American Fern Journal 
Vol. 9 JULY-SEPTEMBER, 1919 No. 3. 
Notes on American Ferns—XIV.’ 
WILLIAM R. MAXON 
DICRANOPTERIS FLEXUOSA (ScHRAD.) UNDERW.—The 
occurence of this species, the only known representative 
of the family Gleicheniaceae in the United States, near 
Delschamps Station in the Mobile Bay region of Ala- 
bama, was first reported in 1914, the specimens having 
been collected the previous year by Mr. L. H. McNeill. 
As the plant was not subsequently reported from other 
parts of the near-by territory, in spite of painstaking 
search, this single station was visited repeatedly by local 
botanists, in particular by Mr. H. P. Léding and Mr. T. 
S. van Aller, of Mobile, who were interested in seeing 
that the fern at least maintained itself here. Mr. Ar- 
thur Howell’s visit to the locality, also, has been men- 
tioned in the JourNnaL.* News of the destruction of 
this locality, recently received, is confirmed by Mr. Lé- 
ding and Mr. van Aller. It will be recalled that the 
fern grew in a small depression in a clay railroad cut. 
Early in 1918, Mr. van Aller writes, the railroad com- 
pany removed all the clay bank in that vicinity for filling 
around a railroad bridge over the ‘‘narrows,’’ literally 
wiping the fern out of existence. At least no trace of it 
has been found on several later visits, and unless some 
of the small plants which Mr. van Aller had transplanted 
[Vol. 9, No. 2 of the Journal, p: ges 33-66, Plate 3, was issued July 5, 1919.] 
1 Published by permission of the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institu- 
tion. 
Smaps Fern Journ. 4: 15-17. 
87: 106. 1917. 
