THE FERX BULLETIN 



charged their spores and miserably wilted, but let us 

 remove the dead leaves about the plant and we will 

 find in nearly every instance small, immature Botry- 

 chiums having every appearance of those we have just 

 collected in the swamp by the brookside. Take home 

 these two sets of plants, and examine them micros- 

 copically or in any way you choose, and see if you can 

 find any constant difference between them. 



I have been unable to find any difference between 

 those growing in the swamp and those found on higher 

 ground, and after a careful reading of Mr. Eaton's: 

 articles written when he was offering these little 

 plants to us as a new species under the name of Botry- 

 chium tenebrosum. I might amplify at this point 

 largely, but as Mr. Eaton during the latter years of 

 his life changed his base admitting that these little 

 plants did not constitute a new species, but yet main- 

 taining that they should not be referred to B. 

 ramosum but rather to B. simplex. I have reached a 

 point that serves my present purpose and will drop 

 this part of my subject and follow Mr. Eaton into 

 simplex. But before doing so I will take the time to 

 answer a question which has probably been upper- 

 most in the minds of some of my hearers. That is. 

 why do these small Botrychiums we find in low 

 ground, never become large plants as do the identically 

 alike little plants we find about the base of plants of 

 Botrychium ramosum. 



As I understand the situation, the reason for this 

 is that they are not placed in an environment which is 

 favorable to an early and continuous growth. They 

 are in fact submerged the greater part of the year. 

 Sometimes for the entire year, and as is usual with 

 plants wheti their growing season is restricted they 

 form fruit when small. 



