* 



A family of ferns new to the United States. 1 



William R. Maxon 



The present note relates to the occurrence of Dicranop- 

 teris flexuosa (Schrad.) Underw., a member of the family 

 Gleicheniaceae, in the extreme southwestern part of 

 Alabama, as a native inhabitant of that region. A 

 specimen which is perfectly typical of this species was 

 sent to me for identification by Mr. L. H. McNeill, 

 Mobile, Alabama, who wrote that it was "found growing 

 in the 'pine flats', in the south part of Mobile County, 

 in a shallow cut through yellow clay, on the Mobile & 

 Bay Shore R. R. (Alabama Port Extension), about 

 one and one-half miles east of Delchamps Station and 

 across Fowl River." He added, "This plant, the only 

 one I found, was growing in a niche in the perpendicu- 

 lar side of a shallow railroad cut * * and formed a tuft 

 large enough to fill a bushel basket. It grew on the 

 north (the sunny) side of the cut. * * * The road has 

 been built but a few years and, with the exception of 

 rails, no foreign material was used in its construction 

 and practically no foreign material has been carried 

 into that neighborhood." 



Mr. McNeill, who has devoted much time to a study 

 of the ferns of southern Alabama, was at pains to include 

 these unusually complete data on acount of his inability 

 to associate the plant with the description of any species 

 known from the southern states and also, apparently, 

 because of the fact that it might conceivably be regarded 

 as an introduction. The chances of its having been 

 introduced by man are, however, very remote. Species 

 of Gleicheniaceae are not in general cultivation, being 

 rather rare even in the conservatories of large botanical 

 institutions; and they are not, as a rule, sufficiently 



Published by permission of the Secretary of the Smithsonian 



Institution. 



15 



