THE ROCK SPLEENWORTS. 167 
ence between the extremes of variation in the 
fronds. In appearance certain forms approach 
very closely to forms of A. montanum. Mr. C. 
E. Waters, in the Fern Bulletin, gives this rule 
for distinguishing them, “In montanum the 
stipe is brown only at the base and the upper 
part of the stipe and the entire rachis is flat- 
tened, with two parallel grooves in front. In 
Bradleyi the entire stipe and lower part of the 
rachis is brown while in place of two grooves 
we have a single distinct one with a slight 
ridge running down thecentre.” Our illustra- 
tion was made from plants collected in Miss- 
ouri. 
The Pinnatifid Spleenwort. 
It is always a red letter day in one’s cal- 
endar when he chances upon the crinkly, dark- 
green, tapering fronds of the pinnatifid spleen- 
wort (Asplenium pinnatifidum) peeping froma 
cleft in some gray cliff. This species is one 
which the collector ever has in mind when 
searching the shady ledges, for it belongs to 
that rare class of plants whose location cannot 
be determined beforehand. One visits the 
woods, the swamps and the ravines in perfect 
confidence of being able to find certain species, 
but the pinnatifid spleenwort is not one of 
them. Although it has a considerable range it 
is common only in a few restricted areas. To 
most of us, it comes as a sort of gift of the 
gods, and makes memorable the day on which 4%Mum Ainnatifidum. 
it was found. 
