—94— 



hybrid. On examining the stems we see that these show a regu- 

 lar gradation. In platyneuron the rachis is grooved in front. In 

 Bradley i the rachis and upper part of the stipe is grooved, with a 

 slight ridge down the center of the groove; and in montanuin the 

 stipe has two parallel grooves. The existence of two grooves in 

 the stem of the last species might be looked upon as caused by 

 the further growth of a slight ridge down the center of a single 

 groove like that of montanunu The stipe of platyneuron shows 

 no traces of a ridge, groove, or even flattening in specimens that 

 I have examined. 

 Baltimore, Md. 



THE BOULDER FERN OR FINE-HAIRED MOUNTAIN 

 FERN. 



STRIKING illustration of the fact that a scientific name 



long applied comes often to be the generally accepted 



common name for the plant is well shown in the last num- 

 ber of The Fern Bulletin, in the article containing a description 

 of a new variety of the fern long known under the name Dick- 

 sonia punctilobula, for which, however, it is therein proposed to 

 substitute the older name, De?instcrdlia punctilobula. An appa- 

 rent anomaly arises from the fact that the article is entitled "A 

 Variety of Dicksonia," Dicksonia, the discarded scientific name, 

 being used as the comtnon name for the plant. The usage seems, 

 however, to be justifiable from the fact that Dicksonia is probably 

 oftener heard than the more cumbersome and not altogether ap- 

 propriate title of "Hay-scented fern.'' It is a case where the 

 scientific name has become the general one. Fully as acceptable 

 as either is "Gossamer fern," a name cited by Lawson in his 

 " Fern Flora of Canada;" and, when we consider the singularly 

 delicate and feathery appearance of the graceful fronds, the name 

 seems especially appropriate. However, popular names are not 

 to be made at will; and if Dicksonia has come to be generally 

 accepted as the common name, it is unlikely that another will re- 

 place it, at least for some time. — William R. Ma.von, Washing- 

 ton, D. C. 



— In the Bulletin of the Torrey Botanical Club for July, Mr. 

 B. D. Gilbert describes two new ferns from New Zealand, one of 

 them, Polypodiujn vulgar e auritum, being nearly related to our 

 common representative of this genus. 



