—75— 



number of others that are not found elsewhere in North 

 America. Mr. Jenman first published it in the Journal 

 of Botany (English), in 1886, nearly twenty years ago. 

 It is one of the smallest species of the genus, and be- 

 longs in the same group with our Selaginclla apus. Mr. 

 Jenman noted that the spikes contained only 2-4 spor- 

 angia in Jamaica, which is true also of the species- as 

 found in Florida. 



BOTRYCHIUM SIMPLEX FALLAX MlLDE. Although not 



a common fern, Botrychium simplex is pretty well known 

 among fern students. Like most of the Botrychia, how- 

 ever, it varies widely, and while Eaton's " Ferns of N. 

 America " describes six varieties, not very much atten- 

 tion has been paid to them. The variety compositum 

 found in California is a very striking form, but as no- 

 body except Mr. Davenport, and possibly the Eaton 

 herbarium at Yale, has it. or is likely to get it. it has 

 never created much comment. There is another variety, 

 viz., var. fallax Milde, which deserves special notice. In 

 a fine series of the species sent me recently by Prof. E. 

 J. Winslow of Maine, there were three specimens which 

 puezled me, as I had seen nothing like them before. The 

 sterile leaf is placed high up on the common stipe, and 

 the pinnules of two of them much resemble those of the 

 European B. Lunaria, while those of the other are quite 

 like the pinnules of B. Onondagcnse Und. For a time 

 I was puzzled. It should be said right here that the 

 leaves of all three had the distinct petioles characteristic 

 cf B. simplex. So I resorted to Eaton, and there found 

 that the variety fallax is described as having " the sterile 

 lamina above the middle of the plant • otherwise as in var. 

 incisum" That settled the matter, but truly the plant is 

 fallacious, deceptive. Collectors in New England, where 

 this species is more plentiful than elsewhere, should be 

 on the lookout for this particular variety, as it is more 

 scarce than the ordinary ferns. 



POLYPODIUM VULGARE CRISTATUM versus P. V. BIFIDO- 



multifidum. The fern which has been known in this 

 country as Poly podium -ml gar e cristatum (Lowe) seems 



