Note on Some Characters in Ferns Subject to Mendelian Inheritance

HOUGH many natural hybrids have been described by various T writers and innumerable new forms of such species as Scolopendrium vulgare, Athgrium Filix-foemina and Polgstichum angular@ have been the result of fertilization, when spores of different varieties have been sown together (LOWE 18Q5), very few attempts at a genetical analysis have been made.This is the more astonishing as modern fern genera, e. g.Scolopendrium, Athgrium, Polystichum and Asplenium, as represented in some private collections, exhibit many features which are regarded as criteria of comparison and used as a basis for phyletic seriation in Ferns (e. g.BOWER 1923).Among such features the architecture and venation of the leaf are considered to be of importance.The contour, texture and venation of the expanded leaves in Ferns show great difference in detail.Various order of branching, outline of segments, their relation to one another and to the main rachis are features which offer easily observed criteria of comparison. (BOWER 1923).A t the present stage of our investigations only a few facts are available to demonstrate that the characters referred to above, together with others used in the systematic treatment of Ferns, are determined by factors which behave as Mendelian units.The experiments have, however, proceeded far enough to draw certain conclusions and to justify a preliminary note.