A NEW FORM OF NEPHRODIUM THELYPTERIS. 



Bv A. A. Eaton. 



Last July I received from Mrs. J. J. Puffer some sterile 

 fronds of Nephr odium THelypteris, collected by her at Sudbury, 

 Mass., that were all forked at the end for % — V2 the length and 

 many or all of the pinnae cristate, ending in 1-5 points. At the 

 time no fertile fronds were found, but at my suggestion she 

 visited the locality later, and was successful in procuring some, 

 even more beautifully cristate than the sterile. 



In honor of the discoverer I propose to name it Ncphrodium 

 THelypteris forma Pufferae, Stipe and rachis as in the species, 

 except that the latter forks % — its length, the divisions 

 often again forked, pinnae cristate for the outer third into 2-5 

 crowded, spreading, overlapping divisions : segments at times 

 normal, but often reduced to mere points ; at times the rachis 

 is winged without lobes, and again some are much elongated and 

 variously bent, or even greatly enlarged and pinnately incised. 



Mrs. Puffer writes as follows : "The whole group, consist- 

 ing of many plants crowded closely together, occupy a space of 

 some five or six feet in length by two in width, and are growing 

 by the side of a stone wall on the slope of land near a meadow, 

 but they are quite above the water-line. They are almost without 

 exception either forked or tufted. The longest fronds grew up 

 into a bush and were erect, but most of them lie upon each 

 other so they are broken and torn by contact. They are exposed 

 to the full sun all day." Mr. C. T. Druery informs me that this is 

 a very interesting variety, inasmuch as it it the first break this 

 species is known to have made.' 



THE EARLIEST FERN. 



By E. J. Hill. 



Under this caption in the Fern Bulletin for October, 1901, 

 Mr. A. A. Eaton seeks information regarding the first fern to 

 start in spring. My experience confirms his, that the priority is 

 due to Pcllaca gracilis. I was at the station where they grow at 

 Lemont. 111.. April 10th, 1902, and found them coming up freely. 

 Some were nearly two inches high, and they were in all stages 



