THE FERN BULLETIN 



Vol. XIII. 



APRIL, 1905. 



No. 2 



THE FERN FLORA OF VERMONT 



By W. W. Eggleston. 



NEW YORK 

 BOTANICAL 

 HARDEN. 



Vermont's small area produces a surprising number 

 of fern species. Although having a range north and 

 south of only about two degrees, there is a difference in 

 altitude from one hundred feet about Lake Champlain 

 to over four thousand five hundred feet at the summit of 

 Mt. Mansfield. This range in altitude gives more north- 

 ern species than the higher Adirondacks, the White 

 Mountains, or the mountains of Maine. Comparing the 

 remainder of New England with more than five times 

 the area, a long seacoast, much higher mountains, and 

 greater range of latitude both north and south, we find 

 that Vermont has but one fern less, or fifty-eight species 

 in all. New England has Lygodium palmatnm, Asple- 

 nia m montanum, Woodwardia angustifolia, Chcilanthes 

 lanosa, and Botrychium Onondagense, unknown to Ver- 

 mont. In compensation Vermont has Woodsia alpina, 

 Asplenium riride, Ptcris aquilina pseudocaudata, and 

 Botrychium Lunaria. New York, with about the area 

 of New England but a more southern range, has 

 sixty-three species. Incidentally New York and all New 

 England each have sixty-three species, New England's 

 Asplenium viride and Botrychium Lunaria (from Ver- 

 mont) counterbalancing Asplenium Bradley i and Scolo- 

 pendrium vulgare. Of ferns and fern allies Vermont has 

 eighty-two species and varieties. New York, with five 

 times the area, has eighty-three ; California, with seven- 

 teen times the area, eighty-one, and Texas, with twenty- 

 seven times the area, sixty-six. 



Vermont is separated into two main divisions by the 



Green Mountains running north and south through 



lo about the middle of the State. Western Vermont with 



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