— 8o— 



yet not over a foot from it, the pinnae were nearly hori- 

 zontal. One frond was somewhat inclined and the rachis 

 was twisted but all along the frond the pinnae were set at 

 different angles so that the upper side faced the direction 

 of the brightest light. The most interesting of all was a 

 frond so growing that the back of the frond faced out- 

 ward. Here the pinnae were inclined at an angle of forty- 

 five degrees and facing the back of the stipe or toward 

 the brightest light. So plain is this evidence that it seems 

 certain that the fern makes every effort to obtain the 

 greatest possible amount of light upon the surface of the 

 fertile fronds, these being the most important. The size 

 and position of the fronds, their darker color and, above 

 all, the peculiarities of their pinnae go to prove this. — 

 C. E. Waters. (Reprinted from Linnaean Fern Bulletin 

 No. i, pages i and 2). 



ASPIDIUM SPINULOSUM AND ITS 

 VARIETIES 



Beginners, as well as more experienced fern collectors, 

 often find it difficult to distinguish Aspidium spinulosum 

 from its varieties intermedium and dilatatum and call them 

 all spinu'losums as the easiest way to dispose of them. A. 

 Boottii, which is about two-thirds spinulosum and one- 

 third cristatum, generally goes into the same batch as a 

 modified spinulosum. No genuine fern lover will feel 

 satisfied with this lumping off process. It makes the 

 study of ferns far more interesting and profitable to be 

 able to recognize the fine points that distinguish species 

 and varieties. Ferns are exceedingly variable in their 

 forms, mainly owing to the kinds and conditions of soil in 

 which they are found, but cases in which they seem to run 

 into each other may be the results of hybridization. In 

 selecting specimens for the herbarium, the typical form, 

 as nearly, as possible, should be chosen and when laid side 

 by side the differences can readily be seen and there need 

 be no confusion. I will brieflv enumerate a few of the 



