THE MOONWORT AND ITS ALLIES. 57 
July to produce its new frond. The sterile part 
is also evergreen. Intermediate forms are not 
uncommon and the geographical distribution is 
essentially the same. In view of these facts, it 
seems best to regard it as only a variety of 
obliquum. It probably attains its best devel- 
opment in places where there is more moisture 
than is agreeable to the type. Along the coast 
it is nearly as plentiful as B. obléquum and pro- 
duces luxuriant deeply- 
cut blades. Inland the 
blade tends to become 
less dissected. 
Until recently botanists 
have considered our spe- 
cies a variety of Botrych- 
zum ternatum. The latter 
was discovered in Japan 
by Thunberg and there 
seems to be good reasons 
for believing ours to bea | 
different species. It is found from New \ 
Brunswick and Ontario to Minnesota, Mex- 
ico and Florida, frequenting shady fencerows 
and swampy woods. There are four forms 
in the West and one in the South that are 
closely related to our species and are often 
classed as varieties of it. Small forms from 
New York and New England are sometimes 
referred to B. Matricarig of Europe, 
and a form with larger blades on 
shorter stalks is the form ¢zterime- 
dium. The species and the varieties 
Botrychium obliquum dissectum. 
