—34— 



Nearest S. mutica D. C. Eaton, but the stem is not so stout, 

 the ramifications shorter and more dense, the color lighter, leaves 

 destitute of lateral hairs, glomerate at the ends of the branches. 

 The fertile scales are broader at the base and boat-shaped, squar- 

 rose when ripe. I have not seen the spores of mutica. It seems 

 strange that authors do not take cognizance of the differences in 

 spores of Selaginella, when such an authority as Al. Braun attests 

 to their extreme diagnostic value. 



Rupestris, for instance, has them nearly round, without com- 

 missural ridges, finely alveolate or pitted ; cinerascens has them 

 with very broadly- winged commissures and reticulations remind- 

 ing one of Isoetes Engelmanni ; while in Bigelovii they are 

 finely granular, with very low commissures. No doubt all the 

 other species of this group have characteristic spore-sculpture, 

 but the fruiting material is not at hand to determine. 



Seabrook, N. H. 



VARIATION IN POLYPODIUM VULGARE. 



By Mrs. E. G. Britton. 



OME ONE has said of the Hart's- tongue: "O, how won- 



drously you vary, Scolopendrium vulgare." The same 



might be said of the common polypody, though it seems to 

 be more freaky in Europe than it is with us. Quite recently Mr. 

 George D. Hulst has presented us with specimens of two varieties 

 of it from Lake George, found growing in a secluded locality 

 which he has bought for his summer home and intends, if possible, 

 to keep from the hand of the marauder. The tallest and least 

 variable fronds simply fork once or twice at the apex, and are an 

 incipient form of the variety cristatum. The other specimens 

 are shorter and broader than the normal fronds, and each pinna 

 is divided or laciniate more than half the way to the rachis, mak- 

 ing the frond deeply bi-pinnatifid. This is the variety cambricum, 

 so called because it was originally found in Wales. This variety 

 has been collected at Rock City, Dutchess county, N. Y., by 

 Charles H. Peck, in April, 1892; at West Goshen, Connecticut, in 

 1890 and 1 89 1 by Prof. Underwood, and between Shandaken and 

 Bushnellsville, N. Y., by Miss M. F. Miller. Prof. Eaton had one 

 specimen in his herbarium collected by Miss Moncks at Cold 

 Spring, N. Y., so that it is still rather rare and local, and always 

 occurs barren, whereas the variety cristatum, as collected by Mr. 



