By B. D. Gilbert.
The State of New York has the largest area of any northern State east of
Michigan. It also possesses a great diversity of surface, with its two
mountain ranges, its numerous lakes, its interior salt basin, and its
seashore confined entirely to the southern extremity. On its eastern
side it stretches through more than four degrees of north latitude, and
as these are the degrees just south of the 45th parallel, it is easy to
understand that there is liable to be a greater intermixture of northern
and southern forms of ferns than there would be in a State lying farther
south. And the fact is that certain species from the north and others
from the south do meet within its borders. This also accounts for the
large number of species found in the State: California and Texas, the
one State having four times the area of New York, and the other five
times that area, being the only ones which contain as large or a larger
number of species.
For the purpose of fern classification, the State may be divided into
four distinct zones, as follows:
I. The Littoral.--This comprises Long Island and Staten Island. Only one
fern is peculiar to this zone, viz. _Woodwardia angustifolia_; but there
are two Lycopods, viz. _L. alopecuroides_ and its variety _adpressum_.
II. The Catskill Mountain Region, extending down to Manhattan
Island.--This being the southern mountain range of the State, it is here
that three southern species find their northern limit, viz. _Asplenium
Bradleyi_, _A. montanum_ and _Cheilanthes vestita_. It may be a question
whether the Connecticut stations for _Asplenium montanum_ lie farther
north than the New York stations, but it is certain that there can be
but little difference between them in this respect.
III. The Adirondack Region, extending as far south as Little
Falls.--Here there are a few of the northern species that descend to
their southern limit in this country. Among them may be mentioned
_Nephrodium fragrans_, _Polystichum Braunii_, _Woodsia glabella_, and
_W. hyperborea_. There are also two Lycopods to be included in this
list, _L. annotinum pungens_ and _L. Sitchense_.
IV. The Western Region, extending from the mountain regions to the
State's western boundary, the southern part drained by the Susquehanna
and its tributaries, and the northern part containing (a) _The Salt
Basin_ of Syracuse and its vicinity, the home of _Scolopendrium_ and
_Botrychium Onondagense_, and (b) _The Central Basin_, extending from
Little Falls to Oneida Lake, and drained by the Mohawk River, being
famous for its large number of _Botrychia_, some of which seem to be
almost, if not quite, peculiar to this region.
In the preparation of this list I have consulted various local floras
and other reports of the State, especially Paine's "Catalogue of Plants
Found in Oneida County and Vicinity;" the Annual Reports of the State
Botanist, "The Flora of the Upper Susquehanna," and the files of the
Fern Bulletin. I have also been favored with many notes from the State
Herbarium sheets by Professor Peck himself; while my own herbarium and
that of Dr. J. V. Haberer, of Utica, have been exceedingly useful in
fixing definite localities.
The plan I have followed is to include along with the species only such
varieties as seem to be most important and distinct.
Mr. Bush in _The Torrey Bulletin_ for June, 1903, enumerates 59 species
and varieties of ferns found in Texas. This compares well with our list
of 64 species and varieties in New York State, of which only 18 of these
are common to both States. Mr. Reverchon's list for Texas, published in
the Fern Bulletin, April, 1903, gives 51 ferns and 15 allies, or 66 in
all. The present list includes 53 species and 12 varieties of ferns, and
23 species and 7 varieties of fern allies. If we take Bush's ferns and
Reverchon's allies, there are 74 species and varieties known in Texas,
or 20 less than I have enumerated in New York.
Ophioglossaceae.
_Botrychium lanceolatum_ Angs. Open upland woods in the eastern part of
State. Not reported from western part. Scarce.
_Botrychium matricariaefolium_ A. Br. In same localities with _B.
lanceolatum_, but more plentiful.
_Botrychium obliquum_ Muhl. Grape fern. Abundant in pastures and
woodlands, especially in the central part of the State.
_Botrychium obliquum dissectum_ Clute. In similar places with _B.
obliquum_ and always associated with it. Frequent.
_Botrychium obliquum f. elongatum_ Gilbert & Haberer. Scarce in
pastures, eastern New York.
_Botrychium obliquum Habereri_ Gilbert. Scarce. Mohawk Valley, Catskill
Mts., and probably occasional elsewhere.
_Botrychium obliquum intermedium_ Clute. Pastures. Occasional in the
eastern part of the State.
_Botrychium obliquum matricarioides_ Gilbert. Beaver Lake. Lewis Co.;
Whitestown: _Gilbert_. I have seen no other specimens from this State,
but Dr. Underwood cites "Northern New England and New York." (_Osmunda
matricariae_ Schrank.)
_Botrychium obliquum Oneidense_ Clute. Pastures and open woods.
Occasional.
_Botrychium obliquum tenuifolium_ Gilbert. Field near top of mountain.
Shandaken, Ulster Co., _Mary F. Miller_. As I possess tracings of Dr.
Underwood's type specimens of B. _tenuifolium_ Und., I am able to say
that these specimens from Shandaken match the tracings completely. (_B.
tenuifolium_ Und.)
_Botrychium Onondagense_ Underwood. Within a radius of five miles from
Syracuse. The stations there are the only ones known in the State.
_Botrychium simplex_ E. Hitchcock. Damp meadows and sandy swamps in
Central and Northern New York. Also Wading River. L. I., _E. F. Miller_.
_Botrychium tenebrosum_ A. A. Eaton. Baldwinsville, _L. M. Underwood_;
Deerfield and Cedar Lake. _J. V. Haberer_. Probably not rare, but
escapes notice because of its minute size.
_Botrychium Virginianum_ Sw. Rattlesnake fern. In rich woods. Common.
_Ophioglossum vulgatum_ L. Frequent in damp ground throughout the State.
Osmundaceae.
_Osmunda cinnamomea_ L. Cinnamon fern. Swamps. Common.
_Osmunda Claytoniana_ L. Interrupted fern. Along roadsides and in
thickets.
_Osmunda regalis_ L. Royal fern. Widely spread, but not so abundant as
_O. Cinnamomea_.
Schizaeaceae.
_Lygodium palmatum_ Swz. Climbing fern. Hunter, Green Co. and McDonough,
Chenango Co., _Professor Peck_. The only localities known in the State.
Polypodiaceae.
_Adiantum pedatum_ L. Maiden hair. Plentiful throughout the State.
_Asplenium angustifolium_ Michx. Narrow-leaved Spleenwort. Damp, shady
soil, common.
_Asplenium Bradleyi_ D. C. Eaton. Near Newburg, _D. C. Eaton_;
Shawangunk Mts., _C. Lown_ in State Herbarium. Rare.
_Asplenium ebeneum_ Ait. Ebony Spleenwort. Frequent on edges of woods or
rocks throughout.
_Asplenium ebenoides_ R. R. Scott. Near Saugerties, Ulster Co., _C.
Lown_, in State Herbarium. Rare.
_Asplenium montanum_ Willd. On rocks about Lakes Mahonk and Minnewaska,
_Prof. C. H. Peck_. New Paltz, _H. Denslow_. Rare.
_Asplenium ruta-muraria_ L. Wall Rue Spleenwort. Limestone cliffs.
Helderberg Mts., _Professor Peck_. Spraker's and Chittenango Creek,
_Paine_. Little Falls, _Gilbert_. Not common.
_Asplenium Trichomanes_ L. Maiden hair Spleenwort. On limestone rocks.
Middle and eastern parts of the State. Localities comparatively few.
Common in the southern part, _Clute_.
_Athyrium filix-foemina_ Roth. Lady fern. Very common everywhere. About
15 varieties occur in State.
_Athyrium Thelypteroides_ Desv. Silvery Spleenwort. Damp woods. Common.
_Camptosorus rhizophyllus_ Link. Walking fern. On shaded rocks. Not
common but widely scattered.
_Cheilanthes vestita_ Swz. Rare. Washington Heights, Manhattan Island,
_W. W. Denslow_ in herb. Gilbert; Poughkeepsie, _Professor Peck_.
_Cystopteris bulbifera_ Bernh. Rocky banks and ravine sides near water.
Common in the central, rare in the southern part of the State.
_Cystopteris fragilis_ Bernh. Fragile Bladder fern. On gravelly
hillsides and moist rocks. Common. Two varieties of this are
occasionally met with, viz. _dentata_ Hook, and _magnasora_ Clute.
_Dicksonia pilosiuscula_ Willd. Abundant. Growing in large beds along
roadsides and in moist woodlands.
_Nephrodium Boottii_ Davenp. Frequent in damp woods throughout the
State.
_Nephrodium cristatum_ Michx. Crested fern. Common in swampy grounds.
_Nephrodium cristatum Clintonianum_ Gilbert. Growing generally with the
type.
_Nephrodium fragrans_ Rich. Fragrant Fern. Lake Avalanche and
Cascadeville on cliffs. _Professor Peck._ Rare.
_Nephrodium Goldienum_ Hook. Occasional in swampy ground throughout the
State.
_Nephrodium marginale_ Michx. Plentiful in rocky woods.
_Nephrodium Noveboracense_ Desv. New York fern. Common in damp woods and
thickets.
_Nephrodium simulatum_ Davenp. Middle Village, L. I., _Rev. G. D.
Hulst_; Babylon and Bellville, L. I., _W. N. Clute_; Oneida Lake, _H. D.
House_. Rare.
_Nephrodium spinulosum_ Desv. Probably rather common, but not
recognized. Grows in damp woods throughout the State.
_Nephrodium spinulosum dilatatum_ Baker. Infrequent. Catskill and
Adirondack Mts., _Professor Peck_; Yates Co., _Sartwell_. In more
elevated situations than the type.
_Nephrodium spinulosum f. intermedium._ Davenp. Our commonest woods
fern.
_Nephrodium theypteris_ Desv. Marsh fern. Abundant in wet ground,
whether shaded or not.
_Onoclea sensibilis_ L. Sensitive fern. Common in swampy ground.
_Pellaea atropurpurea_ Link. On cliffs both in eastern and western New
York. Scarce.
_Pellaea gracilis_ Hook. Slender Cliff Brake. Not common, but occurring
in many localities through the State. Always on rocks or cliffs.
_Phegopteris Dryopteris_ Fee. Common in rich, damp woods.
_Phegopteris hexagonoptera_ Fee. Rather scarce, but more frequent in the
southern and western parts of the State.
_Phegopteris polypodioides_ Fee. Common on wet rocks and in damp woods.
_Polypodium vulgare_ L. Common Polypody. Common on rocks.
_Polypodium vulgare cristatum_ Lowe. Rock City, Dutchess Co., _Charles
A. Coons_.
_Polystichum acrostichoides_ Schott. Christmas fern. Common in woods.
The variety _incisum_ with the type.
_Polystichum Braunii_ Lawson. Summit, Schoharie Co., Catskill and
Adirondack Mts., _Professor Peck_; Ilion ravine, _Rev. H. M. Simmons_ in
herb. Gilbert.
_Pteris aquilina_ L. Bracken. Common throughout the State.
_Pteris aquilina pseudocaudata_ Clute. The common form on many parts of
Long Island. _Clute._
_Scolopendrium vulgare_ J. E. Sm. Hart's tongue. Rare. Only in ravine of
Chittenango Creek, Green Lake, Jamesville and a few other stations in
the vicinity of Syracuse.
_Struthiopteris Germanica_ Willd. Ostrich fern. Frequent in the Valley
of the Mohawk and its tributaries. Western part of the State, _Torrey_;
Southern tier, _Clute_.
_Woodsia glabella_ R. Br. Crevices of rocky ledges at Lake Avalanche and
in the pass north of it, _Professor Peck_; Haines' Falls, Catskill Mts.,
_Professor Peck_. The station at Little Falls has been destroyed by
excavation.
_Woodsia hyperborea_ R. Br. Rare. Adirondack Mts. Only three stations
known--at Cascadeville, Lake Avalanche, and Ampersand Mt., _Professor
Peck_.
_Woodsia Ilvensis_ R. Br. Rusty Woodsia. On rocks and cliffs. Rather
scarce.
_Woodsia obtusa_ Torr. In rich woods and on rocks. Widely spread but not
common.
_Woodwardia angustifolia_ Sm. Flatbush and Middle Village, L. I.,
_Professor Peck_; Babylon and Bellville, L. I., _Clute_; Staten Island,
_Torrey_.
_Woodwardia Virginica_ Sm. Chain fern. Frequent in swamps from Long
Island to the western part of the State.
Equisetaceae.
_Equisetum arvense_ L. Field Horsetail. Very common in either wet or dry
soil. Mr. Eaton describes a dozen different forms.
_Equisetum fluviatile_ L. Borders of lakes and ponds. Not uncommon.
_Equisetum palustre_ L. Swamps near Buffalo, _Clinton_, according to
Eaton. Rare.
_Equisetum hiemale_ L. Scouring Rush. Very common in swampy and gravelly
places. Eaton describes seven forms.
_Equisetum hiemale intermedium_ A. A. Eaton. Oneida Lake, _Dr. J. V.
Haberer_. Rare.
_Equisetum scirpoides_ Michx. Shaded ravines and sphagnum marshes.
Widely scattered but scarce.
_Equisetum sylvaticum_ L. Wood Horsetail. Marshes and borders of woods.
Not uncommon. Eaton enumerates seven forms.
_Equisetum variegatum_ Schleich. Brisbin Swamp, _Coville_; Oriskany and
shores of Lake Ontario, _Paine_; Owasco Lake, _Prof. I. H. Hall_; along
W. Canada Creek, near Herkimer, _J. V. Haberer_.
Isoetaceae.
_Isoetes Amesii_ A. A. Eaton, sp. n. (_I. riparia Canadensis_ Engelm.
Also _I. Dodgei Eaton_.) Peekskill is the only known locality in this
State, but the species is very common in New England.
_Isoetes echinospora Braunii_ Engelm. The common form in New York State.
_Isoetes echinospora muricata_ Engelm. Lake Luzern, _A. A. Eaton_. Rare.
_Isoetes Engelmanni_ A. Br. Abundant along the Susquehanna river in
Broome and Tioga counties, _Clute_. New York City, _Buchheister_.
_Isoetes macrospora_ Durien. Catskill Mts., Schweinitz, according to A.
A. Eaton. (_I. lacustris paupercula Engelm._) Rare.
Lycopodiaceae.
_Lycopodium alopecuriodes_ L. Babylon, L. I., _Clute_. Rare.
_Lycopodium alopecuroides adpressum_ Chapm. Babylon, L. I., _Clute_;
Forbell's Landing, L. I., _M. Zimmerman_. Rare.
_Lycopodium alopecuroides_ f. _polyclavatum_ McDonald. Staten Island,
_Clute_. Rare.
_Lycopodium annotinum_ L. Damp woods. Rather scarce, especially in
western part of State.
_Lycopodium annotinum pungens_ Spring. Summits of Mt. Marcy and Mt.
McIntyre, _Professor Peck_.
_Lycopodium clavatum_ L. Common Club Moss. Abundant in open woods and
thickets. The var. _monastachyon_ Hook. was found on Bald Mt., Fulton
Chain, by Dr. Haberer.
_Lycopodium complanatum flabelliforme_, Fernald. Common.
_Lycopodium complanatum Wibbei_ var. n. J. V. Haberer. Scarce. Mohawk
Valley. Haberer in herb. Gilbert and in herb. Gray, No. 1,953.
_Lycopodium inundatum_ L. Bogs and borders of swamps. Frequent except in
southern and western part where it is rare.
_Lycopodium inundatum Bigelovii_ Tuckerm. Riverhead, L. I., _Professor
Peck_.
_Lycopodium lucidulum_ Michx. On damp grounds or rocks. Common.
_Lycopodium obscurum_ L. Woods. Common.
_Lycopodium Selago_ L. Summits of Mts. Marcy and McIntyre and in Indian
Pass. _Professor Peck._ Alpine and rare.
_Lycopodium Sitchense_ Rupr. In pass between Nipple Top and Mt. Colvin
and on side of Mt. Marcy, _Professor Peck_. Alpine and rare.
_Lycopodium tristachyum_ Pursh. Cold Spring Harbor, L. I., _Prof. F. E.
Lloyd_; Ray Brook, Essex Co., Caroga, Fulton Co., _Professor Peck_.
Alden Creek, _Gilbert_. Infrequent.
Salviniaceae.
_Azolla caroliniana_ Willd. Floating on water. Frequent. Cayuga Lake,
Black Creek, _Professor Peck_; in all side waters of Lake Ontario,
_Paine_.
Selaginellaceae.
_Selaginella apus_ Spring. Wet banks and pastures. Uncommon. Cedar Lake,
Herk. Co., _Paine_; borders of Rome swamps, _Kneiskern_; head of Oneida
Lake, _Haberer_; Unadilla, _Brown_.
_Selaginella rupestris_ Spring. On dry open rocks. Rather scarce. Little
Falls, _Paine_; Adirondacks. _Professor Peck_; Washington Heights, _W.
W. Denslow_. Plentiful in the extreme southeast, _Clute_.