86 



THE FERN BULLETIN 



Botrychium ramosum. — I have just returned from 

 a tramp in some woods where late last summer I found 

 two withered specimens of the matricary grape fern. 

 Today I found nearly fifty plants in a moist spot of 

 small area but was disappointed in not finding the 

 lance-leaved also. Of course I hoped for the moon- 

 wort or at least simplex, but that pleasure is still be- 

 fore me. The specimens found today varied greatly 

 in size, only one being really large, while many were 

 so tiny I should have never seen them if I had not 

 been scanning every inch of the ground. In one place 

 a cluster of five were so close together that the fronds 

 intermingled and no one could have been taken without 

 disturbing the others and they varied in size from one 

 of medium size to a tiny, tiny one. Next week I visit in 

 Boonville and will search there for simplex and lunar ia 

 as the hillside back of the cemetery has many grape 

 ferns. I shall take them if I find them as the ground 

 will be cleared as fast as it is needed for burial pur- 

 poses and anyway, if ferns are to grow in a cemetery 

 a more spirituelle species would be more appropriate. 



I have just re-read Mr. Dodge's article on B. ra- 

 mosum (which name I prefer — it is so much more 

 easily spelled) and will add that the small plants I 

 found were above the ice line of the swamp but where 

 the ground was springy though the slope was enough 

 to let the water run off in rivulets. The well devel- 

 oped plant I found was three or four yards farther up 

 the slope where the soil was much drier. I found two 

 or three groups of plants that had every appearance 

 of being a parent with a "pair of stairs" family of 

 children, but not having a glass could not tell whether 

 the tiny ones were "emarg-inate" or not. — Adella Pres- 

 ent t, New Hartford, N. Y. 



