—34— 



furcate at the tip with shorter or longer narrow pinnae 

 resembling the English form multifurcatum (VI.). One 

 of these concinmtm forms has fertile fronds that are 

 not different from the others. The sori are in short 

 strips on each side of the rachis, one on each little pinnae, 

 while in the English form the pinnae of the fertile frond 

 are contracted around the rib of the frond. I have raised 

 many abnormal forms from spores but never have had 

 such a percentage of variations from so few plants. 



I have also some plants raised from spores of Mr. 

 Clute's Polystichum acrostichoides recurvatum and 

 some P. acrostichum X P. angulare forms which I expect 

 to have characterized this season and will publish the 

 results later. 



The interest in growing hardy fern species and forms 

 ir. out-of-door ferneries is taking greater hold every day. 

 There is no doubt that there are many abnormal forms 

 of ferns to be found in the United States, and it is a 

 pity that they are passed by as of little worth or simply 

 preserved in herbariums and that nobody has a chance 

 to handle them as living plants and to propagate them 

 for the benefit of the lover and cultivator of these most 

 interesting plants. 



Stamford, Conn. 



Explanation of Plate. — I. Lomaria spicant (type). II. L. 

 S. contractum (the spore-bearer). III. A form. IV. Three 

 forms from English continuum to lineare. V. A form. VI. 

 Furcate forms. 



THE FERN'S STRUGGLE FOR EXISTENCE 

 IN THE TROPICS. 



By Willard N. Clute. 



In the Tropics, where the conditions for the existence 

 of fern life are most favorable, fern species are greatly 

 multiplied and the struggle for existence is waged with 

 greater fierceness than it is among the denizens of our 

 own fields and woods. The great number of species as 



