Watt) in Canada, and I cannot believe it 
possible for him to have been mistaken in any specimens coming under 
his personal observation. Dr. Watt’s specimens I have not seen, but I 
do not find any true /umarioides among the plants which Professor 
Macoun has very kindly sent to me for examination. His specimens 
are nearly all identical with the European ru¢aceum, but I am of the 
opinion that he must have sent /uwarioides to Milde at some time, or 
the latter would not have vouched for it. It is not improbable, there- 
fore, that if we had more reliable data it would be found that /unart- 
oides in a more northern latitude would mature spores well on into 
June or July. One thing is certain, however, and that is that the fruit- 
ing time of fermatum and its forms, throughout its northern latitudes, 
ranges all the way from June to October, and it is not surprising that 
in tropical or semitropical climates its range should begin earlier and 
last longer. It is certain also that a difference of time exists even in 
the same latitudes between different and even the same forms according 
to the situations in which they grow. Thus, on Mt. Desert, according 
to Mr. Rand, normal ¢ernatum growing on mountain tops perfects 
spores in July, while in the woodland swamps at the base of the same 
mountains it does not mature spores until late in September. In 1879 
Dr. Charles Mohr very kindly sent to me a generous supply of Junari- 
otdes, at the same time calling my attention to its early fruiting, his 
specimens being collected in March, and the matter was fully con- 
sidered by Professor Eaton and myself, with the conclusion that this 
was not in itself of more than varietal importance, and that Milde’s 
disposition of the plant was correct. Nearly all of the specimens 
which I received from Dr. Mohr had a frond of an earlier growth 
remaining, and the weather beaten fertile panicle of the older fro frond 
had discharged all of its spores, while the panicles on the fresh fronds 
were only partially developed and the sporangia were immature, and 
now look as if they would not have been ready to discharge spores for 
some cartes ot SGI not Leech well into goat pened, — : 
