is 



THE FERN BULLETIN 



are almost identical in shape. It must be pointed out, 

 however, that British fern growers have repeatedly 

 shown that the spores of abnormal fronds or even of 

 abnormal parts of fronds are capable of producing the 

 abnormality. So we are back where we started from, 

 except for the fact that it now appears that the juvenile 

 forms are not like those of Botrychiam obliquum the 

 nearest related form. Were the grape ferns as easy to 

 grow from spores as ordinary ferns are, we should 

 have expected to have had this matter settled long ago 

 by experiment. If in copious sowings of spores from 

 Botrychiam obliquum there was found a single dis- 

 sected form we should regard the fact that it is a mere 

 form established. Some ambitious fern student with 

 access to a greenhouse should take up this problem. 



Asplenium Ebenoides. — At a recent meeting of 

 the Germantown Horticultural Society, George Redles 

 exhibited a living specimen of Scott's spleen wort (As- 

 plenium ebenoides) which he had found in Monroe 

 County, Pennsylvania near the Delaware Water Gap. 

 Mr. Redles' companion, when the fern was found, 

 Robt. F. Welsh of Philadelphia, subsequently found 

 another plant for himself. The first specimen of this 

 fern ever found was secured by R. R. Scott near Phila- 

 delphia in 1862 and was afterwards named by him. 

 The original locality has long since been destroyed, 

 but the plant may be expected to appear now and then 

 in any region where the ebony fern and walking fern 

 grow. 



A New Phase of Fern Study. — A member of the 

 Fern Society makes the following suggestion for con- 

 certed study : "Select some three or four species of 

 general distribution and ask the members to study 

 these critically in the field ; to collect ample suites of 



