Ferns of the Coast Region of S. Carolina 87 



throughout the coastal region on trunks and large 

 branches of trees, particularly of live oaks. Occasion- 

 ally found in sand at the base of trees and on old build- 

 ings, even on tile roofs. In mild seasons, such as 1913 

 and 1914, growth continues throughout the year and 

 prothallia and young plants may be found in January. 

 This and Pteridium aquilinum are the common ferns of 

 the sandy coast islands; both are found throughout the 



state. 



Records. Bragg: Cainhoy, Charleston, Ingleside, Isle 

 of Palms (H) , Otranto, Santee Swamp, Ten Mile. Cok- 



er: Harteville, Isle of Palms. Porcher: St. Johns 



Berkeley (H). Ravenel: Santee Canal (H). Robinson: 



Summerville (Gray Herb.). Sinkler: Eutawville (H). 



Pteris miltifida Poir. A tradition persists in 

 Charleston that the common introduced fern until re- 

 cently determined as Pteris serrulata L. f. was brought 



here from Europe by the Huguenots, and it is often 



called the Huguenot or Mediterranean Fern. On the 

 other hand, local students claim that Prof. Lewis K. 

 Gibbes discovered it here in 1868 and determined it as 



P. cretica. The first reference to the occurrence of a 



naturalised Pteris in South Carolina appears in the 



Proceedings of ike Elliott Society*, where Professor Gibbes 



reports "an undetermined species of Pteris, found about 

 a month sine... in fruit, in Wentworth St., near the 

 corner of Rutledge, growing on the brick foundation ot 

 a wooden house, on the south side of the street, 

 the fern is growing freely, and it is like none of those 

 known to inhabit this state. Its origin and the turn ot 

 its introduction are unknown." No further reference to 



the discovery is mad. in the Elliott Society s Froce^- 



ings, and no specimens of an introduced Pteris from pro- 

 fessor Gibbes' herbarium have been traced. Proiosor 



*II Dei 1888, 81 62. 



