— 104 — 



These two were, as stated, in the midst of the colony, with 

 the others, as it were, standing guard over these two precocious 

 individuals, who were perhaps wooed by the gentle breezes of 

 the Gulf into forgetfulness of the season. 



I would like to know if this is a " family trait," or merely 

 a "freak" occasioned perhaps by jealousy of their neighbors, 

 the Woodwardia, burdened with their treasure-ladened spikes? 



Mobile, Ala. 



[Similar instances of the cinnamon fern fruiting in autumn 

 have been reported in this journal from Florida. So far as we 

 are aware it does not occur in the North, but southward it seems 

 to be noticed frequently. It may be added that plants in certain 

 parts of the world have two resting periods, one caused by the 

 heat of summer, the other by the cold of winter. Possibly the 

 cinnamon fern in the South is in such a position. In that case 

 it is likely that the spring-like autumn days may cause a few 

 fertile fronds to put forth. It would be interesting to know how 

 general the habit is. In the West Indies this species fruits in 

 early February and in Louisiana before the end of March. — Ed.] 



THE BROAD WOOD FERN IN WASHINGTON, 



By A. S. Foster. 



On the coast about the mouth of the Columbia river and in 

 the vicinity of Gray's Harbor, Wash., Nephrodium spinulosum 

 dilatatiim grows very abundantly, fronds reaching the size of 

 twenty inches broad by thirty-six inches long; whatever size the 

 fronds may be the width is generally one-half the length. As one 

 goes inland the size grows smaller, usually, but I enclose you 

 opposite pinnae, about the fourth from the bottom, from a frond 

 over six feet long — sixteen to one plant — truly and tropically 

 royal. Not three feet distant was another N. spinulosum dilata- 

 tum of the other extreme, fronds twenty to twenty-four inches 

 long. These grew on the banks of the Willamette river, below 

 Oregon City two or three miles. Date June 15, 1904. 



On August 21 st, in Ca-ne-mah Park, Oregon City, I found 

 several plants of N. spinulosum of the rock-loving kind, pre- 

 sumably the mountain species, with fronds four times as long as 

 wide, four inches — sixteen inches. The fronds are more leathery, 



