THE FERN BULLETIN 



VOL. XI. OCTOBER, 1903. No. 4 



THE FERN FLORA OF NEW YORK. 



By B. D. Gilbert. 



The State of New York has the largest area of any northern 

 State east of Michigan. It also possesses a great diversity of 

 surface, with its two mountain ranges, its numerous lakes, its in- 

 terior salt basin, and its seashore confined entirely to the 

 southern extremity. On its eastern side it stretches through 

 more than four degrees of north latitude, and as these are the 

 degrees just south of the 45th parallel, it is easy to understand 

 that there is liable to be a greater intermixture of northern and 

 southern forms of ferns than there would be in a State lying 

 farther south. And the fact is that certain species from the north 

 and others from the south do meet within its borders. This also 

 accounts for the large number of species found in the State : Cal- 

 ifornia and Texas, the one State having four times the area of 

 New York, and the other five times that area, being the only ones 

 which contain as large or a larger number of species. 



For the purpose of fern classification, the State may be di- 

 vided into four distinct zones, as follows : 



I. The Littoral. — This comprises Long Island and Staten 

 Island. Only one fern is peculiar to this zone, viz. Woodwardia 

 angustifolia ; but there are two Lycopods, viz. L. alopecuroidcs 

 and its variety adprcssum. 



II. The Catskill Mountain Region, extending down to 

 Manhattan Island. — This being the southern mountain range of 

 the State, it is here that three southern species find their 

 northern limit, viz. Asplenium Bradleyi, A. montanum and 

 Cheilanthes vestita. It may be a question whether the Connecti- 

 cut stations for Asplenium montanum lie farther north than the 

 New York stations, but it is certain that there can be but little 

 difference between them in this respect. 



III. The Adirondack Region, extending as far south as 

 Little Falls. — Here there are a few of the northern species that 

 descend to their southern limit in this country. Among them may 



