LO 



THE FERN BULLETIN 



and some distance inside the margins. They are borne 

 several in a cluster and form a sort of rudimentary so- 

 rus. The method is shown at a in the illustration. 

 This form appears to be quite persistent. Specimens 

 were reported in this magazine for January, 1902 and 

 other plants were found several years later as we have 

 stated. In reference to the slender pinnules the form 

 may be called Osmunda regatis forma linearis. The 



OSMUNDA REGALIS F. LINEARIS. 



method of bearing its spores is quite anomalous among 

 ferns of its genus and may well be the subject for fur- 

 ther study. 



A second abnormal fruiting specimen may be refer- 

 red to Osmunda cinnamonca. Like the form of 0. 

 rcgalis described above, it bears sporangia on the backs 

 of the pinnules and is manifestly akin to, if not identi- 

 cal with, certain forms of the variety frondosa. The 

 interesting thing about the present specimens is that 

 while many of the sporangia are borne on the margins 

 of the pinnules and at the tips of the veins, not a few 

 are found at some distance from the margin. In the 



