—37— 



Adiaxtum Capillus- Veneris. — This species is known to be 

 a native of Louisiana, but apparently no station has been recorded 

 near New Orleans. It is therefore of interest to note that it 

 grows in considerable quantity upon the walls of Girod cemetery. 



Is Polypodium incanum a Saprophyte? — Several notes have 

 recently been published regarding the difficulty experienced in 

 trying to cultivate the little resurrection fern (Polypodium in- 

 canum). From these it appears that this fern, unlike an orchid, 

 requires something more than a favorable position upon a piece of 

 bark to induce it to grow. The fern is commonly regarded as 

 able to obtain its living entirely from the water and air. but in 

 tearing specimens away from their positions on the trees, I have 

 been impressed with the depth to which the roots penetrate. They 

 certainly go deeper than is necessary to merely hold the plant in 

 place and it seems quite probable that the decaying bark affords a 

 large amount of nourishment to the plant. If so this would 

 account for the decline of specimens when transplanted from their 

 natural habitats. 



New Orleans. 



THE LOG FERN. 



By William Palmer. 



In June. 1896, at the head of Washington Ditch, in the 

 Dismal Swamp of Virginia, I found a few imperfect fern fronds 

 which I thought at the time might be Dryoptcris cristata Clinton- 

 iana. The following year at the same place I found a few more 

 but none of them perfect. Never having seen Clinton's fern 

 growing I with some doubt concluded my specimens belonged to 

 that sub-species. On June 8. 1809, however, while examining an- 

 other part of the swamp, about eight miles distant, I found the 

 same fern abundant, growing about the bases of large trees and 

 on huge, partially rotten logs, and at once satisfied myself of its 

 distinctness from the fern mentioned. This view was confirmed 

 soon after my return to Washington, on finding near Lincolnia, 

 Fairfax County. Virginia, on July 9. a large colony of Clinton's 

 fern, and later a small colony near Glen Echo, Maryland. Com- 

 parison then of a large amount of fresh material of these two 

 forms, my own and the collection in the National Herbarium, 



