METROPOLITAN iCBSBHVATIOKS FLORA. 



tor* 3soc £. Davenport, 67 Valley street. Medford has eonsanl- 

 od to take charge of the special work on the following families: 



SQ.UISETACSAS 



FILICES 



LYCOPODIACEAE 



ISGSSES 



MARSlLtACSAE 



The primary object in collecting tho Ptsridophytes being te 

 ascertain the character and extent of their distribution within 

 the limits of tho reservations, only sufficient material is re- 

 quired to insure positive identification, and. for permanent, preser- 

 vation in herbarium form for future reference and record. 



It being the intention to preserve r-- " exxr:r.ng and to 

 restore original conditions as far as pess^oxo, discretion should 

 be exercised in collecting 'sp-ooinons of rare plants so as not to 

 jeapordioo the continued oxistanco of the plant by disturbing 



root-growth. „ . . ... ., 



It is not likely that many forms will bo found within these 

 limits whoso character may not be accurately ascertained from 

 published descriptions, or specimens in existing herbaria so that 

 the necessity for securing many duplicate specimens does not exist* 

 In the case of fern-forms single fronds will oft on suffice, al- 

 though complete plants are always more satisfactory .whenever it is 

 possible to have them-. 



Two new fern-forms ought to be found and are to be sought 

 for within our limits. One, a hybrid between Aspidium marginal© 

 and Aspidium cristatum is to bo locked for in the same locality 

 with these two species, ' and may be described briefly as a form of 

 oristatum with ..the long acuminate upper pinnae and rootstcck of 

 m&rginalo. The other is intermediate between Asspidium 

 Thelyptoris and Aspidium Nova-boraocnse, and has apparently al- 

 ready boon collected onco— a single frond only— somewhere near 

 Bear Hill in Stonoham by tho late E. H* Hitching^, tt has the 

 texture and venation of Nova-bcraecnso but tho lower pinnae are 

 scarcely shorter than those of Tholyptoris- 



These and other forms may reward a diligent searcher. 

 Per collecting nothing can bo bettor than a portfolio filled. 

 with old soft newspapers interspersed with sheets of plain soft 

 white paper for delicate plants between which the specimen should 

 be carefully arranged with a ticket on which should be written at 

 the time of collecting, the date, locality, character of locality. 

 characteristics of the plant, abundant or otherwise, with such 

 information as may help determine ext4nt of distribution, or one 

 might book under tho number given to a specimen the information a** 

 and in that way be able to add a note every time the same plant 

 was met with and so enable its frequency or scarcity to be dear- 

 mined with greater certainty* - , k . , 

 Specimens nay be sent ftr identification ax any umo, ana 

 assistance and information will bo cheerfully given whenever needed* 



