—2g— 



The larger specimens of simplex have ternate fronds, which 

 are again pinnate, the ultimate segments again incised, being 

 twice and a half pinnate. All plants of lesser size show a ten- 

 dency to the same state, although they rarely attain it save in the 

 far west. [The fertile spike is usually compound, even in the 

 small plants. The variety in question, on the other hand, usually 

 has a simple frond, never more than once pinnate, and but for 

 the fewer number of segments and the distance apart, might be 

 taken for lunaria. The sterile lamina of simplex has the ter- 

 minal segment rounded, while in this variety it is emarginate. 

 The fertile division is normally simple and rarely bears more 

 than one or two branches below. The bases of the old stalks 

 persist in simplex, giving a bulbous appearance. They die away 

 in this plant. Simplex fruits about June ist; this from July ist 

 to August 20, mostly at July 20. Simplex grows in full sun on 

 gravelly hills, where there is little competition on account of 

 aridity and sterility ; this in richest woods, where there is little 

 competition on account of shade and moisture. Simplex is a 

 stout, fleshy, stiffly-erect plant; this is slender and inclined, even 

 becoming prostrate in the later stages. 



I might mention that whereas most authorities agree in 

 ascribing simplex to dry knolls in the sun, Britton and Brown 

 give its habitat as "moist woods, meadows or swamps," a state- 

 ment which needs investigation. 



That this is a new species there can be little doubt. Though 

 not in sympathy with the tendency shown at various periods in 

 botanical history to make a species of every form when it is 

 known it cannot reproduce its like, neither am I in sympathy 

 with the other extreme, which lumps all specimens which have a 

 few points in common into one species cover. The more rational 

 way is the one happily on the increase — to give each form suffi- 

 cient study to see if it be entitled to specific rank, and then rank 

 it accordingly. 



Simplex, matricaricefolium and hmaria have at various 

 times been confounded and variously combined. No one who 

 has ever collected them is in any danger of making a mistake, 

 even in the most poorly developed forms. Personally this form 

 is as easily recognized as any other species, as it is also by Mr. 

 Dodge, who has seen it in several localities in which I have not 



This is apparently well distributed in New England, as I 

 have seen specimens from Tamworth and Jackson, among the 



