68 AMERICAN FERN JOURNAL 
medaefolia (Kaulf.) Fée, its supposed nearest ally. 
From description and illustration the material appeared 
to the writer as probably no more than a luxuriant form 
of P. andromedaefolia, and a critical examination of the 
type, courteously lent by Mr. Moxley, has confirmed 
this view. The extent of variation within P. androme- 
daefolia is extremely great, even in. a limited series of 
specimens, the differences seemingly dependent on con- 
ditions of moisture supply and insolation. The present 
specimen is exactly matched by other material in the 
National Herbarium from neighboring parts of south- 
ern California and is connected by numerous intermedi- 
ate specimens with the commoner, more congested 
forms having smaller segments. 
Wasuineton, D. 
The Fern Grottoes of Citrus County, Florida 
ROLAND M. HARPER 
In the extreme southeastern part of Citrus County, 
Florida, on the border between the lime-sink and Gulf 
hammock regions,! in about latitude 28° 40’, are some 
limestone cliffs, chasms and grottoes, notable for their 
rare ferns, some of which are tropical species which do 
not range much farther north, and some are confined 
to Florida. Before describing the place it will be in 
order to sketch the history of its exploration by botan- 
ists, as far as known. 
The first botanist to visit the locality seems to have 
been A. H. Curtiss, in April, 1881, which was a year or 
two after the publication of D. C. Eaton’s Ferns of 
North America. Just what clue brought him there is 
not known; there were no railroads in the neighborhood 
1For map showing location of th R Fla. 
Geol Surv, pl. 16 ese regions see 3d Ann. ep. 
