Lucien Marcus Underwood

“ Wherever the sterile fronds had been entirely cut away, the variations appeared which approximated most closely to the sterile fronds.
2. Where the sterile fronds were only partly destroyed on one rhizoma, variations appeared not very divergent from the normal fertile fronds.
3. Where the sterile fronds remained intact, no variations were found, even after diligent search.
4. In places where the plants were too much reduced to bear fertile fronds under favorable conditions, no variations occurred, even when the sterile fronds were entirely cut away. ”

“ The meadow in which these forms were found was cut late in June, before the fertile fronds were grown, thus destroying the earlier-formed sterile fronds. The vitality of the plant thus finding no outlet save through the growing fertile fronds, and the plant requiring an expanse of foliage, a result was reached intermediate between the fertile and sterile fronds. ”