197 
present day varieties of Boston ferns. Some of the best-known 
exceptions ma tioned as follows: Scotti, Giatrasi, 
Harrissi, Sisk Roosevelt, and “Teddy Jr.” These forms 
are noted as exceptions because they did not come originally 
t line: 
to deal with them. The writer is engaged in studying all the 
Nephrolepis forms for the anes of description and presents 
this merely as a eaewes pap 
descriptions are very inaccurate. In the second place, there 
has been so much variation that many new forms have arisen 
which are so close as almost to defy accurate discrimination, 
eet these difficulties I am assembling at the Brooklyn 
Botanic Garden all the forms which I can obtain, and am getting 
these as far as possible from their original producers. The col- 
i f 
t may be noted first that all these varieties Eo Nephrolepis 
have arisen as far as is known from bud variations or vegetative 
sports. It appears that the spores are inviable; when planted 
no growth results. A similar condition occurs in the potato 
which, as i known, is propagated almost entirely from 
cuttings of the tuber. Although the potato flowers freely, it 
rarely sets seeds ne of the special problems is to determine 
whether all of the varieties are sterile, or whether this is a 
feature only of the more highly developed for: 
ws BENEDICT. 
Dept. or Biotocy, 
H. S. Commerce, N. Y. City. 
