-6 5 - 



Fig. 2—Cysfopteris fragilis 

 forma magnasora. 



gations which I have been carrying on for sometime, I am con- 

 vinced that this is only a form due to the exposed habitat it affects. 

 This is the first instance, I believe, in which the effect of habitat 

 is shown in a difference in the size of the sori. Any shade-loving 



fern exposed to direct sunlight 

 tends to become pale in color, 

 thicker in texture and more 

 fruitful, the latter characteris- 

 tic being manifested in the 

 number of the sori rather than 

 in their size. 



I find in my herbarium a 

 sheet of this form collected by 

 Mr. Maxon near Oneida, N. Y., 

 and Mr. Gilbert writes me that he his specimens to match mine 

 from Glens Falls, N. Y. The plant is a dry rock form and doubt- 

 less will be reported from other places. At present it is known 

 only from New York State. I would characterize it as follows : 



Cvstopteris fragilis forma magnasora forma now Frond 6 

 to 12 inches long; stipe as long as the blade, the latter 2-3 inches 

 wide, twice pinnate with lobed or toothed pinna?. Primary pinna? 

 broadest at base, triangular. The superior basal pinna? much the 

 largest. Secondary pinnae triangular or oblong. Sori round, dis- 

 tinct, abundant, 2 to 2 l / 2 times larger than those of the species t 

 Collected Aug. ro, 1900, at Great Bend, Pa. Type in the author's 

 herbarium. 



In making the illustrations for this article, great pains have 

 been taken to exactly duplicate representative pinnre. Fig. 1 is 

 from a common form that approaches /. magnasora in shape. Fig. 

 3 is a basal pinna of the new form. Fig. 2 is a pinna from a plant 

 collected by the writer in Jamaica. All are natural size. Since 

 some will incline to remove this to Filix it may be well to add that 

 it would then become Filix fragilis magnasora. 



— The May number of the Botanical Gazette, contains an arti- 

 cle by C. T. Druery on "Fern Variation in Great Britain," in 

 which the statement is made that 1S59 varieties of British ferns 

 are known. The Hart's-tongue is credited with no less than 450 

 varieties! 



