188 Rhodora [SEPTEMBER 
tions being Mettenius +, who reduced them to varieties, and Hooker, 
who as noted above finally discarded.them entirely. Milde, in some 
of his earlier publications? identifies “ Aspleniwm Michauxii” (Athy- 
rium angustum) with the European A. Filix-femina, but in his Filices, 
he does not include the names of the American ferns in the synonymy, 
of A. Filix-femina, and under the treatment of that species, he makes 
the following enlightening statement: 
“The American plant, very similar in habit to the European, pro- 
duces several forms which seem to be wanting in Europe. a) I have 
found smooth yellowish spores, in others ridged and blackish. b) 
Indusia sometimes fimbriate, sometimes furnished with cilia ending 
in large hyacinthine glands. Generally I have found stalked glands 
also intermixed with the sori. c¢) The blade beneath is either glabrous, 
or covered with long, cylindrical, obtuse, 1-2 celled hairs. Here 
belong: Athyrium asplenioides Fée and Presl (Aspidium Sw.— 
Asplenium Athyrium Sprengel) and Athyrium Michauaii Fée (Asplen- 
ium Spr.— Aspidium angustum Willd.— Asplenium elatius Link). 
The American plant is worthy of more accurate examination from 
various regions.” 
SYNOPTICAL TREATMENT OF THE Lapy Ferns oF EAsTeERN NortTH 
AMERICA.* 
A. Rhizome creeping, not densely covered with persistent bases of the 
fronds; scales of stipes very few, seldom persistent, rarely over 4 mm. 
long, their cells relatively broad and with pale walls; frond widest near 
the base; indusia ciliate, the cilia ending inglands; spores nigrescent, 
reticulate or wenkoe 
1 Mettenius, G., Wher einige Farngat. vi. poe 199 (1859). 
2 Milde, J., ‘Die Gefiiss. Crypt. cas 5 (1858). 
Americana habitu Europaeae mee ‘ormes complures procreat, quae in Europa 
deesse videntur, a) Sporas oes geen in aliis formas subnigras verrucosas inveni. b) 
i truct 



Indusia nunc nee nunc bircued in | glandules magnas hyacinthinas exeun ins a 
interd i i. c) Lamina subtus aut glabra est, 
aut pilis get cylindricis, pring 1-2 ita est. thyrium 
asplenioides Fée et — Aspidium Sw.— Asplenium Athyrium Sprengel) et Athyri 
A Fée (Ampleiam Spr.— Aspidium angustum Willd.— epee elatine Link). 
ta American ae © Milde, 
:. "Filices Buropne ct Adanti, $2 (1867). 
4 The variety of Athyri in af in th 
sula, is Guuied fully with the lady ferns of western America. It is paper ei ans from 
any other eastern species of Athyrium by the exceedingly narrow segments of the frond, and by 
its small round sori, entirely without indusium. 

