130 ASPIDIUM NEVADENSE.—SIERRA NEVADA SHIELD-FERN, 
many a distinguished name. Amongst these are particularly 
prominent those of two ladies—Mrs. Pulsifer Ames, and Mrs. 
Austen—who, according to Professor Eaton, first discovered this 
fern “in moist meadows and along creeks in the Sierra Nevada 
of Northern California, especially in a meadow containing also 
the Darlingtonia Californica (the Californian Pitcher Plant), near 
Quincy, Plumas County;” and “from Berry Creek Cajion, Butte 
County, by Mrs. Ames,” Professor Eaton named it from this 
location, Aspidium Nevadense, and it forms plate X. of the work 
referred to for the description. No date is given with the 
appearance of the parts of this standard work, and it may per- 
haps save disputes in the future as to the priority of names if we 
here fix 1878 as the date of Professor Eaton’s description. It 
will thus be seen that it is a very recent discovery; indeed all 
we know of it is from the account given in Professor Eaton’s 
work, and the examination of living specimens from which our 
drawing was made, kindly furnished by Professor C. S. Sargent, 
of Cambridge Botanical Garden. The name, however, is unfortu- 
nate, as it will lead to the supposition that it is from the State of 
Nevada, and even so far as the Sierra Nevada, Mountains of 
California are concerned, Plumas and Butte Counties, where the 
ladies found this fern, are not in the true Nevada but in the 
Lassen range; and thus the name is still less pardonable than 
that for the New York fern, Aspediune Noveboracense, which is by 
no means a “New York” fern, as the Latin name implies. 
These two species have a very close relationship to each other, 
and it was no doubt this relationship which suggested to 
Professor Eaton a similarly local name. One of the most strik- 
ing differences from this eastern species will be noted in the 
short stout root stock, while those who have taken from the 
earth the “New York fern” will remember the slender cord- 
like rhizome with the apex far ahead of the fully formed frond. 
This slowly developing rhizome brings all the fronds together 
in a tuft, and it follows that the general appearance of the grow- 
ing plant is very different from that of its eastern relative. 
