10 



THE FERN BULLETIN 



branches comparatively little subdivided; lateral, dor- 

 sal, and ventral leaves all with the anterior third (ap- 

 proximately) of their length free, divergent; this free 

 tip linear-awl-shaped, curved. 



Stem 1 to 3 inches below ground; length of spikes 

 (in type) 30 to 35 mm., averaging (14 specimens) 

 32.5 mm. ; another specimen however is only 25 mm. 

 long; length of peduncles (in type) 61 to 76 mm., 

 averaging (11 specimens) 67.8 mm.; length of lateral 

 leaves 5 to 6.3 mm. ; length of free tip 1.7 to 2.2 mm. ; 

 of forty-three penduncles, old and new, only three bear 

 more than one spike ; of these two bear two spikes 

 each and one three spikes. 



Stonghton, Mass. 



RARE FORMS OF FERNWORTS.-XII1. 



AN ABERRANT LYCOPODIUM. 



Some time ago, we received the aberrant form of 

 Ly co podium complanatum whose fertile spikes we il- 

 lustrate herewith. It will be seen that beyond the 

 spore-bearing part of the cone-like spike there is a 

 tuft of leaves. While such examples are by no means 

 rare among the Lycopodiums they are of interest be- 

 cause they illustrate very well the relationship that 

 subsists between the true leaves and those that bear 

 spores. 



In the days before the morphological study of ferns 

 received much attention, the expanded green parts of 

 the plant were called fronds. If anybody had an idea 

 that they were true leaves they were not overly in- 

 sistent upon the point Not only were they called 

 fronds, but the petiole was given the name of stipe and 

 those leaves that bear the spores were called fertile 

 fronds. This did well enough for ferns, where there 



