- 3 8- 



convinced me not only of their distinctness from each other, but 

 from other species of Eastern North America. 



A critical study of its characters and also of those of 

 Dryopteris goldieana, two large colonies of which I also for- 

 tunately discovered near Washington, showed me the relationship 

 of the two and accordingly I published the plant as a new sub- 

 species under the name of Dryopteris goldieana celsa* 



In his sixth edition of "Our Native Ferns," Professor Un- 

 derwood has cited this name as a synonym of Dryopteris cristata 

 Clintoniana, though I sent him a fair series of specimens, and he 

 has even failed accordingly to include the Dismal Swamp as 

 within the range of Clinton's fern ! It seems necessary, there- 

 fore, to again state the characters upon which I established the 

 sub-species and to compare it with related ferns. The following 

 description is copied from my former paper: 



"Structurally similar to Dryopteris goldieana goldieana (PI. 

 I. Figs. 13, 14), but differing in its very erect habit, longer and 

 narrower fronds with smaller and more widely separated pin- 

 nules and pinnae, and with the apex regularly decreasing instead 

 of crowded and suddenly shortened. Upper basal pinnules of 

 lower pinnae either absent or very much and usually unequally 

 reduced. Fronds lanceolate or lanceolate-oblong. Stipes at base 

 densely covered with large and richly alutaceous scales with 

 brown centers and transparent, sharply denned margins; upper 

 scales paler and almost unicolor. Type No. 340,398 National 

 Herbarium, Dismal Swamp, Norfolk County, Virginia, June 8, 

 1899. * * * * Sterile fronds few, much smaller and less 

 elongate. Three lower pairs of pinnae of fertile fronds sterile or 

 nearly so." 



Though the outline and superficial appearance of the frond 

 is very similar to one of Clinton's ferns, a close comparison will 

 show great difference. In the cristata group the basal pinnules 

 of all the pinnae are the largest and longest, and all these 

 pinnules are opposite, but in the goldieana group the basal pinnules 

 of the lowermost pinnae are reduced, unequal, alternate, some- 

 times absent. In the cristata group the scales at the base of the 

 stipe are few, short and pale, rarely dark, while in the other 



*Proc. Bio. Soc. Wash., 1899, 65, PI. I. 



