102 AMERICAN FERN JOURNAL 
of freezing weather. It seems to withstand more cold 
than any other vascular epiphyte in North America, 
however. 
Just how much water it can lose and still survive is 
not known, but it evidently contains less than most 
herbs, though perhaps not less than the average ever- 
green herb. In March, 1919, in moderately dry 
weather, I gathered 13 grams of the plant in its shriv- 
eled condition, and after soaking it in water over 
night, until the fronds were fully expanded, and then 
drying off the adhering water, it weighed 30 grams, 
or 2.3 times as much as in the dry condition. 
The total water content and ash were determined in 
February, as follows. On Feb. 21, about 24 hours after 
a rain, I gathered about 340 grams of the fern from two 
or three species of oaks and one of elm in and near 
Tuscaloosa, Ala. The fronds were then fully ex- 
panded, and presumably free from dust, though not 
moist to the touch. The material was weighed about 
half an hour later, and then chopped up to kill it, 
and dried for about a week, much of the time on 
top Of a steam radiator, where a thermometer inserted 
in the bag of fern hay registered 46° C. or 114° F. 
It had then probably parted with practically all its 
uncOmbined Water, for when removed from the heat 
it slowly gained in weight from absorption of moisture. 
The dry weight amounted to 42% of the fresh weight. 
Fifty grams of the desiccated material, in two portions, 
Were then thoroughly burned in a platinum crucible, 
and the ash weighed. One portion gave a little less 
than 57% of ash and the other a little more, so that we 
may Call 5% the average. This is less than most ter- 
restrial herbs have, but more than some. A partial 
analysis of the ash made for me by the chemist of the 
Geological Survey of Alabama, showed approximately 
277% Of potash and 14 of 1% of soda, which figures are 
