108 
HOLLY FERN. 
Polystichum lonchitis. 
THE CHRISTMAS AND HOLLY FERNS. 
The fronds of an allied species are 
similarly used for decorations in the 
West. 
The Christmas fern is found from 
southern Canada to Florida, Missis- 
sippi, Arkansas and Wisconsin. Its 
favourite haunt is probably a rocky 
“side hill,” sloping away from the 
south and covered with a variety of 
deciduous trees, but it does not disdain 
the evergreen woods or even the scrub- 
.. by roadsides. Even after the shelter- 
ing copse is cut off, it manages 
to exist for some time in the 
sunlight though with stunted 
and dull coloured fronds. In 
the West, our species is repre- 
sented by P. munitum which 
has the same eared pinnules and 
looks much like it but lacks 
the narrowed tips in the fertile 
fronds. Our plant is frequent 
in out-door cultivation, its hard- 
iness making it one of the most 
satisfactory species for this 
purpose. 
The Holly Fern, 
It is quite in keeping with 
our ideas of such matters that 
the holly fern (Polystichum 
lonchitis) should be an_ ever- 
green and nearest of kin to the 
