58 THE MOONWORT AND ITS ALLIES. 
take kindly to cultivation if taken up with plenty of 
soil and, after replanting, left to themselves. They 
resent any digging about their roots. 
The Littl Grape Fern. 
The little grape fern (Botrychium simplex) is among 
the rarest of our Botrychiums, Whether this is alone due 
to its small size, or whether it really is rare in the south- 
ern part of its range, we have scarcely 
enough data to decide. It has been re- 
ported from a few localities in Massachu- 
setts, Connecticut, New York, Maryland and 
Wyoming and appears to increase in num- 
bers as we go northward. In Dodge's 
“Ferns and Fern Allies of New England,” 
it is reported as “abundantly scattered 
over Vermont, its habitat usually poor soil, 
especially knolls of hill pastures.” By oth- 
ers the habitat is given as “moist woods, 
meadows and swamps.” 
Mature plants are usually less than three 
inches high although luxuriant specimens 
may reach twice that height. The plant 
has a reputation for being extremely varia- 
ble as may be judged from this description 
taken fromarecent botanical work. ‘“ Ster- 
ile portion ovate, obovate or oblong, entire, 
lobed or pinnately parted, borne near the 
we pees base of the stem or higher, sometimes above 
ium simplex. the middle; fertile portion a simple or slightly 
compound spike, sometimes reduced to only a few sporan- 
gia. Spores large for the genus.” Six varieties have been 
described but it is not difficult to select a complete suite 
