-6 3 - 



its fertile stems are like the sterile, it must be considered as more 

 closely related to litorale and fiuviatile. It is somewhat nearer 

 E. bogotense of South America and cliff usum of Central Asia, 

 but is sufficiently distinct to be classed as unique. 



VARIETIES. 



The following forms have been found in this country: 



1. Tenue Doell. Stem 6-8 angled, 2'-8' high, erect, naked, 

 or with a few, mostly basal branches. Seen only from Alaska, as 

 quoted above. Appears to be reduced from its boreal habitat. 



2. Fall ax Milde. Stem stout, erect, 10-12 angled, with reg- 

 ular verticils of branches 3-6' long; lowermost sheaths of branches 

 (ochreolae) black with brown border. In America this includes 

 all the specimens seen from Washington and British Columbia. 

 First collected by Dr. Lyell in 1S59. The European plant has been 

 described as a hybrid between palustre and Telmateia, but no 

 characters of the latter except size are discernable. 



3. Ramulosum Milde. Stems weak, often climbing among 

 bushes, 1 ' 2 -3 ft. high, 8-10 angled, with several verticils of very 

 long (S -14 ) weak branches. Appearance similar to some forms 

 of arvense, with which it grows; most closely resembling litorale 

 var. el at ins. I have seen this only from Manchester, N. H., sent 

 me late in the seasom by F. W. Batchelder. Possibly it is the 

 late season form of the species: but it is strikingly different from 

 any other form I have seen, especially from var. fall ax, the 

 branches of which are strongly bowed, stout and twiggy, while 

 these are quite slender, strictly erect, and so strongly resemble 

 arvense that specimens of that were included in my material. 



4. Polystachyum Vill. Stem and branches of the upper ver- 

 ticils tipped by a normal spike. Very common in Europe, but seen 

 only once in America. Coll. by Eggleston and Jones at Appletree 

 Point, Burlington, Vt. 



[In October, E. litorale will be discussed, at which time sets 

 of specimens illustrating both palustre and litorale will be distrib- 

 uted. Correspondence relating to the sets should be addressed 

 to Mr. Eaton at Seabrook, N. H.] 



— A subscriber commenting on the size of the Christmas fern, says 

 that the commonly accepted maximum height of two feet does not 

 cover the most luxuriant plants. In this she is quite correct. 

 Almost any piece of rocky woodland will show larger fronds. On 

 the talus at the base of the Palisades along the lower Hudson, the 

 editor has seen many magnificent plants with fronds fully a yard 

 long, and doubtless even longer fronds could be found by search- 

 ing. Botanizing there, however, has its drawbacks, as the loose 

 stony banks are the dwelling places of numerous venomous snakes. 



