60 Ferns in Franklin County, Maine 



have usually found in other places. A. platyneuron 

 (L.) Oakes I never expected to see in Farmington, but 

 Mr. Jewell finally discovered two lonely plants crouching 

 beside a granite boulder in a large pasture. It is oc- 

 casional in similar places twenty-five miles to the south 

 in Kennebec and Androscoggin Counties, but here it 

 seems to be out of range. 



Polystichum acrostichoides (Michx.) Schott is common. 

 Its incised variety seems to be caused, in some instances, 

 by abnormal light exposure. I have found good speci- 

 mens only in woods stripped of foliage by insects, and 

 in recent clearings. The beautiful holly fern P. Braunii 

 (Spenner) Fee was first found by Mr. Jewell at the foot 

 of Day Mt, in Strong and Temple, but I have since 

 found larger quantities of it at an elevation above 800 

 feet in the adjoining town of New Vineyard. Not only 

 does it flourish in the rich rocky woods, but it has also 

 persisted for many years in an adjacent pasture, where 

 it is closely cropped by the cattle. 



Of the genus Aspidium, A. Thelypteris (L.) Sw. and 

 A. noveboracense (L.) Sw. are very common. A. mar- 

 ginale (L.) Sw. abounds in rocky woods, and I have 

 one specimen of var. elegans J. Robinson, which grew 

 on a glacial terrace near the river in Farmington. A. 

 Goldianum Hook, is a very rare species, but very well 

 developed in the three stations where it flourishes. 

 It is far too large to make good herbarium specimens. 

 A. Boottii Tuckerm. was first called to my attention 

 by Miss Eaton, at Chesterville, but later I found it 

 flourishing in rich wet woods at Farmington. It is 

 one of our rare ferns. A. cristatum (L.) Sw. is frequent 

 in wet open woods and swamps, but its variety Clin- 

 tonianum D. C. Eaton, is very rare. I have not found 

 it myself, but Messrs. Jewell and Trundy have found a 

 few specimens. A. spinulosiun (O. F. Muller) Sw. oc- 

 curs frequently, while its beautiful variety intermedium 



