FERN FAMILY 31 



The fruit-dots are round, large, and near the 

 midrib ; they mature in July. The indusium 

 is thin, smooth, and fixed by a shallow sinus. 



CRESTED MARGINAL FERN. 



Aspidium cristatum x marginale [Dryopteris cristata 

 X viarginalis). 



Frond pinnate, the pinnse variable ; the lower 

 one-third having the appearance of A. cristatum, 

 with stalked, triangular-ovate, obtuse pinnae, cut 

 into a few very obtuse, serrate divisions, which 

 next to the rachis nearly reach the midrib, and 

 are pinnatifid with toothed lobes ; the upper 

 two-thirds resembling A. marginale, with pin- 

 na; short-stalked, long, pointed, cut into oblong, 

 obtuse, slightly curved, entire or finely serrate 

 divisions, those near the rachis cut almost to 

 the midrib and again pinnatifid with toothed 

 lobes. The veining is c[uite conspicuously de- 

 pressed. The stipe is long, channeled, and both 

 that and the rachis are usually scaly or chaffy. 



The fronds are somewhat leathery in texture. 

 They are from one foot to two and one half feet 

 high, and from four to eight or nine inches 

 broad in the middle, tapering both ways, al- 

 though not narrowing fully down at the base. 

 The sterile fronds are smaller than the fertile. 



This fern is found in the borders of swamps. 

 It seems to occur rarely in northern New Eng- 



