398 



THE BOOK OF CHOICE FERNS. 



rare from New England to Wisconsin and southwards to Georgia, Central 

 Alabama, Arkansas, and the Indian Territory • that it also occurs in British 

 Columbia, where Dr. Lyall found it on the G-alton Mountains, but that it is 

 not known in the eastern provinces of Canada. Although its fronds, produced 

 from a tufted rootstock, are usually Gin. to 9in. long and 2in. to Sin. broad, 

 Eaton states that they occasionally measure ljft. long and 4in. broad at their 

 middle ; they are" borne on non- articulated stalks 3in. to 6in. lonf, and are 

 (Fig. 109) twice divided to the midrib. The stalkless leaflets are opposite 

 and cut into oblong leafits that are rounded at the summit and notched along 

 the margin. W. incisa and W. Perriniana are identical with this species. — 

 Hooker, Species Filicum, i., p. 63 ; Garden Ferns, t. 43. Nicholson, Dictionary 

 of Gardening, iv., p. 216. Eaton, Ferns of North America, t. 71. Lowe, 

 Ferns British and Exotic, vii., t. 29. Correvon, Les Fougeres rustigues, p. 68. 



W. (Physematium) oregana — Phy-se-mat'-i-um • or-eg-a'-na (from 

 Oregon), Eaton. 



This species is essentially of North American origin. Eaton states (" Ferns 

 of North America," vol. ii., p. 185) that it is found growing in dense patches 

 in the crevices of rocks, often where much exposed to the sun, from Oregon 

 and British Columbia eastward to Lake Winnipeg and the Keweenaw Peninsula 

 of Michigan, and southward to Wyoming, Utah, Colorado, and Arizona ; he 

 adds that it has also been found in California, forming masses around lava 

 rocks in high plateaus along the Pitt River. Its oblong-spear-shaped fronds, 

 Sin. to 4in. long, are borne on densely-tufted, non-articulated stalks 2in. to 4in. 

 long ; they are twice divided to the midrib and their leaflets are cut into 

 blunt, oblong, notched lobes of a dark green colour and smooth on both sides. 

 — Hooker, Synojjsis Filicum, p. 48. Nicholson, Dictionary of Gardening, iv., 

 p. 217. Eaton, Ferns of North America, t. 71. Correvon, Les Fougeres 

 rustigues, p. 69. 



W. Perriniana — Per-ri-ni-a'-na (Perrin's). Synonymous with W. obtusa. 



W. (Physematium) polystichoides— Phy-se-mat'-i-um ; pol-ys'-tich- 

 o-i'-des (Polystichum-like), Eaton. 

 A very pretty, free-growing species, native of Japan, with spear-shaped, 

 simply-pinnate fronds Sin. to 10in. long. The stalkless leaflets are about 



