—2 4 — 



Indies while yet the two regions had a land connection, 

 or whether they have since arisen from wind-blown 

 spores, we cannot here stop to discuss, but the fact that 

 new plants may arise in the latter manner appears to be 

 too well substantiated to need additional proof. It has 

 been but a few years since Pteris longifolia and P. serru- 

 lata were discovered in Louisiana in positions that show 

 conclusively that they, at least, have originated from 

 wind-blown spores. The floating fern also has but re- 

 cently been reported from the State, but in the latter case 

 it is possible that currents of water instead of currents 

 of wind wafted it to these shores. ! 



The question may then be asked, are we to con- 

 clude that these species are the only ones capable of 

 making the journey from Florida or the West Indies? I 

 think no botanist would be inclined to say that they are. 

 In the West Indies are upwards of five hundred species 

 of ferns annually producing millions of spores which are 

 floated away on winds that for much of the year set di- 

 rectly toward the southern United States. The spores 

 are so light and the distance so short that it appears cer- 

 tain that the spores of man)* tropical species must have 

 fallen again and again within this region. There are 

 good reasons why they should not all germinate, or germ- 

 inated, why they should not come to maturity, but that 

 any of them at any time may accomplish both ends is 

 quite within the bounds of possibility. Quite recently, 

 single plants of Hypolepis repens and Asplenium auri- 

 tum have been reported from Florida, which seems to 

 make our possibility into a probability. 



This, then, gives the fern collector reason to expect 

 many species yet unrecorded from our southern bound- 

 aries. If Meniscium and Davallia and Taenitis can live 

 in Florida, why not their companion plants in tropical 

 islands? Two new filmy ferns have recently been added 

 to the Florida list. Who knows how many other species 

 are thriving on the trunks of trees in the everglades as 

 yet unseen by man? It is not enough that they do not 



