﻿RARE FORM OF FERNS. -XI. 

 A FORKED EBONY FERN. 



Some day when the writer has time, he intends to 

 write an article on variations in ferns that may be ex- 

 pected and in that article he expects to place well in 

 the lead that form of variation which manifests itself 

 in a deeper cutting of the frond than 

 usual. In any species with toothed 

 pinnules one is sure to find a deeply 

 incised form if he searches long 

 enough. The same thing is true of 

 forking fronds. Every species may 

 be expected to fork. Indeed, one 

 might do as the students of violet 

 hybrids and fern "hybrids" do. re- 

 garding their forms and predicate a 

 theoretical forked crested and in- 

 cised form for each species. I am 

 not sure but what it would be an ex- 

 cellent thing to describe and name 

 these forms in advance, so that when 

 specimens were found it would only 

 be necessary to add to the descrip- 

 tion the place of collection and the 

 name of the collector. This would 

 save nomenclature from the inflic- 

 tion of a considerable number of 

 Jonesii's and Smiihii's in fern 

 names by which the collectors of 

 such things have been most doubt- 

 fully ''honored.' ' 

 Seriously, the collecting and naming of fern varia- 

 tions is a legitimate branch of fern study, provided 

 too great importance is not attached to the various 



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