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1 

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6 

"The  cheerful  CDinmunity  of  the  polypody." 


How    to   Know   the    P'cins 


A   (;U1I)E 

TO  THE  NAMFS,   H.M  \TS,   AND  HABITS  OF 
Ol  R  (.C)M\1('N    ri-RNS 


By 

Frances  Thi-odora    l^ursons 

Aiitliot    nf  "  Hew    to    Ktii'tf    thf    lt',:W   Flovfs, 
"  A  c  cord  hi  I'  /i>   Sfii}:rrt,"    /-.ft. 


ll!ii:.Untf(l    >.V 

Marion   Satterlec   and   Alice  ju'jephinc  Smiih 


TO R () N  ro 
IHK  PI  hi.jshi:ks'  svNDir.xri. 

l,i  rn  i  t  (m1 


'•Tile  Llifci'tiii  oiiinnui;!ii\    ••!  ilit-  polvpudy," 


Ife 


i' 


How  to   Know  the   Ferns 


A   GUIDE 

TO  THE  NAMES,  HAUNTS,  AND  HABITS  OF 
OUR  COMMON  FERNS 


By 
Frances  Theodora   Parsons 

Author  of  "How   to   Knoiv   the    Wild  Flowtrs," 
"  According:  to  Season,"  Etc. 


Illustrated  by 
Marion  Satierlee  and  Alice  Josephine  Smith 


T  O  R  O  N  I  O 
THE    PUBLISHERS'    SYNDR:ArK 

Limited 
1S99 


163U)8 


Copynght,  1899.   by  Ch.rle.  Scnbner'.  Son. 
for  the  United  Statei  of  Am.rica 


"''nted  by  th.  T.w  Dit.ctory.   Pnnt.ng  .„d   Bookbinding  Co.p.ny 
New  York,  U.  S.  A, 


TO 


J.     R.     P.     JR. 


^ 


""•"*"*  '"  -^°"'  "■'■'  «"-■'■  '^  -*.  ».,vrf  ,..,>/,„.  w 

'""""■'"'  '"  '■'"■  *'*'"*  '"  -*-  ^o.r  „/,.  «,i  „,rf  „ 
not  so  easily  accomplished:' 

— Thoreau 


PREFACE 


Since  the  publication,  six  years  a<;o,  of  "  How  to 
Know  the  Wild  Flowers,"  I  have  received  such  con- 
vincing  testimony  of  the  eagerness  of  nature-lovers 
of  all  ages  and  conditions  to  familiarize  themselves 
with  the  inhabitants  of  our  woods  and  fields,  and  so 
many  assurances  of  th''  joy  which  such  a  familiarity 
affords,  that  I  have  prepa^-cd  this  companion  volume 
on  "  How  to  Know  the  Ferns."     It  has  been  my  ex- 
perience   that   the    world   of   delight    which   opens 
before  us  when  wc  are  admitted  into  some  sort  of 
intimacy  with  our  companions  other  than  human  is 
enlarged  with  each  new  society  into  which  we  win 

our  way. 

It  seems  strange  that  the  abundance  of  ferns 
everywhere  has  not  aroused  more  curiosity  as  to 
their  names,  haunts,  and  habits.  Add  to  this  abun- 
dance the  incentive  to  their  study  afforded  by  the 
fact  that  owing  to  the  comparatively  small  number 
of  species  we  can  familiarize  ourselves  with  a  large 


PREFACE 


proportion  of  our  native  ferns  during  a  single  sum- 
mer, and  it  is  still  more  surprising  that  so  lew  ellurts 
have  been  made  to  bring  them  within  easy  reach  of 
the  public. 

1  wish  to  acknowledge  my  indebtedness  to  the 
many  books  on  our  native  ferns  which  I  have  con- 
sulted, but  more  especially  to  Gray's  *'  Manual,"  to 
Eaton's  "  Ferns  of  N(jrth  America,"  to  the  "  Illus- 
trated Flora"  of  Messrs.  Britton  and  Brown,  to  Mr. 
Underwood's  "Our  Native  Ferns,"  to  Mr.  William- 
son's "  Ferns  of  Kentucky,"  to  Mr.  Dodge's  "  Ferns 
and  Fern  Allies  of  New  England,"  and  to  that  excel- 
lent little  (piartcrly,  which  I  recommend  heartily  to 
all  fern-lovers,  the  "Fern  Bulletin,"  edited  by  Mr. 
Clute. 

To  the  State  Botanist,  Dr.  Charles  M.  Peck,  who 
has  kindly  read  the  proof-sheets  of  this  book,  I  am 
indebted  for  many  suggestions;  also  to  Mr.  Arthur 
G.  Clement,  of  the  University  of  the  State  of  New 
York. 

To  Miss  Marion  Satterlee  thanks  are  due  not  only 
for  many  suggestions,  but  also  for  the  descriptions 
of  the  Woodwardias. 

The  pen-and-ink  illustrations  are  all  from  original 
drawings  by  Miss  Satterlee  and   Miss  Alice  Jose- 

vi 


PKLFACE 


phinc  Smith.  The  photographs  luivc  been  furnished 
by  Miss  Murray  Ledyard,  Miss  Madeline  Smith,  and 
Mr.  Augustus  Truyn. 

In  ahiiost  all  cases  I  have  followed  the  nomencla- 
ture of  Gray's  "Manual"  as  being  the  one  which 
would  be  familiar  to  the  majority  of  my  readers, 
giving  in  parentheses  that  used  in  the  "Illustrated 
Flora"  of  Messrs.  Britton  and  Brown. 


Fkanxes  Tiikodoka  Parsons 


Albany,  March  6,  1899 


Vll 


'J-t', 


^■" 


'"<•  //'CM  liwn^sf  fo  km^-w  a>ni 


full  .tn.i 


fo  rn/ov,  the  tnott 


on.f^Ut,  ,„u  I,,   ,;,^  (,,^,^,  fj^^^  ^ 


flht  of  living 


COMIENTS 


Paf/, 


Pfi'/au' 

Irriis  as  a  I  lobby  

IVIun  and  IVIurc  lo  I'hul  Irnis  . 

/txplaiialioii  of  Terms 

Irf/ili:afi'oii,  Dnrlopniciif.  and  I'nutilicalhn 


VII 


/5 


2H 


0, 


)f  lu'in: 


Notable  Irrn  i\imiUcs 
How  to  Use  the  Booli 


P 


i6 
38 


Gn/de     . 

Irrn  Deseriptions 
Group  I. 
Group  II  . 
Group  HI.  . 
Group  11/ .  . 
Group  V,  ■ 
Group  yi.  . 


40 


54 
67 
87 


lO'j 


120 


159 


IX 


CONTENTS 


j 


Index  to  Latin  Names 
Index  to  EnglisJi  Names    . 
Index  to  Technical  Terms 


Page 
.    211 

.    21^ 


1  'fi 


LIST  OF   PLATES 


*»♦  The  actual  sizes  of  fn-ns  arc  not  giccn  in  the  illustrations.     For  this 
information  see  the  correspoiiding  description 


PLATE 

1. 

II. 

III. 

IV. 

V. 

VI. 

VII. 

VIII. 


Sknsitive  Fern,  . 
OSIKUU   Fkrn, 
Ci.NNAMoN  Fern, 

ClKI.Y    (jR.\SS,     .      . 

Royal  Fern,    .     . 

INTERRUI'TEU    FERN, 

Adder's  Tongue, 


T  E  r  n  a  r  I-:      G  r  a  i'  e 


Fern, 


IX.     MOONWORT, 


Lance-leaved  G  r  a  p  e 


Fern, 


Otioclea  sensibiiis,  .  . 
O  HOC  lea  Stnithioptcris, 
Osmunda  ciiuiamomcii, 
SchiziCa  pusilla,  .  . 
Os III  Hilda  n\i^alis,  .  . 
Osmunda  Claytoniana, 
Opliioglossiiin  vitlgatitiii, 

I^otrychiiini  fcniatinii, 
Bolryc/itiiin  Lunaria,    . 

liotrychinm  lanceolatitiii. 


X. 

XI. 


Plrple  Glief  Brake,  .     Pcltica  atropurptirea, 

N  A  R  R  O  W  -  L  E  A  \'  E  D 


Sl'LEENWORT, 


XII.   Net-  V  e  i  ned  Ghain 


Fern, Woodwanlia  angustifoha, 


XIIT. 

XIV. 

XV. 

XVI. 

XVII. 

XVIII. 

XIX. 

XXI. 

XX. 

XXII. 

XXIII. 


Cheilanthes  vestita, 
Dickson  ia  pi  lost  use  it  In , 


Aspic 


Hairy  Lip  Fern,     . 

Hay-scented  Fern, 

Lady  Fern,     ... 

Silvery  Spleenwort,  . 

Rue  Spleenwort,    .     . 

Mountain     S  p  l  e  e  n  - 
\vort,  .... 

Ehony  Spleenwort,     . 

Scott's  Spleenwort.   . 

Green  Spleenwort,     . 

Pinnatifid    S  p  l  e  e  n  - 

wort, Aspleniuin  pinnatifidiin\ 

Bradley's    Spleen- 
wort,   Asplciiiuin  Bradlcyi, 


splciiiuiii  rilis-JiviiiiiKi, 

Aspleniuin  thclypteroidcs, 

Aspleniuin  Ruta-muyaria 

Aspleniuin  nionlaiiuni ,     . 

Aspleniuin  ebeneum,    .     . 

Aspleniuin  ebenoides,   . 

Asplcnitim  viride,  .     . 


rA(.K 
57 

6i 
f^5 

73 
79 

83 
85 

.    85 
■    91 


Aspleniuin  angitsti/oliiiin,     .     99 


103 

113 
115 
121 
125 
127 

I3» 

135 
141 

139 
143 
145 


LIST  OF  PLATES 


ii 


PLATE 

XXIV.    Virginia  Chain  Fern, 

XXV.    New  York  Fkkn, 

XXVI.    Marsh  Fern,    .     .     . 

XXVII.   Si'iNULOsE   Wood 

Fern, 

-XXVIII.    Boott'.s  Shield  Fern, 

XXIX.     C  rest  E  I)   S  H  IE  LD 

Fern, 

XXX.   Clinton  's     Wood 
Fern, 

XXXI.    GoLDiE's  Fern,      .     . 

XXXII.    Evercreen      W  o  o  d 

Fern, 

XXXIII.  Fragrant    Shield 

Fern, 

XXXIV.  Braun's  Hollv  Fkr.n. 

XXXV.    Broad   Beech    Fern, 

XXXVI.   Oak  Fern,   .... 

XXXVII.    Bllhlet    B l  a  d  d  e  r 

Fern 

XXXVIII.    Fragile    Bladder 

Fern, 

XXXIX.    Rusty  Woodsia,   .     . 
Xi..   Blunt-loijed    Wood- 
sia,   

XLI.    Northern    Woodsia, 
.\LII.    Smooth  Woodsia, 


ll^ooiiicardia  Virginica,  . 
A  spidimn  A^ovehoraccnsc, 
Aspidiitm    Thclyptcris,     . 

Aspidiuin   spinulosH/n,    var 

intermedium, 
Aspidium  Boottii,  .     .     . 

Aspidiiii/i  cristatn/n,     .     . 

Aspidiuin     cristatum.      Tar 

Clintonianuin, 
Aspidium    Goldianum, 

Aspidium  marginale, 

Aspidiuin  fragrans,    .     . 
Aspidium      aculeatum^     -■ar 

Braiinii, 

Phegopieris  hexagonoptera, 
Phegopteris  Dryopteris,    . 

Cystopteris  hulbifera,  .     . 

Cystopleris  fragilis,    .     . 
IVoodsia  liven  sis. 


Woodsia  ol'tusa, 
IVoodsia  hyperhorea , 
IVoodsia  glabella,   . 


PAGE 

161 
163 


167 
169 


171 
173 

175 
179 

183 
189 
191 

IQ5 

197 
199 

201 

205 
207 


xu 


LIST  OF   ILLUSTRATIONS 


' '  The  cheerful  community  of  the  polypody  "       ■    Frontispiece 

From  a  photoiyraph  by  Miss  Madeline  Smith. 

Page 

New  York  Fern    .... 
' '  The  greatest  charm  the  ferns  possess 


surroundings 

From  a  photograph  by  Mr.  Augustus 


Fiddleheads  . 

Fragile  Bladder  Fern 

Crested  Shield  Fern 

Purple  Cliff  Brake 

Ternate  Grape  Fern 

Evergreen  Wood  Fern 

Sensitive  Fern 

Cinnamon  Fern 

Royal  Fern  . 

Interrupted  Fern 

Climbing  Fern 

Rattlesnake  Fern 

Slender  Cliff  Brake 

"  The  unpromising  wall  of  rock  which  rose  beside  us ' 

From  a  photograph  by  Miss  Ledynrd. 

xiii 


is  that  of 

Pruyn. 


their 


XVI 
12 

.     i8 

•  19 
.     20 

22 

.     24 

•  27 

.  S'J 
.  60 
.    68 

'    74 

.  73 
.    80 

.    89 

.    94 


LIST^OF  :^LIISTRAT10NS 

More  compouihi  fromi  of  Purple  Cliff  Brake         .        .     g^ 
Christmas  Fern gy 

Narrow-leaved  Spleeuwort g8 

Brake /o6 

Maidenhair //o 

Mountain  Spleenwort /^o 

Mountain  Spleenwort /  ^2 

"  In  the  shaded  crevices  of  a  cliff"        .        .        .        .1^2 

From  (1  p/tol(\<;i;ip/i  hy  Miss  Madrltnr  Siinl/i. 

Maidenhair  Spleenwort /  J7 

IV at  king  Leaf /^6 

"  IVe  fairly  gloated  over  the  quaint  little  plants  "       .   148 

From  a  photograph  by  Miss  J.c/yar,/. 

Harfs  Tongue 75/ 

Marsh  Fern 162 

"  Like  the  plumes  of  departing  Summer ''     .        .       .  lyS 

From  a  photograph  by  Miss  Madeline  Smith. 

Common  Polypody 184 

Long  Beech  Fern i8j 

Oak  Fern igi 

Bulblet  Bladder  Fern 194 


xiv 


How  to  Know  the  Ferns 


I 


I 


New  York  Fern 


FERNS   AS   A   HOBBY 


I  THINK  it  is  Charles  Lamb  who  says  that  every 
man  should  have  a  hobhv,  if  it  be  nothiiii^  better 
than  collecting  strin^^s.  A  man  with  a  hobby  turns 
to  account  the  spare  moments.  A  holiday  is  a  de- 
light instead  of  a  bore  to  a  man  witli  a  hobby. 
Thrown  out  of  his  usual  occupations  on  a  holiday, 
the  average  man  is  at  a  loss  for  employment.  Pro- 
vided his  neighbors  are  in  the  same  h\',  he  can  play 
cards.  But  there  are  hobbies  and  hobbies.  As  an 
occasional  relaxation,  for  example,  nothing  can  be 
said  against  card-playing.  Hut  as  a  hobby  it  is  not 
much  better  than  "  collecting  strings."  It  is  neither 
broadening  mentally  nor  invigorating  physically, and 
it  closes  the  door  upon  other  interests  which  are  both. 
I  remember  that  once,  on  a  long  sea-voyage,  I  envied 
certain  of  my  fellow-passengers  who  found  amuse- 
ment in  cards  when  ihe  conditions  were  such  as  to 
make  almost  any  other  occujoation  out  of  the  ques- 
tion. But  when  finally  the  ship's  course  lay  along  a 
strange  coast,  winding  among  unfamiliar  islands, 
by  shores  luxuriant  with  tropical  vegetation  and 
sprinkled  with  strange  settlements,  all  affording  de- 


riKNS   AS   A    lloHltV 

lij;lil  to  {he  eye  and  iiilcrrst  to  \\\c  mind,  (licsc 
players  w  Ijo  had  toiur  abroad  solely  lor  instnirlion 
and  pleasuie  could  not  be  enlit cd  Iroiii  tlieii'  lables, 
and  I  thanked  my  stars  that  I  had  not  fallen  under 
t  he  stnlt  iiyini;-  sway  of  caids.  Much  the  sainej^rati- 
tndi' is  aroused  when  I  see  men  and  women  spendin;^' 
precious  summei"  days  indoois  over  t he  eard-table 
when  they  mii;ht  be  bi'eathin*;'  the  fra«;rant,  lile- 
i;ivin};'  air.  and  rejoicing;  in  the  beauty  and  interest 
of  the  woods  and  fields. 

All  thini;s  considered,  a  hobby  that  takes  us  out. 
of  doors  is  the  best.  The  dilTe'ent  open-air  sports 
may  be  c  hissed  under  this  head.  The  chief  lack  in 
the  artiluial  sj^oits,  such  as  j)olo,  i;()lf,  i)asel)all,  etc., 
as  oppt)sed  to  the  natural  si)orts,  huntin.';  and  tish- 
iui;-,  is  that  while  they  are  invaluable  as  a  means  of 
health  and  relaxation,  they  do  not  lead  to  other  and 
broader  interests,  while  many  a  boy-hunter  lias  de- 
veloped into  a  naturalist  as  a  result  of  lonjj^  days  in 
the  woods.  1  luntins;-  and  lishinj^  would  seem  almost 
perfect  recreations  were  it  not  for  the  life-takin<^ 
element,  which  may  become  brutaliziui^.  1  wish 
that  every  mother  who  believes  in  the  value  of 
natural  sport  for  her  youni^  boys  would  set  her 
face  sternly  against  any  takin*^  of  life  that  cannot  be 
justihed  on  the  orround  of  man's  needs,  cither  in  the 
way  of  protection  or  sup])ort. 

The  ideal  hobbv,  it  seems  to  mc,  is  one  that  keeps 
us  in  the  open  air  among  inspiring  surroundings, 
with  the  knowledge  of  natural  objects  as  the  end  in 
view.     The  study  of  plants,  of  animals,  of  the  earth 


f 


m;kns  as  a  iinnnY 


ilscif,  hot.'iiiy,  y.oi'An^y,  or  j^colo^^y,  Miiy  one  <>l  (licsc 
will  .'iiiswcr  the  varied  i('(|iiirt'mcnls  oi  an  ideal 
liohhy.  I'otciiliall  V  IIk'V  possess  all  I  lie  ficinciils  ol 
sport.  ()ff('ii  llicy  rc([iiirc  not  only  jici severance 
and  skill  bnt  conraj^c;  and  daiinj^.  'I'liry  aic  a 
means  ol  liealtli,  a  relaxation  to  the  mind  irom  ordi- 
nary eares,  and  an  ahsorhinj^  inteicst.  Anv  <»ne  of 
them  may  be  used  as  a  doorway  to  the  ollicrs. 

II  parents  realized  tlu;  valne  to  their  childrens' 
minds  and  bodies  ol  a  love  loi"  plants  and  ain'mals, 
of  any  snch  hoi)l)y  as  birds  or  bntterllies  or  tices  or 
flowers,  lam  sure  they  woidd  take  more  |>ains  to 
encourage  the  interest  which  instinctively  a  child 
feels  in  these  thiiiij^s.  It  must  be  because  su(  h  real- 
ization  is  lackin<j^  that,  we  see  parents  ap|)ai(ntly 
either  too  indolent  or  too  ii^norant  to  shaie  the 
enthusiasm  and  to  satisfy  the  curiosity  awakened 
in  the  child's  active  mind  by  natural  objects. 

Of  course  it  is  possible  that  owin^  to  the  stranjj^e 
reticence  of  many  children,  parents  may  be  uncr)n- 
scious  of  the  existence  of  any  enthusiasm  or  curiosity 
of  this  sort.  As  a  little  child  I  was  so  eai^er  to  kiKnv 
the  names  of  the  wild  flowers  that  I  went  thr(ju^li 
my  ^grandfather's  library,  examinini^  book  after  book 
on  flowers  in  the  vain  hope  of  acquirini^  the  desired 
information.  Always  after  more  or  less  tedious 
reading,  for  I  was  too  youn^^  to  master  tables  of 
contents  and  introductions,  I  would  discover  that 
the  volume  under  examination  was  devoted  to 
garden  flowers.  But  I  do  not  remember  that  it  oc- 
curred to  me  to  tell  anyone  what  I  wanted  or  to  ask 


FHRNS  AS   A   IIOMHY 


for  h('l|).  rinally  I  It'anicd  tliat  a  hook  on  the  siih- 
jcct,  written  "  for  yoiiiijj;  i)i'f)|)lc,"  was  in  existence, 
and  I  asked  my  mother  to  buy  it  for  me.  The  rc- 
(juest  was  ^ratifietl  promptly  and  I  i)lo(hled  thronpfh 
the  i^reliminary  matter  ol  "  I  low  IMants  Grow  "  to 
find  that  I  was  (luite  unable  to  master  the  key,  and 
tliat  any  knowledi^e  of  the  (lowers  that  louKl  apjxal 
to  mv  child-mind  was  locked  away  fiom  me  as  hope- 
lessly as  befoie.  Kyen  thoui^h  my  one  expressed 
wish  had  been  so  ;j^ladly  met,  1  did  not  confide  to 
otliers  my  peri)lexity,  but  surrendered  sadly  a  cher- 
ished (beam.  Owinj;  lai*j^ely,  I  belieye,  to  the  re- 
action from  this  disaj)pointment,  it  was  many  years 
before  1  attemi)te(l  ai^ain  to  wrestle  with  a  botan- 
ical key,  or  to  learn  the  names  of  the  llowers. 

I  low  much  was  lost  by  yieldini;  too  easily  to  dis- 
courai^ement  I  not  only  realize  now,  but  1  realized 
it  partially  durins^  the  lonj^  i)eriod  when  the  j)lants 
\ycre  nameless.  Amon<^  the  flowers  whose  faces 
were  familiar  thoui^h  their  names  were  unknown,  I 
felt  that  I  was  not  makini;  the  most  of  my  oppor- 
tunities. And  when  I  met  plants  which  \ycrc  both 
new  and  nameless,  I  was  a  stran<^er  indeed.  In  the 
English  woods  and  alonjj^  the  loyely  English  riyers, 
by  the  rushing  torrents  and  in  the  Alpine  meadows 
of  Switzerland,  on  the  mountains  of  Brazil,  I  should 
have  felt  myself  less  an  alien  had  I  been  able  then 
as  now  to  detect  the  kinship  between  foreign  and 
North  American  plants,  and  to  call  the  strangers  by 
names  that  were  at  least  partially  familiar. 

To  the  man  or  woman  who  is  somewhat  at  home 


i 


FtKNS  AS  A  HOBBY 


-J 


ill  till-  |»laiit-\v<)i  1(1,  travel  is  (luilc  a  dilfcinit  ihiiij^ 
iioiii  u  liat  it  is  to  one  who  docs  not  know  a  mint 
from  a  iiiustaid.  I'lic  shortest  jouincy  to  a  new 
loialit  \  is  lull  ol  intcrt'st  to  the  travellc  r  who  is  striv- 
iii"--  to  kni-thcii  his  list  of  plant  acciuaintances.  'I'he 
tedious  waits  around  the  railway  station  are  wel- 
c(juied  as  opportunities  lor  Iresh  discoveries.  The 
slow  local  train  receives  hlessinj^s  insteacl  of  anath- 
cuKis  because  ot  the  supeiiority  ol  its  windows  as 
posts  ol  observation.  The  Ioiil;  sta<;e  ride  is  too 
short  to  satisly  the  |)lant-lover  who  is  keeping  count 
of  the  dilferenl  species  by  the  roadside. 

While  crcjssini;  the  C(jntinent  on  the  Canadian 
l^acitic  Railway  a  few  years  ai^o,  the  days  spent  in 
traversing  the  vast  plains  east  ol   iIk-  Rockies  were 

days  of  keen  enjovrnent  on  account  of  the  new 
plants  seen  from  my  window  and  j^atheied  breath- 
lessly for  identificatio!!  durini^  the  brie!  stoj)s.  Hut 
to  most  of  niv  fellow-passcnij^ers  thev  were  days  of 
unmitigated  boredom.  They  could  not  comprehend 
the  reluctance  with  which  I  met  each  nii;htfall  as 
an  interruption  to  my  watch. 

When,  final! v,  one  cold  June  mornini^  we  climbed 
the  i^lorious  Canadian  I-vockies  and  were  driven  to 
the  hotel  at  lianff,  where  we  were  to  rest  for 
twenty-four  hours,  the  enjoyment  of  the  previ(jus 
weelv  was  crowned  bv  sceiiii?  the  dinim^-room  tables 
decorated  with  a  flower  which  1  had  never  suc- 
ceeded in  finding-  in  the  woods  at  home.  It  was  the 
lovely  little  orchid,  Calypso  horra/is,  a  shy,  wild 
creature  which   had  been  brouirht  to  me  from   the 


FERNS  AS  A   HOBBY 


mountains  of  Vermont.  It  seemed  almost  desecra- 
tion to  force  tliis  little  aristocrat  to  consort  with  the 
pepper-pots  and  pickles  of  a  hotel  dinin<^-room.  In 
ni)'  eai^erness  U)  see  Calypso  in  her  forest-home  1 
could  scarcely  wait  to  eat  the  breakfast  for  which  a 
few  UKMuents  before  1  had  been  painfully  hunj^ry. 

Unfortunately  the  waiters  at  lianff  were  proved 
as  ruthless  as  vandals  in  other  parts  of  the  world. 
Amontr  the  pines  that  clothed  the  lower  mountain- 
sides I  found  many  plants  of  Calypso,  but  only  one 
or  two  of  the  delicate  blossoms  had  been  left  to 
(gladden  the  eyes  of  those  who  love  to  see  a  iiower 
in  the  wild  beauty  of  its  natural  surroundings. 

That  same  eventful  day  had  in  store  for  me  an- 
other delight  as  the  result  of  my  love  for  plants. 
For  a  long  time  I  had  wished  to  know  the  shooting- 
star,  a  flower  with  whose  general  appearance  from 
pictures  or  from  descriptions  I  was  familiar.  I 
knew  that  it  grew  in  this  part  of  the  world,  but  dur- 
ing a  careful  search  of  the  woods  and  meadows  and 
of  the  banks  of  the  rushing  streams  the  only  shoot- 
inir-star  I  discovered  was  a  faded  blossom  which 
someone  had  picked  and  flung  upon  the  mountain- 
path.  Late  in  the  afternoon,  having  given  up  the 
hope  of  any  fresh  find,  I  went  for  a  swim  in  the 
warm  sulphur  pool.  While  paddling  about  the  clear 
water,  revelling  in  the  beauty  of  the  surroundings 
and  the  sheer  physical  joy  of  the  moment,  my  eyes 
fell  suddenly  on  a  cluster  of  pink,  cyclamen-like 
blossoms  springing  from  the  oj)posite  rocks.  I 
recognized  at  once  the  pretty  shooting-star. 

6 


FERNS  AS  A  HOBBY 

Two  clays  later,  at  Glacier,  I  had  ane^thcr  pleas- 
ure from  the  same  source  in  the  discovery  of  great 
beds  of  nodding-  golden  lilies,  the  western  species 
of  adder's  tongue,  growing  close  to  white  helds  of 
snow. 

"  Ten  thousand  saw  I  at  a  glance, 
Tossiny;  their  heads  in  sprightly  dance." 

The  enjoyment  of  the  entire  trip  to  the  Pacific 
coast,  of  the  voyage  among  the  islands  and  glaciers 
of  Alaska,  and  of  the  journey  home  through  the 
Yellowstone  and  across  our  Western  prairies,  was 
increased  indescribably  by  the  new  plants  1  learned 
to  know. 

The  pleasure  we  take  in  literature,  as  in  travel,  is 
enhanced  by  a  knowledge  of  nature.  Not  only  are 
we  able  better  to  appreciate  writers  on  nature  so 
original  and  inspiring  as  Thoreau,  or  so  charming  as 
John  Burroughs,  but  such  nature-loving  poets  as 
Wordsworth,  Lowell,  Bryant,  and  countless  others, 
mean  inhnitely  more  to  the  man  or  w^oman  who  with 
a  love  of  poetry  combines  a  knowledge  of  the  plants 
and  birds  mentioned  in  the  poems. 

Books  of  travel  are  usually  far  more  interesting  if 
we  have  some  knowledge  of  botany  and  zoology. 
This  is  also  true  of  biographies  which  deal  with  men 
or  women  who  find  either  their  work  or  their  recre- 
ation— and  how  many  men  and  women  who  have 
been  powers  for  good  may  be  counted  in  one  class 
or  the  other— in  some  department  of  natural  science. 
One  fascinating  department  of  nature-study,  that 


riiKNS   AS  A   HOBBY 


of  fciMS,  li.is  received  Init  little  attention  in  this 
country.  Within  the  last  lew  years  we  hayc  betMi 
supplied  with  excellent  and  ineNj)ensiye  hand-books 
U)  our  birds,  butterllies,  trees,  and  llowers.  15ul  so 
far  as  I  know,  wilh  the  e\ceptit)n  ol  Mr.  William- 
son's little  volume  on  the  "Ferns  oi  Kentucky," 
we  have  no  book  with  suHicient  text,  and  illustra- 
tions within  the  leach  ol  the  brains  and  purse  of  the 
avera<;c  fern-lover,  in  hjii;land  one  finds  books  of 
all  sizes  and  prices  on  the  l{ni;lish  ferns,  while  our 
beautiful  Ameiican  ferns  are  almost  unknown,  owing 
probably  to  the  lack  of  attractive  and  inexpensive 
fern  literature,  l^^aton's  finely  illustrated  work  on 
the  "  Ferns  of  Noith  America"  is  entirely  out  of  the 
(juestion  on  account  ol  itsexj)ense;  and  the  "Illus- 
trated Flora  "  of  Britton  cV  Brown  is  also  beyond  the 
reach  of  the  ordinaiT  plant-lover.  Miss  Price's 
"Fern  Collectors'  I  land-book"  is  helpful,  but  it  is 
without  descriptive  text,  "Our  Native  Ferns  and 
their  Allies,"  bv  Mr.  Underwood,  is  exhaustive  and 
authoritative,  but  it  is  extremely  technical  and  the 
different  species  are  not  illustrated.  Mr.  Dodge's 
j)amphlet  on  the  "Ferns  and  Fern  Allies  of  New 
Fngland  "  is  excellent  so  far  as  it  goes,  the  descrip- 
tions not  being  so  technical  as  to  confuse  the  be- 
ginner. Bnt  this  also  is  not  illustrated,  while  Mr. 
Knobel's  i)amphlet,  "The  Ferns  and  Evergreens  of 
New  England,"  has  clear  black-and-white  illustra- 
tions of  many  species,  but  it  has  no  text  of  impor- 
tance. 

In  view  of  the  singular  grace  and  charm  of  the  fern 

8 


TEKNS^AS   A   HOBBY 

tribe,  iKifcnt  to  thr  most   caiTk-ss  ohscrvcr,  lliis  lack 
<>l   Icni  litcratiiic   is  smpiisin-.      ||    is  i)()ssil)lc  ll.at, 
Tliorcau  is  rin|i(   in  daimino   llial  "  wc  all   fed   ll.c 
ferns  to  l)c  lai  thcr  Ironi  us  csscniially  and  sy.npatlict- 
icallv  than  the  i)licMi(),-ani(,ns  plants,  1  he  roses  and 
u'ceds  for  inslancc."     'I'his  may  he   true  in  spile  ol 
Ihe  fact   that  to  some  of  us    the  charm  of  ferns  is 
as  great,  iheir  beauty  more  subtle,  than  that  ol  the 
flowerin-    plants,   and    to    learn   to   i<now   them    by 
name,  to  trace  them  to  their  homes,  and   to  observe 
their   liabits   is  attended    with  an    inierest  as   keen, 
perhaps  keener,  than  Ihat  udiicli  attends  the  study 
of  the  names,  haunts,  and  habits  of  the  flowers. 

That  ferns  possess  a  j)eculiar  power  of  blinding 
their  votaries  to  the  actual  position  they  occupy 
in  the  minds  of  people  in  -eneral  seems  to  me  evi- 
denced l)y  the  following  cpiotations,  taken  respec- 
tively from  Mr.  Underwoods  and  Mr.  Williamson's 
introductions. 

So  competent  and  coldly  scientihc  an  authority 
as  Mr.  Underwood  ()i)cns  his  b(;ok  with  these 
words  : 

"  In  the  entire  vcgctalile  world  there  are  probably 
no  forms  of  growth  that  attract  more  general  notice 
than  the  Ferns." 

The  lack  of  fern  literature,  it  seems  to  me,  proves 
the  fallacy  of  this  statement.  If  ferns  had  been 
more  generally  noticed  than  other  "  forms  of 
growth  "  in  the  vegetable  world,  surely  more  would 
have  been  written  on  the  subject,  and  occasionally 
someone  besides  a  botanist  would  be  found  who  could 

Q 


FERNS  AS  A  HOBBY 


name  correctly  more  than  three  or  four  of  our  com- 
mon wayside  ferns. 

In  his  introduction  to  tlic  *'  Ferns  of  Kentucky," 
Mr.  Williamson  asks:  "Who  would  now  think  of 
going  to  the  country  to  spend  a  few  days,  or  even 
one  day,  without  first  inquiring  whether  ferns  are 
to  be  found  in  the  locality?" 

Though  for  some  years  1  have  been  interested  in 
ferns  and  have  made  many  all-day  country  expedi- 
tions with  various  friends,  I  do  not  remember  ever 
to  have  heard  this  question  asked.  Yet  that  two 
such  writers  as  Mr.  Underwood  and  Mr.  William- 
soi\  could  imagine  the  existence  of  a  state  of  things 
so  contrary  to  fact,  goes  far  to  prove  the  fascination 
of  the  study. 

To  the  practical  mind  one  of  the  great  advantages 
of  ferns  as  a  hobby  lies  in  the  fact  that  the  number 
of  our  native,  that  is,  of  our  northeastern,  ferns  is  =]0 
comparatively  small  as  to  make  it  an  easy  matter  to 
learn  to  know  by  name  and  to  see  in  their  homes 
perhaps  two-thirds  of  them. 

On  an  ordinary  walk  of  an  hour  or  two  through 
the  fields  and  woods,  the  would-be  fern  student 
can  tamiliarize  himself  with  an3'where  from  ten 
to  fifteen  of  the  ferns  described  in  this  book. 
During  a  summer  holiday  in  an  average  locality 
he  should  learn  to  know  by  sight  and  by  name 
from  twenty-five  to  thirty  ferns,  while  in  a  really 
good  neighborhood  the  enthusiast  who  is  willing 
to  scour  the  surrounding  country  from  the  tops 
of   the    highest    mountains    to    the    depths    of   the 


i 


lO 


FERNS  AS  A   HOBBY 


I 


wildest  ravines  may  ho})e  to  extend  his  list  into  the 
forties. 

During  the  past  year  several  lists  of  the  ferns  found 
i)n  a  sini^le  walk  or  within  a  certain  radius  have 
been  published  in  the  Ftrfi  />'////<//;/,  leadini;  to  some 
rivalry  between  fern  students  who  claim  precedence 
for  their  pet  localities. 

Mr.  Underwood  has  found  twenty-seven  species 
within  the  immediate  vicinity  of  Green  Lake,  Onon- 
daiL^a  County,  N.  V.,  and  thirty-four  species  within 
a  circle  whose  diameter  is  not  ove-    three  miles. 

Mrs.  E.  11.  Terrv,  on  a  two-hours'  walk  near 
Dorset,  Vt.,  did  still  better.  She  found  thirty-thn, '; 
species  and  four  varieties,  while  Miss  Margaret 
Slosson  has  broken  the  record  by  finding  thirty-nine 
species  and  eight  varieties,  near  Pittsford,  Rutland 
County,  V^t.,  within  a  triangle  formed  by  "the  end 
of  a  tamarack  swamp,  a  field  less  than  a  mile  away, 
and  some  limestone  cliffs  three  miles  from  both 
the  field  and  the  end  of  the  swamp." 

Apart  from  the  interest  of  extending  one's  list  of 
fern  acquaintances  is  that  of  discovering  new  sta- 
tions for  the  rarer  species.  It  was  my  good  fortune 
last  summer  to  make  one  of  a  party  which  found 
a  i)reviously  unknown  station  for  the  rare  Hart's 
Tongue,  and  1  experienced  the  thrill  of  excitement 
which  attends  such  an  experience.  The  other  day, 
in  looking  over  Torre3''s  "  Flora  of  New  York,"  1 
noticed  the  absence  of  several  ferns  now  known  to 
be  natives  of  this  State.  When  the  fern  student 
realizes  the  possibility  which  is  always  before  him 

II 


FEKNS  AS   A   HOBBY 

of  lincliiii^  a  new  station  for  a  larc  fern,  and  thus 
adclinj^  an  item  ol  value  to  the  natural  history  uf  the 
State,  he  should  be  stimulated  to  fresh  zeal. 

Other  inteix'sting'  i)ossil)ilities  are  those  of  discover- 
ing" a  new  varietv  an<l  ol  chaneini;"  ujxjn  those  fork(.'d 
or  crested  fronds  which  a{)|)ear  occasionallv  in  man}- 
s])ecies.  These  unusual  tonus  not  only  ])osscss  the 
charm  of  rarity  and  sometimes  of  intrinsic  beauty, 
but  they  are  interesting  because  of  the  light  it  is  be- 
lieved they  may  throw  on  problems  ot  fern  ancestry. 
To  this  department  of  fern  study,  the  discovery  and 
development  of  abnormal  forms,  much  attention  is 
j)aid  in  England.  In  Lowe's  "British  Ferns"  1 
hnd  described  between  thirty  and  forty  varieties  of 
Polypodiuni  vulgarc,  while  the  varieties  of  Scolopcn- 
driuiii  vulgare,  our  rare  Hart's  Tongue,  extend  into 
the  hundreds. 

The  majority  of  ferns  mature  late  in  the  summer, 
irivinir  the  student  the  advantage  of  several  weeks 
or  months  in  which  tf)  observe  their  growth.  Many 
of  our  most  interesting  flowers  bloom  and  perish  be- 
fore we  realize  that  the  spring  is  really  over.  There 
are  few  flower  lovers  who  have  not  had  the  sense  of 
being  outwitted  by  the  rush  of  the  season.  Every 
year  [  make  api)ointments  with  the  different  plants 
to  visit  them  at  their  flowering  time,  and  nearly 
every  year  1  miss  some  such  appointments  through 
failure  to  a})preciate  the  short  lives  of  these  fragile 
blossoms. 

A  few  of  the  ferns  share  the  early  habits  common 
to  so  many   flowers.     But  usually  we  can  hope  to 

12 


J 


the 

vcr- 

-kccl 

lany 

i  the 

luty, 

s  be- 

:stry. 

xm  is 
is"    1 
ics  ot 
)lopcn- 
\  into 

nnier, 
weeks 
Many 
sh  be- 
There 
nse  ol 
Every 
plants 
nearly 
rough 
fragile 

)mmon 
ope  to 


The  greatest  cliann  tlie  fcTiis  possess  is  that  ni  their  surromidinys." 


I 

1 


FHRNS   AS   A    llOliiiY 


fiiKl  llicni  in  tlicir  |)rinic  wlicn  most  of  the  llowcrs 
liavc  disappeared. 

To  nie  tlie  j^rcatest  charm  the  ferns  possess  is  tliat 
of  tlicir  surroundings.  No  othf  r  plants  know  so 
well  how  to  choose  their  haunts.  If  you  wisli  to 
know  tlic  ferns  you  must  foUow  them  to  Nature's 
most  sacred  retreats.  In  remote,  tanjj^led  swamps, 
ovcrhans^ini;  the  swift,  noiseless  brook  in  the  heart 
of  the  forest,  close  to  the  rush  of  the  foaminjj^  water- 
fall, in  the  depths  of  some  dark  ravine,  or  perhaps 
hii^h  up  on  mountain-led^j^es,  where  the  air  is  purer 
and  the  world  wider  and  life  more  beautiful  than  we 
had  fancied,  these  wild,  ji^raceful  thinij^s  are  most  at 
home. 

You  will  never  learn  to  know  the  ferns  if  you 
expect  to  make  their  accjuaintance  from  a  carriaj^c, 
alon*^  the  hi<^hway,  or  in  the  interval  between  two 
meals.  For  their  sakes  you  must  renounce  indolent 
habits.  You  must  be  willin<^  to  tramp  tirelessly 
throui^h  woods  and  across  fields,  to  climb  mountains 
and  to  scramble  down  <^orgcs.  You  must  be  con- 
tent with  what  luncheon  you  can  carry  in  your 
pocket.  And  let  me  tell  3'ou  this.  When  at  last 
you  flin^-  yourself  upon  some  bed  of  sprin^-ini;-  moss, 
and  add  to  your  sandwich  cresses  fresh  and  drip- 
pint^  from  the  neighborini^  brook,  you  will  eat  your 
simple  meal  with  a  relish  that  never  attends  the 
most  elaborate  luncheon  within  four  walls.  And 
when  later  you  surrender  yourself  to  the  delicious 
sense  of  fatigue  and  drowsy  relaxation  which  steals 
over   you,    mind    and    body,    listening    half-uncon- 

13 


FERNS  AS  A   HOBBY 

sciously  to  tlic  plaintive,  lonjj^-clrawii  notes  of  the 
wood-birds  and  the  sharp  "  tsing "  of  the  locusts, 
breathing  the  minj^led  fragrance  of  the  mint  at  your 
feet  and  the  pines  and  hemlocks  overhead,  you  will 
wonder  vasjuely  why  on  summer  days  you  ever 
drive  aloni^  the  dusty  hi^h-road  or  oat  indoors  or  do 
any  of  the  flavorless  conventional  thini^s  that  con- 
sume so  large  a  portion  of  our  lives. 

Of  course  what  is  true  of  other  out-door  studies  is 
true  of  the  study  of  ferns.  Constantly  your  curiosity 
is  aroused  by  some  bird-n(jte,  some  tree,  some  gor- 
geously colored  butterfly,  and,  in  the  case  of  ferns 
especially,  by  some  outcropping  rock,  which  make 
you  eager  to  follow  up  other  branches  of  nature- 
study,  and  to  know  by  name  each  t:ee  and  bird  and 
butterfly  and  rock  you  meet. 

The  immediate  result  of  these  long  haj)py  days  is 
that  "^oldcn  doze  of  mind  which  follows  upon  much 
exercise  in  the  open  air,"  the  "ecstatic  stupor" 
which  Stevenson  supposes  to  be  the  nearly  chronic 
condition  of  "open-air  laborers."  Surely  there  is 
no  such  preventive  of  insomnia,  no  such  cure  for 
nervousness  or  morbid  introspection  as  an  absorb- 
ing out-door  interest.  Body  and  mind  alike  are 
invigorated  to  a  degree  that  cannot  be  appreciated 
by  one  who  has  not  experienced  the  life-giving 
power  of  some  such  close  and  loving  contact  with 
nature. 


14 


WHEN  AND  WHERE  TO  FIND  FERNS 


Mnar; 


"  It  is  no  use  to  direct  our  steps  to  the  woods  if  (hey  do  not 
carry  us  thither.  I  am  alarmed  when  it  hajipens  that  I  have 
walked  a  mile  into  the  woods  bodily,  without  getting  there  in 
spirit." — TJwreau. 


WHEN  AND  WHERE  TO  FIND  FERNS 


H 


(In  not 

I   liave 

here   in 


It  is  in  early  spring  that  one  likes  to  take  uj)  for 
the  first  time  an  out-door  study.  But  if  you  bco^in 
your  search  for  ferns  in  March,  when  the  woods  are 
yielding  a  few  timid  blossoms,  and  the  air,  still 
pungent  with  a  suggestion  of  winter,  vibrates  to  the 
lisping  notes  of  newly  arrived  birds,  you  will  haidly 
be  rewarded  by  finding  any  but  Ihe  evergreen  spe- 
cies, and  even  these  are  not  likely  to  be  especially 
conspicuous  at  this  season. 

Usually  it  is  the  latter  part  of  April  before  the 
pioneers  among  the  lerns,  the  great  Osmundas,  push 
up  the  big,  woolly  croziers,  or  fiddleheads,  which 
will  soon  develop  into  the  most  luxuriant  and  trop- 
ical-looking  plants  of  our  low  wet  woods  and  road- 
sides. 

At  about  the  same  time,  down  among  last  year's 
Christmas  Ferns,  you  find  the  rolled-up  fronds  of 
this  year,  covered  with  brown  or  whitish  scales. 
And  now  every  day  for  many  weeks  will  appear 
fresh  batches  of  young  ferns.  Someone  has  said 
that  there  is  nothing  more  aggressively  new-born 
than    a   young   fern,    and    this    thought    will    recur 

17 


I 


WHEN   AND  WHERE  TO   FIND  FERNS 

constantly  as  you  chance  upon  the  little  wrinkled 
crozier-like  fronds,  whether  they  are  bundled  up  in 

wrappinj^s  of  soft  wool  and  pro- 
tected by  a  garment  of  overlap- 
j)ing  scales,  or  whether,  like  many 
of  the  later  arrivals,  they  come 
into  the  world  as  naked  and  puny 
as  a  human  baby. 

Once  uncurled,  the  ferns  lose 
quickly  this  look  of  infancy,  and 
embody,  quite  as  effectively,  even 
the  hardiest  and  coarsest  among 
them,  the  slender  grace  of  youth. 
Early  in  Ma)-  we  find  the  Osmun- 
das  in  this  stage  of  their  develop- 
ment. The  Royal  Fern,  smooth 
and  delicate,  is  now  flushing  the 
wet  meadows  with  its  tender  red. 
In  the  open  woods  and  along  the 
roadside  the  Interrupted  and  the 
Cinnamon  Ferns  wear  a  green 
equally  delicate.  These  three 
plants  soon  reach  maturity  and 
are  conspicuous  by  reason  of  their 
unusual  size  and  their  flower- 
like fruit-clusters. 

On  the   rocky   banks  of  the 
brook,  or  perhaps  among  the 
^^  spreading  roots  of  some  forest- 
tree,  the  Fragile  Bladder  Fern 
unrolls     its     tremulous    little 
i8 


^ 


Fiddleheada 


WHEN   AND   WHERE   TO  FIND   FERNS 


inkled 
up  in 

i   pro- 

^erlap- 
many 
come 

1  puny 

s    lose 
y,  and 
I,  even 
among 
youth, 
^smun- 
evelop- 
smooth 
ng  the 
ier  red. 
ns:  the 
nd  the 
green 
three 
Ly   and 
.f  their 
Iflower- 

of  the 
ig  the 
Iforest- 
Fern 
little 


Ml 


fronds,  on  which  the  fruit-dots  soon  appear.  Where 
there  is  less  moisture  and  more  exposure  \vc  may 
find  the  Rusty  Woodsia,  now  belying  its  name  by 
its  silvery  aspect.  At  this  same  season  in  the  bogs 
and  tliickets  wc  should  look  for  the  curious  little 
Adder's  Tongue. 

By  the  first  of  June  many  of  the  ferns  are  well 
advanced.  On  the  hill-sides  and  along  <^ 
the  wood-path  the  Brake  spreads  its 
single  umbrella-like  frond,  now  pale 
green  and  delicate,  quite  unlike  the 
umbrag-^ous-looking  plant  of  a 
month  later.  Withdrawing  into 
the  recesr.es  formed  by  the  past- 
ure-rails the  Lady  Fern  is  in  its 
first  freshness,  without  any  sign 
of  the  disfigurements  it  develops 
so  often  by  the  close  of  the 
summer.  Great  patches  of 
yellowish  green  in  the  wet 
meadows  draw  atten- 
tion to  the  Sensitive 
Fern,  which  only  at 
this  season  seems  to 
have  any  claim  to  its 
title.  The  Virginia  Chain  Fern  is  another  plant  to 
be  looked  for  in  the  wet  June  meadows.  It  is  one 
of  the  few  ferns  which  grows  occasionally  in  deep 
water. 

The  Maidenhair,  though  immature,  is  lovely  in  its 
fragility.     Thoreau  met  with  it  on  June  13th  and 

19 


Fragile   Bladder  Fern 


I 


r" 


describes 
it   in    his 
diary  for 
that  day:  "The 
delicate     maid- 
en-hair     fern 
forms    a    cup    or    disli, 
very  delicate  and  grace- 
ful.    Beautiful,  too,  its 
glossy   black  stem  and 
its  wave-edged,  fruited 
leaflets." 

In  the  crevices  of  lof- 
ty  cliffs    the   Mountain 
vSpleenwort   approaches 
maturity.     7\nd   now   we 
should  search  the  moist, 
mossy    crannies    of    the 
rocks    for    the    Slender    Cliff 
Brak':,  for  in  some   localities 
this  plant  disappears  early  in 
the  summer. 

We  may   hope  to  hnd   most  of 
the  ferns  in  full  foliage,  if  not   in 
fruit,  by  the  middle  of  July.    Dark 
green,    tall    and    vigorous    stand    the 
Brakes.     The   Crested   Shield   Fern   is 
fruiting  in  the  swamps,  and  in  the  deep- 
er woods  Clinton's  and  Goldie's  Ferns 
are  in  full  fruitage.     Magnificent  vase- 
like clusters  of  the  Ostrich  Fern  spread  above  our 

20 


Crested 
Shield  Fern 


WHEN   AND  WHERE  TO  FIND   FERNS 


■scribes 
in  his 
ary  for 
-:  *'Thc 
maid- 
■  fern 
r    (lisli, 

1  2:race- 
too,  its 
em  and 

fruited 

IS  of  lof- 
ountain 
"oaches 
now   we 

2  moist, 
of    the 

cr  Cliff 
realities 
arly  in 

most  of 
not  in 
Darlv 
nd  the 
Fern  is 
le  deep- 
s  Ferns 
nt  vasc- 
10 ve  our 


heads  in  the  thicket  along  the  river-shore.  The 
Spinulose  ^Shield  Fern  and  the  Evergreen  Wood 
Fern  meet  us  at  every  turn  of  the  shaded  path 
beside  the  brook,  and  on  the  rocky  wooded  hill- 
side the  Christmas  Fern  is  almost  as  abundant. 
Where  the  stream  plunges  from  above,  the  Hulb- 
let  Bladder  Fern  drapes  the  steep  banks  with  its 
long  feathery  fronds.  In  the  wet  meadows  and 
thickets  the  New  York  Fern  and  the  INIarsh 
Shield  Fern  are  noticeable  on  account  of  their 
light  green  color  and  delicate  texture.  On  moun- 
tain-ledges we  look  for  the  little  Woodsias,  and  in 
rocky  places,  often  in  the  shadow  of  red  cedars,  for 
the  slim  erect  fronds  of  the  Ebony  Spleenwort. 

Possibly  it  will  be  our  good  fortune  to  discover 
the  blue-green  foliage  of  the  Purple  Cliff  Brake 
springing  from  the  crevices  of  some  dry  limestone 
cliff.  Almost  surely,  if  we  search  the  moist,  shaded 
rocks  and  ravines  in  the  neighborhood,  we  shall 
greet  with  unfailing  pleasure  the  lovely  little 
Maidenhair  Spleenwort. 

In  somewhat  southern  localities  the  tapering, 
yellow.green  fronds  of  the  Dicksonia  or  Hay-scent- 
ed Fern  are  even  more  abundant  and  conspicuous 
than  the  darker  foliage  of  the  Spinulose  Shield  Fern. 
They  abound  along  the  roadsides  and  \n  partially 
shaded  or  open  pastures,  ihe  spores  ripening  not 
earlier  than  August. 

In  the  same  month  we  find  in  full  maturitv  three 
interesting  wood  ferns,  all  belonging  to  the  same 
group 


The  first  of  these  is  the  Long  Beech  Fern. 


21 


WHEN  AND  WHERE   TO  FIND  FERNS 

It  is  abundant  in  May  in  our  Northern  woods  and 
on  the  rocky  banks  of  streams.  Its  shape  is  notice- 
ably triangular,  the  triangle  being-  longer  than 
broad.     Its  texture  is  rather  soft  and  downy.     The 

lowest  pair  of  pinnoe  stand 
forward  and  are  conspicu- 
ously deflexed,  giving  an  easy 
clew  to  the  plant's  identity. 

The  most  attractive  mem- 
ber of  the  group  to  my  mind 
is  the  Oak  Fern.  I  find  it 
growing  abundantly  in  the 
cedar  swamps  and  wet  woods 
of  somewhat  northern  locali- 
ties.    Its   delicate,  spreading, 


«e»®*^. 


three  -  branched     (rond 

suggests    that    of    a 

,^oung  Brake.     This  plant  is  pecul- 

ly  dainty  in  the  early  summer,  as  fre- 

Purple  Cliff  I  I    '  .  1  -1 

Brake  qucptly    latcr    m    the    year    it    becomes 

blotched  and  disfigured. 
The    Broad    Beech    Fern    seeks   drier    neighbor- 
hoods, and  often  a  more  Southern  locality  tiian  its 
two  kinsmen.      Its  triangular  fronds,  broader  than 


I 


WHEN   AND   WHERE   TO   FIND   FERNS 


J 


\ 


they  are  long,  arc  conspicuous  on  account  of  the 
unusual  size  of  the  lowest  pair  of  pinnae. 

A  common  phmt  in  the  rich  August  woods  is  the 
Virginia  Grape  Fern,  with  its  spreading  leaf  and 
branching  fruit-cluster.  The  rather  coarsely  cut 
fronds  of  the  Silvery  S})leenwort  are  also  frequently 
met  with  in  the  same  neighborhood.  Occasionally 
in  their  companionship  we  find  the  delicate  and 
attractive  Narrow-leaved  Spleen  wort. 

August  is  the  month  that  should  be  chosen  for  ex- 
peditions in  search  of  some  of  our  rarest  ferns.  In 
certain  wild  ravines  of  Central  New  York,  at  the 
foot  of  shaded  limestone  cliffs,  the  glossy  leaves  of 
the  Hart's  Tongue  are  actually  weighed  down  by 
the  brown,  velvety  rows  of  sporangia  which  emboss 
their  lower  surfaces.  Over  the  rocks  near-by,  the 
quaint,  though  less  unusual.  Walking  Leaf  runs  riot. 
Perhaps  in  the  crevices  of  the  overhanging  cliff  the 
little  Rue  Spleenwort  has  secured  a  foothold  for  its 
tiny  fronds,  their  backs  nearly  covered  with  con- 
fluent fruit-dots. 

On  the  mountain-ledges  of  Northern  New  Eng- 
land we  should  look  for  the  Green  Spleenwort,  and 
for  the  Fragrant  Shield  Fern.  Along  rockv  moun- 
tain-streams Braun's  Holly  Fern  may  be  found.  In 
wet  woods,  usually  near  the  coast,  the  Net-veined 
Chain  Fern  is  occasionally  conspicuous. 

More  'southern  localities  must  be  visited  if  we 
wish  to  see  in  its  home  the  Hairy  Lip  Fern,  whose 
most  northern  stations  were  on  the  Hudson  River 
(for  I  do  not  know  if  this  plant  can  be  found  there  at 


r 


WMHN   ANb   WIIL-RE   TO  FIND   FORNS 


I  re 


n 


rarely 
favored    retreats    from 
Massacliusetts  south- 
ward,   clamber    the 
slender  strands   of 
the    C!iinl)ing    Fern. 
Thoreau's  di- 
ary   of    Sep- 
tember   26th 
evidently    re- 
fers   to     this 
plant :    "  The 
tree-fern  is  in 


>'!»,)  Tetnate  Grape   Fern 


^&' 


24 


I 


I  ell  rare 
the  Pin- 
id  Brad- 

er  the 
the  lit- 
is ripen 
barrens 
.  Over 
n  rarely 
ts  Ironi 
s  south- 
)er  the 
n  d  s   of 


Fern. 

au's  di- 

Df    Sep- 

;r    26th 

itly    re- 

o     this 

"  The 

rn  is  in 


WHHN    AND  WHERE   TO   FIND   FERNS 

fruit  now,  with  its  delicate,  tendril-like  Iruit,  climb- 
ing three  or  f(Hir  feet  cner  the  asters,  golden-rod, 
etc.,  on  the  edge  of  the  swamp." 

In  moist  i)laces  now  we  find  the  triangular  much 
dissected  leaf  and  branching  fruit-cluster  of  the 
Ternate  Grape  Fern. 

When  October  sets  in,  many  of  the  ferns  take 
their  color- note  from  the  surtnundings.  Vying 
with  the  maples  along  the  roadside  the  Osmundas 
wear  deep  orange.  Many  of  the  fronds  of  the  Dick- 
sonia  are  bleached  almost  white,  while  others  look 
fresh  and  green  despite  their  delicate  texture.  On 
October  4th  Thoreau  writes  of  this  plant : 

"  How  interesting  now,  by  wall-sides  and  on  open 
springy  hill-sides,  the  large  straggling  tufts  of  the 
Dicksonia  fern  above  the  leaf-strewn  green  sward, 
the  cold,  fall-green  sward  !  They  are  unusually  pre- 
served about  the  Corner  Spring,  considering  the 
earliness  of  this  year.  Long,  harids(jme,  lanceolate 
green  fronds  pointing  in  every  direction,  recurved 
and  full  of  fruit,  intermixed  with  yellowish  and  se.  j 
brown  and  shrivelled  ones,  the  whole  clump  per- 
chance strewn  with  fallen  and  withered  maple  leaves, 
and  overtopped  by  now  w'ithered  and  unnoticed  os- 
mundas. Their  lingering  greenness  is  so  much  the 
more  noticeable  now  that  the  leaves  generally  have 
changed.  They  affect  us  as  if  they  were  evergreen, 
such  persistent  life  and  greenness  in  the  midst  of 
decay.  No  matter  how  much  they  are  strewn  with 
withered  leaves,  moist  and  green  they  spire  above 
them,    not    fearing   the    frosts,  fragile  as    they    are. 

25 


WHEN   AND  WHERE  TO  FIND  FHKisi 


Tlicir  greenness  is  so  much  the  more  interesting, 
because  so  many  have  already  fallen,  and  we  know 
that  the  first  severe  frost  will  cut  off  them  too.  In 
the  summer  greenness  is  cheap,  now  it  is  a  thing 
comparatively  rare, -and  is  the  emblem  of  life  to  us." 

Oddly  enough,  with  the  first  approach  of  winter 
the  vigorous-looking  Brake  turns  brown  and  cpiickly 
withers,  usually  without  passing  through  any  inter- 
mediate gradations  of  yellow. 

In  November  we  notice  chiefly  the  evergreen 
ferns.  The  great  round  fruit-dots  of  the  Polypody 
show  distinctly  through  the  fronds  as  they  stand 
erect  in  the  sunlight.  A  sober  green,  looking  as 
though  it  were  warranted  fast,  is  the  winter  dress 
of  the  Evergreen  Wood  Fern.  The  Christmas  Fern, 
bright  and  glossy,  reminds  one  that  the  holiday 
season  is  not  distant.  These  three  plants  are  espe- 
cially conspicuous  in  our  late  autumn  woods.  Their 
brave  and  cheerful  endurance  is  always  a  delight. 
Later  in  the  season  the  curled  pinnae  of  the  Poly- 
pody seem  to  be  making  the  best  of  cold  weather. 
The  fronds  of  the  Christmas  Fern  and  the  Evergreen 
Wood  Fern,  still  fresh  and  green,  lie  prostrate  on 
the  ground,  their  weakened  stems  apparently  unable 
to  support  them  erect,  but  undoubtedly  in  this  posi- 
tion they  are  the  better  protected  from  the  storm 
and  stress  of  winter. 

Many  other  ferns  are  mo'  e  or  less  evergreen,  but 
perhaps  none  are  so  impoi  tant  to  our  fall  rambles 
as  this  sturdy  group.  Several  of  the  Rock  Spleen- 
worts  are  evergreen,  but  their  ordinarily  diminutive 

26 


i 


WHEN   AND   WHRRE   TO   FIND   FERNS 


estin^, 
know 
lo.  I  n 
thing 
to  us." 
winter 
[uickly 
r  intcr- 


stature  dwiiullcs  with  tlic  incrcasinj^  coKl,  and  we 
seldom  encounter  tlieni  on  our  winter  walks.  Tlie 
sterile  fronds  of  a  number  of  the  Shield  Ferns  endure 
till  sprinu^.  The  I'urple  Cliff  Brake;  and  the  Walk- 
ing Leaf  are  also  proof  against  ice  and  snow.  Even 
in  the  middle  of  January  the  keen-eyed  fern  hunter 
mi'V  hope  to  make  some  discovery  of  interest  re- 
garding the  haunts  and  habits  of  his  favorites. 


rgrcen 
ypody 

stand 
:ing  as 
r  dress 
s  Fern, 
loliday 
e  espe- 

Their 
elight. 

Poly- 

:ather. 

•green 
late  on 
lunable 

s  posi- 

storm 

m,  but 

imbles 

fpleen- 

mtive 


Evergreen  Wood  Fern 


27 


r 


EXPLANATION    OF   TERMS 

„v.  ,«--rp^  A    FKRN    is    a    ilowerlcss    plant 

,  -  ♦'^^^  <JwCv^ '      irrowuii^  from  a  root  stock  (a),  witii 

\j;g^&|r^f^      leaves  or  fronds  usual  I}'  raised  on 

^^^^?j^^^^^'^^"    ^'^  stalk,  rolled  up  {I))  in  the  bud,* 

^S^^]^^W^     and  bearing  on  their  lower  surfaces 

'     ^^^tek^*    ^'■)  ^'^^'  spores,   by   means  of   which 

the  plant  reproduces. 

A    root  stock   is  an  underground, 
rooting    stem.     Ferns   are    propa- 
gated by  the  growth  and  budding 
of  the  rootstock  as  well  as  by  the 
ordinary  method  of  reproduction. 
The  fronds  spring  from   the  root- 
stock   in    the   manner   peculiar  to 
le  species  to  which  they  belong.     The 
>smundas,  the  Evergreen  Wood  Fern, 
id  others  grow  in  a  crown  or  circle, 
the  younger  fronds  always  inside. 
The  Mountain  Spleen  wort  is  one  of 
a  class  which  has   irregularly  clus- 


Comrr.on  Polypody 


*  Ophioi^lossiim  and  the  Botrychiums,  not  being 
tiuf   Ifiiis,  are  exceptions. 
28 


EXPLANATION  OF   TP.RMS 


It  Ijeing 


tcrcd  fronds.  The  froiuls  of  the  lirake  arc  more 
or  less  solitary,  risinj^  from  (listinct  atul  somcvvi.at 
distant  portions  of  the  rootstock.  The  Botrychinms 
usually  ^ive  birth  to  a  sini^le  frond  each  season,  the 
base  of  the  stalk  containing  the  bud  for  the  suc- 
ceeding; year. 


Vu;.  I 


W 


FlC.   2 


Vu:.  3 


A  frond  is  simple  when  it  consists  of  an  undivided 
leaf  such  as  that  of  the  Hart's  Tongue  or  of  the 
Walking  Leaf  (Fig.  i). 

A  frond  is  pinnatifid  when  cut  so  as  to  form 
lobes  extending  half-way  or  more  to  the  midvein 
(Fig.  2). 

29 


i 


r« 


tXIM.ANATION   Ol"  TIKMS 


A  frond  is  oiuc-f^iini(Uc  \\\\v\\  llic  incisions  extend 
to   the  inidvfin    (I'i^.   3).     Under    these    conditions 


tlie     inidvcin     is    ca 


lied 


tl 
:1 


le    rat 


/lis  (tr), 


aiH 


1    tl 


divisions  arc  called  tl 
punuc  (/>). 

A   frond   is  twicc-f^i 
I 


le 


ic 


//■ 


uati 


when  tlu  pimuii 
arc  cut  into  divisions 
wliicl)    extend    to   their 


mid  V  e  I  n  s  (Fi<j^.  4). 
riiesc  divisions  of  tiic 
piinue  aie  called  pin- 
miles  {<r). 
A  frond  rliat  is  only  once-pi iniate  may  seem  at 
first  fi^lance  twice-pinnate,  as  its  piniue  may  be  so 
deeply  lobcd  or  pinnatihd  as  to  require 
a  close  examination  to  con\incc  us  that 
the  lobes  come  short  of  the  midvcin 
of  the  pinna\  In  a  [)opular  hand-book 
it  is  not  thoui^ht  necessary  to  explain 
further  modifications. 

The   veins  of   a    fern   are  /nr  when, 
branchini:;-  from  the  midvcin,  they  do  not  unite  with 
other  veins  (Fisr,  5). 

Ferns  produce  s/>o?rs  {¥1^.6)  instead  of 
seeds.  These  spores  are  collected  in  spore- 
cases  or  sporangia  (Fii^.  7).  Usually  the 
sporangia  are  clustered  in  dots  or  lines  on 
the  back  of  a  frond  or  along  its  margins. 
These  patches  of  sporangia  are  called  sort  or  fruit- 

30 


I.;.  5 


Fig.  6 


rxi'i.ANATioN  or  ti;kms 


extend 
(iitioiis 
called 
11(1  llu* 
led  tlic 

'iit'-/>in- 

|)imuL' 

visions 

[)   their 

ii;-     4). 
of    the 

)d    ////- 

eciii  at. 
•   he  so 


!(..   5 

witli 

;ad  of 
jporc- 
|y   the 

les  on 
*^ins. 
^ruit- 


tiots.     They    take    various    shaj)es    in    the    different 


soceies. 


Tl 


le 


y 


\\\[V 


)e  ro 


und 


or  linear  or  ohlnnj^ 


or  kidney-siiaped  oi'  curved.  At  times  they  are 
naked,  hut  more  fretjuentiy  they  are  covered  l)y  a 
minute  out<rro\vth  of  the  frond  or 


hy  its  reflexed  margin.      Tliiscov- 
crinu   is  called   the   iuditsinm.     in 


'K^. 


S) 


stematic    hotanies    the    indusia 


play  an   important  part  in  detei- 

minini^  ^eneia.    But  as  often  tlicy 

arc  so  minute  as  to  he  almost  in- 

visihle  to  the  naked  eye,  and,  as 

fre(piently  they  wither  away  early  "'  ^ 

in  the  sea'^on,  I  place  little  (lej)endence  upon  them 

as  a  means  of  popular  identification. 

A  fertile  frond  is  one  which  hears  spores. 

A  sterile  frond  is  one  without  spores. 


31 


FERTILIZATION,  DEVELOPMENT,  AND 
FRUCTIFICATION  OF  FERNS 

Until  very  recently  the  development  of  ferns, 
their  methods  of  fertilization  and  fructification  have 
been  shrouded  in  mystery.  At  one  period  it  was 
believed  that  "  fern-seed,"  as  the  fern-spores  were 
called,  possessed  various  miraculous  powers.  These 
were  touched  upon  frequently  by  the  early  poets. 
In  Shakespeare's  "  Henry  IV^."  Gadshill  exclaims: 

"We  have  the  receipt  of  fcrn-secd,  we  walk  invisible." 

lie  is  met  with  the  rejoinder: 

"  Nay,  I  think  rather  you  are  more  beholden  to  the  night  than  to 
fern-seed,  for  your  walking  invisible." 

One  of  Ben  Jonson's  characters  expresses  the 
same  idea  in  much  the  same  words: 

"  I  had  no  medicine,  sir,  to  walk  invisible, 
No  fern-seed  in  my  pocket." 

In  Butler's  "Hudibras"  reference  is  made  to  the 
anxieties  we  needlessly  create  for  ourselves : 

"  Tliat  spring  like  fern,  that  infant  weed, 
Equivocally  without  seed. 
And  have  no  possible  foundation 
But  merely  in  th'  imagination." 
32 


FERTILIZATION,   DEVELOPMENT,   AND  FRUCTIFICATION 


,ND 


[  ferns, 
n\  have 

it  was 
;s  were 

These 
•  poets, 
aims: 

ible." 

t  than  to 
es   the 


to  the 


In  view  of  the  fact  that  many  ferns  hear  their 
spores  or  "  fern-seed  "  somewhat  conspicuously  on 
the  lower  surfaces  of  their  fronds,  it  seems  proba- 
ble that  the  "  fern  "  of  early  writers  was  our  com- 
mon Brake,  the  friictiHcation  of  which  is  more  than 
usually  obscure,  its  sporangia  or  "fern-seed  "  beim;- 
concealed  till  full  maturity  by  the  reHexed  marg-in 
of  its  frond.  This  plant  is,  perhaps,  the  most  abun- 
dant and  conspicuous  of  English  ferns.  Miss  Pratt 
believes  it  to  be  the  "  fearn  "  of  the  Anglo-Saxons, 
and  says  that  to 
its  profusion  in 
their  neighbor- 
hood many  tow  ns 
and  hamlets,  such 
as  Fearnborough 
or  Farnborough, 
F  a  r  n  i  n  g  h  a  m  , 
F  a  r  n  h  o  w ,  and 
others  owe  their 
titles.  The  plant 
is  a  noticeable  and 
common  one  also 
on  the  Continent. 

In  1848  the  de- 
velopment of  the  fern  was  first  satisfactorily  ex- 
plained. It  was  then  ' '  '^wn  that  these  plants  pass 
through  what  has  been  called,  not  altogether  hap- 
pily the  modern  botanist  thinks,  an  "  alternation  of 
generations."  One  "generation,"  the  "sexual,"  con- 
sists of   a   tiny,  green,  plate-like  object,  termed  the 

33, 


Fk;.  8 


-An 


FERTILIZATION,   DI:VliLOPMI:NT,   AND   FRUCTIFICATION 


protha/liuni  (Fig-.  8).  This  is  connected  with  the  soil 
by  hair-like  roots.  On  its  lower  surface  are  borne 
usually  both  the  reproductive  organs  of  the  fern, 
the  aiitJicridia,  corresponding  to  the  stamens  or 
fertilizing  organs  of  the  flower,  and  the  arcJicgonia, 
performing  the  office  of  the  flower's  pistils,  inas- 
much as  their  germ-cells  receive  the  fertilizing  sub- 
stance produced  by  the  antJicridia.  But  no  seeds 
are  formed  as  the  result  of  this  fertilization.  Instead 
of  this  seed-formation  which  we  note  in  the  flower- 
ing plant,  the  germ-cell  in  the  fern  develops  into  a 
fern-plant,  which  forms  the  "asexual"  generation. 

The  first  fronds  of  this  little  plant  are  very  small 
and  simple,  quite  unlike  the  later  ones.  For  a  time 
the  plant  is  nourished  by  the  prothallium,  but  as 
soon  as  it  is  sufficiently  developed  and  vigorous 
enough  to  shift  for  itself,  the  prothallium  dies  away, 
and  the  fern   maintains  an  independent  existence. 


J ,  ) 


Fig.  lo  Fig.  ii 

First  fronds  of  Maidenhair 

Eventually  it  produces  fronds  which  bear  on  their 
lower  surfaces  the  sporangia  containing  the  minute 
spores  from  which  spring  the  prothallia. 

For  our  present  purpose  it  is  enough  to  say  that 
spores  differ  from  seeds  in  that  the}'  are  not  the  im- 
mediate  result   of  the  interaction   of    reproductive 

34 


ON 


FEKTILIZATION,   DnvnLOPMI^NT,   AND   FF^UCTIFICATION 


ic  soil 
borne 
;    fern, 
;ns    or 
cgonia, 
;,  inas- 
ig  sub- 
seeds 
nstead 
flower- 
into  a 
ition. 
y  small 
a  time 
but  as 
gorous 
R  away, 
stence. 


II 

1  their 
minute 

ly  that 
:he  im- 
iuctive 


organs.  They  resemble  seeds  in  that  they  are  ex- 
pelled from  the  parent-plant  on  attaining  maturity, 
and  germinate  on  contact  with  the  moist  earth. 

Thus  it  is  seen  that  the  life-cycle  of  a  fern  consists 
of  two  stages : 

First,  the  prothallium,  bearing  the  reproductive 
organs;  second,  the  fern-plant  j)r()pcr,  developing 
the  spores  which  produce  the  prothallium. 

Alone:  the  moist,  shaded  banks  of  the  wood  road. 


or  on  decaying  stumps,  keen  eyes  will  discern  fre- 
quently the  tiny  green  prothallia,  although  they  are 
somewhat  difficult  to  find  except  in  the  green-house 
where  one  can  see  them  in  abundance  either  in  the 
boxes  used  for  growing  the  young  plants,  or  on  the 
moist  surfaces  of  flower-pots,  where  the  spores  have 
fallen  accidentally  and  have  gertninated. 

As  the  fertilization  of  the  germ-cell  in  the  archc- 
gonium  cannot  take  place  except  under  water,  per- 
haps the  fact  is  accounted  for  that  ferns  are  found 
chiefly  in  moist  places.  This  water  may  be  only  a 
sufficient  amount  of  rain  or  dew  to  permit  the  anthe- 
rozoids  or  fertilizino^  cells  of  the  antheridium  to 
swim  to  the  archegonium,  which  they  enter  for  the 
purpose  of  fertilizing  the  gcrm-ccll. 

It  is  interesting  to  examine  with  a  good  magnify- 
ing glass  the  sporangia  borne  on  the  lower  surface 
of  a  mature  fertile  frond.  In  many  species  each  spo- 
rangium or  spore-case  is  surrounded  with  an  elastic 
ring,  which  at  maturity  contracts  so  suddenly  as  to 
rupture  the  spore-case,  and  cause  the  expulsion  of 
the  numberless  spores  (Fig.  7). 

35 


NOTABLE  FERN   FAMILIES 


OSMUNDA   (Flowering  Ferns) 

Tall  swamp  ferns,  growing  in  large  crowns,  with  the  fertile  fronds 
or  portions  conspicuously  unlike  the  sterile  ;  sporangia  opening  by 
a  longitudinal  cleft  into  two  valves. 

ONOCLEA 

Coarse  ferns,  with  the  fertile  fronds  rolled  up  into  necklace- 
like or  berry-like  segments,  and  entirely  unlike  the  broad,  pin- 
natifid  sterile  ones.  Fertile  fronds  unrolling  at  maturity,  allowing 
the  spores  to  escape,  and  remaining  long  after  the  sterile  fronds 
have  perished  ;  sporangia  stalked,  ringed,  burstif^g  transversely. 

WOODSIA 

Small  or  medium-sized  ferns,  growing  am.ong  rocks,  with  1-2 
pinnate  or  pinnatifid  fronds  and  round  fruit-dots ;  indusium  thin 
and  often  evanescent,  attached  by  its  base  under  the  sporangia, 
cither  small  and  open  or  else  early  bursting  at  the  top  into  irregular 
pieces  or  lobes ;  sporangia  stalked,  ringed,  bursting  transversely. 

CYSTOPTERIS  (Bladder  Ferns) 

Delicate  rock  or  wood  ferns,  with  2-3  pinnate  fronds  and  round 
fruit-dots ;  indusium  hood-like,  attached  by  a  broad  base  to  the  in- 
ner side,  soon  thrown  back  or  withering  av;ay ;  sporangia  as  above. 

ASPIDIUM  (Shield  Ferns) 

Ferns  with  1-3  pinnate  fronds  and  round  fruit-dots;  indusium 
more  or  less  flat,  fixed  by  its  depressed  centre  ;  sporangia  as  above. 

36 


round 
the  in- 
above. 


NOTABLE   FERN   FAMILIES 

PHEGOPTERIS  (Beech  Ferns) 

Medium-sized  or  small  ferns,  with  2-3  pimiatifid  or  ternate 
leaves,  and  small,  round,  uncovered  fruit-dots;  sporangia  as  above. 

WOODWARDIA  (Chain  Ferns) 

Large  and  rather  coarse  f<:rns  of  swamps  or  wet  woods,  fronds 
pinnate  or  nearly  twice-pinnate ;  fruit-dots  oblong  or  linear,  sunk 
in  cavities  of  the  leaf  and  arranged  in  chain-like  rows ;  indusium 
lid-like,  somewhat  leathery,  fixed  by  its  outer  margin  to  a  veinlet ; 
veins  more  or  le;  s  reticulated  ;  sporangia  as  above. 

ASPLENIUM  (Spleenworts) 

Large  or  small  ferns,  with  varying  fronds  and  linear  or  oblong 
fruit-dots  ;  indusium  straight  or  curved ;  sporangia  as  above. 

PELLiEA  (Cliff  Brakes) 

Small  or  medium-sized  rock  ferns,  with  pinnate  fronds  and 
sporangia  borne  beneath  the  reflexed  margins  of  the  pinna;  ;  spor- 
angia as  above. 

BOTRYCHIUM  (Moonworts) 

{Belonging  to  the  J^'irn  Allies) 

Fles\y  plants,  with  fronds  (usually  solitary)  divided  into  a  sterile 
and  a  fertile  portion,  the  bud  for  the  succeeding  year  embedded  in 
the  base  of  the  stem. 


lusuim 
(above. 


37 


MP 


HOW  TO   USE  THE    BOOK 


Before  attcmj^ting  to  identify  the  ferns  by  means 
of  the  following;  Cruide  it  would  be  well  to  turn  to 
the  Explanation  of  Terms,  and  with  as  many  species 
as  you  can  conveniently  collect,  on  the  table  before 
you,  to  master  the  few  necessary  technical  terms, 
that  you  may  be  able  to  distinguish  a  frond  that  is 
pinnatifid  from  one  tliat  is  pinnate,  a  j)inna  from  a 
pinnule,  a  fertile  from  a  sterile  frond. 

You  should  bear  in  mind  that  in  some  species  the 
fertile  fronds  are  so  unleaf-like  in  appearance  that 
to  the  uninitiated  they  do  not  suggest  fronds  at  all. 
The  fertile  fronds  of  the  Onocleas,  for  example,  are 
so  contracted  as  to  ccMiceal  any  resemblance  to  the 
sterile  ones.  They  appear  to  be  mere  clusters  of 
fruit.  The  fertile  fronds  of  the  Cinnamon  Fern  are 
equally  unleaf-like,  as  are  the  fertile  portions  of  the 
other  Osmundas  and  of  several  other  species. 

In  your  rambles  through  the  fields  and  woods  your 
eyes  will  soon  learn  to  detect  hitherto  unnoticed 
species.  In  gathering  specimens  you  will  take  heed 
to  break  off  the  fern  as  near  the  ground  as  possible, 
and  you  will  not  be  satisfied  till  you  have  secured 

38 


HOW  TO  USE  THE   BOOK 


botli  a  fertile  aiul  a  sterile  frond.     In  carrvin<r  them 


!r> 


s  the 

that 

t  all. 

are 

)  the 

s  of 

are 

the 


home   you  will   remember  the  necessity  of  keeping 
toj^ether  the  Ironds  which  belong  to  the  same  [)lant 

When  sortinir  your  iind: 
cordi 


^^  .' 


} 


oil  wil 


n)U[)  them  ac 
:l   S( 


linif  to  the  Guide.  The  brcxid-leaved  ISensitive 
Fern,  with  its  separate,  dark-green  fruit  cluster, 
makes  its  way  necessarily  to  Group  1.  To  (iroup 
II  goes  your  palc-fronded  I'ioyal  Fern,  tipped  with 
brown  sporangia.  As  a  matter  of  course  you  lay 
in  Group  III  the  Icai-like  but  dissimilar  stei'ile  and 
fertile  fronds  of  the  Slender  Cliff  Brake.  The 
spreading  Brake,  its  rcflexed  margin  covering  the 
sporangia,  identilie:?  itself  with  Group  IV.  The  ob- 
long fruit-dots  of  the  little  Mountain  S[)leenW'(jrt 
carry  it  lo  Grouj)  V,  while  the  round  ones,  like  pin- 
heads,  of  the  E\'cr<ireen  \V(jod  I'Y'rn  announce  it  a 
member  of  Group  V\. 

The  different  ferns  sorted,  it  will  be  a  simi)le  mat- 
ter to  run  (|uickly  through  the  brief  descriptions 
under  the  different  Groups  till  y(ni  are  referred  t(j 
the  descriptions  in  the  body  of  the  book  of  the 
species  under  investigation. 


your 
^iced 
leed 
|ible, 
ured 


39 


W' 


•I 


1 

, ; 

' . 

J 

•i 

fl 

i-i 

;  i 

'{ 

( 

1 

'J 

! 

1 

;  i 

1 

i 

i 

y  . 


GUIDE 

For  the  purjxisc  of  identification  tuc  ferns  de- 
scribed are  arranged  in  six  groups,  according  to  their 
manner  of  fri'iting. 

GROUP  I 

STRRILE  AND  FERTILE  FRONDS  TOTALLY  UNLIKE;  FERTILE 
FRONDS  NOT  LEAF-LIKE  IN  APPEARANCE 

I.  SENSITIVE    FERN 

Onot/c(i  sciisiliilis 

Sterile  fronds  usually  large  ;  broadly  triangular,  deeply  pinnatifid. 
P'ertile  fronds  much  contracted,  with  berry-like  piiniules.  In  wet 
meadows.     P.  54. 

2.  OSTRICH    FERN 

On  Of  It' a   S/>  It  th  u  >/>  /rr/'s 

Large.  Sterile  fronds  once-pinnate,  pinnae  pinnatifid.  Fertile 
fronds  contracted,  with  necklace-like  pinna-.  Along  streams  and 
in  moist  woods,     i'.  56. 

3.  CINNAMON    FERN 

Osffi unda   cinnamonit'ci 

Large.  Sterile  fronds  once-pinnate,  pinnce  pinnatifid.  Fertile 
fronds  composed  of  cinnamon-brown  fruit-clusters.  In  wet  places. 
P.  60. 

4.  CURLY    GRASS 

SchiziCtj  pus  ilia 

Very  small.  Sterile  fronds  linear,  grass-like.  Fertile  fronds 
taller,  with  a  terminal  fruit-cluster.  In  pine  barrens  of  New 
Jersey.     P.  63. 

40 


GUIDE 


nnd 


'ertile 
aces. 


ronds 
New 


GROUP  II 

FERTILE  FKONDS   PARTIALLY  LliAF-LIKE,  THE  FERTILE  PORTION 
UNLIKE    HIE  REST  01"  THE  FROND 

[The  species  coininv^  under  the  j^enera  Jiotrychiiitu  and  Ophio- 
ghssufii  may  appear  to  belonjf  to  Oroup  I,  as  the  fertile  and  the 
sterile  portions  of  their  fronds  may  seem  to  the  iminitiated  like  sep- 
arate fnjiuls,  but  in  reality  they  belong  to  the  one  frond. J 

5.  ROYAL  FERN 

Osmiinda   rcgalis 

Targe.  Sterile  fronds  twice-pinnate,  pinnules  oblong.  Fertile 
fronds  k-af-like  behnv,  sporangia  in  clusters  at  their  summits.  In 
wet  places.     P.  67. 

6.  INTERRUPTED    FERN 

Os/niindti  i  laytoniana 

I.arge.  Sterile  fronds  once-pinnate,  pinn;e  pinnatifid.  Fertile 
fronds  Icaf-likr  above  and  below,  contracted  in  the  middle  with 
brown  fruit-clusters.     In  wet  places.     V.  72. 

7.  CLIMBING  FERN 

I.yi^odiunt  /'(ih/iatum 

Climbing,  with  lobed,  palmate  pinnie  and  terminal  fruit-clusters. 
Moist  thickets  and  open  woods.     Rare.     1*.  75. 

8.  ADDER'S  TONGUE 

Ophioij;lossum  vuli^atum 

Small.  Sterile  portion  an  ovate  leaf.  Fertile  portion  a  slender 
spike.     In  moist  meadows.     P.  ']']. 

9.  RATTLESNAKE   FERN 

Botrych  in  m    yiro  in  ia  n  it  m 

Rather  large.  Sterile  portion  a  thin,  spreading,  ternately  di- 
vided leaf  with  three  primary  divisions  ;  1-2  pinnate.  Fertile  por- 
tion a  branching  fruit-cluster.     In  rich  woods.     P.  80. 

41 


I 


1  < 


■:  J< 


'''.•A  "y/ 


^"■.y/w'^'y'"'. 


■  1' 


*'  ! 


GUIDE 

10.  TERNATE   GRAPE   FERN 

liotrychnt  II  Icnhitiini  or  i/isst\(iiin 

Of  varyiiii^  .size,  vciy  fleshy.  Sterile  portion  a  broadly  triangular, 
ternate,  finely  dissected  leaf,  lonjij-stalked  from  near  the  base  of  the 
stem.  Fertile  portion  a  branchin^vj  fruit-cluster.  In  moist  mead- 
ows.    1'.  Si. 

II.   LITTLE   GRAPE   FERN 

l^ottych  lit  lit  stilt  f^lcx 

A  very  small  fleshy  plant.  Sterile  portion  an  obloni;  leaf  more 
or  less  lobed.  Fertile  portion  a  simple  or  slij^hily  branehing  spike. 
!n  nioist  woods  and  in  field;..     \\  82. 

12.  MOONWORT 

Jiotrych  in  in  J.tditii  ta 

Usuidly  small,  very  fleshy.  Sterile  portion  divided  into  several 
fan-shaped  lobes.  Fertile  portion  a  b/a-iching  fruit-eluster.  Mostly 
in  fields,     i'.  84. 

13.  MATRICARY   GRAPE    FERN 

Hot  rye  II  lit  III  via  tiicaritifoitttiit 
Small,   more   or   less  fleshy.     Sterile   portion    ovate  or  oblong, 
o  ice  or  twiee  pinnatitid.      Fertile  portion  a  branching  fruit-cluster. 
li   j;  .issy  ^"o^^'l^  and  wt^t  meadows.     1*.  86. 

14.  LANCE-LEAVED   GRAPE   FERN 

/>()' rye /lilt  lit  /ttitci  >!alttin 

Small,  scarcely  fleshy.  Sterile  portion  triangular,  twice-pinnatifid. 
Fertile  portion  a  branching  frui'-cluster,  hi  woods  and  meadows. 
P.  86. 


42 


GUfDH 


ERN 

I  a  broadly  triany;ular, 
I  uci'.v  tlic  bast"  of  tlie 
cr.     In  moist  lucad- 

RN 


nn  oblong'  leaf  more 
itly  branching  spike. 


divided  into  several 
ruil-tiusicr.     Mostly 

'ERN 


n   ovate  or  obloni^, 
inching  fruit-cluster. 


FERN 


lar,  twice-pinnatifid. 
ooils  and  meadows. 


(iKOUP  III 

AllLAKANLb.  VLI   blFFIiRiNc;  NoiiCKAbLY  FKOM 


IN 


^oTliKILl:  IKHJNDS 
15.  SLENDER   CLIFF   BRAKE 


Pi'llita  xi"ti/i.f 


taller. 

bor- 

lime- 


16.  PURPLE   CLIFF   BRAKE 


/(■//.<(/     ///•,; 


'pill  laurel 


Medium  sized.  !--»  niniv,»,.    1  .,1 

-  pinnate,  ieatliery.     Fertile  frn.i,ic  .  11  . 

more  ((nnracted  ili-.n   ti, .    ,    -,  '  t-ruie  ironds  taller  an( 

17-   CHRISTMAS   FERN 

Asp, J, Kill  anosHchoiJfs 


18.    NARROW-LEAVED   SPLEENWORT 

Asplriiiiim  <iii,:;iist//o/n/i,i 

.i.an  t'l:* "  .::;:;ir :"?  'T '"""- '""- ''-' "-™«- 

'"L-     ^'^  nioist  woods  in  late  summer.     J'.^S. 

19.   NET-VEINED   CHAIN   FERN 

//  'oodu'anlia  angustifolia 

^l^^  T^''^  '':  ^-^''^  ^^"-  -^  -ore  con. 
"^an  tilt  sterile.     In  wet  woods  near  the  coast.     P.  ,02. 

43 


GUIDE 


GKOUF^  IV 

riiKTILIi    AND     ,Tl:Hl\.\l    IHONDS    LEAFLIKI:    AND   SIMILAR; 

Sl'()KAN(}IA  ON  OK  liUNLATII  A  KLILLXliD  I'OKTION 

OF  THE  MARGIN 

[The  lirsi  clause  bars  out  /'.  i^ratiiia  and  /'.  ntrof>urpurea, 
wliicli  olhcrwisc  would  belong  lo  Group  IV  as  well  as  lo  Group 
lll.l 

20.  BRAKE 

Pti'tis   tufiiilina 

Larv;(!  and  eoarse,  frond  3-branched,  .spreading;,  each  branch 
2-pinnati',  sporangia  in  a  continuous  line  beneath  the  rellexed  mar- 
gin of  the  frond.     In  dry,  somewhat  open  places.     P.  105. 

21.  MAIDENHAIR 

AdunilH»i  piuftitii/h 

Graceful  and  delicate,  frond  forked  at  the  summit  of  the  stem, 
2-pinnate,  the  pinme  springing  from  the  upper  sides  of  the  branches, 
pinnules  one-sided,  their  upper  margins  lobcd,  bearing  on  their 
undersides  the  short  fruit-dots.     In  rich  woods.     I*.  108. 

22.  HAIRY    LIP   FERN 

Chcilanthes  Tcstita 

Rather  sm.all,  fronds  2-pinnate,  hairy,  fruit-dots  "covered  by 
the  infolded  ends  of  the  rounded  or  oblong  lobes."  On  rocks. 
P.  112. 


'"{ 


23.  HAY-SCENTED   FERN 

Dicksonia  pilosiuscula 

Rather  large,  pale,  delicate  and  sweet-scented,  fronds  usually 
2-pinnate,  fruit-dots  small,  each  on  a  recurved  toothlet  of  the  pin- 
nule, borne  on  an  elevated,  globular  receptacle.  In  moist  thickets 
and  in  upland  pastures.     P.  1 14. 

44 


Ji 


LAK; 


ypurea, 
>  Ciroup 


brancli 
cil  mar- 


he  stem, 
ranches, 
jn   their 


eretl  by 
h  rocks. 


GIIIUE 

GROUP  V 

FHRTILU  AND  STIiKII.I".  FF<ONDS  LIIAF-LIKR  AND  SIMII.AK; 
bl'OKANGIA  IN  LINliAK  OR  OBLONG  IKUIT-DOIS 

24.  LADY  FERN 
A spUn ill m  /•'ili.v -fivtu  ina 

Rather  larjijc,  fronds  2-pinnalc,  fruit-dots  rurved.  often  liorsc- 
slioe  shaped,  linally  conllucnt.  In  moist  wooils  and  along  road- 
sides.    1'.  120. 

25.  SILVERY   SPLEENWORT 

/Ispltiiiiim  t/icl)'f>(croi(ii's 

Larije,  fronds  once-pinnate,  pinna;  deeply  pinnatitid,  lobes  ob- 
loni;  and  obtuse,  fruit-dots  obl(jng,  silvery  wlun  youni^.  In  nth 
woods,     r.  124. 

26.  RUE   SPLEENWORT 

A  splcn  in  in   Rn  ta-  m  n  ra  ria 

Very  small,  fronds  loosely  ?-3  pinnate  at  base,  pinnatifid  a;  ve, 
fruit-dots  linear-oblonjs^,  conlUient  when  mature.  On  limestone 
cliffs.     Rare.     1*.  126. 

27.  MOUNTAIN   SPLEENWORT 

Aspleninm  montanntn 

Small,  fronds  1-2  pinnate,  fruit-dots  linear-obloni^,  often  conflu- 
ent.    On  rocks.     P.  130. 


usually 
|the  pin- 
thickets 


28.  EBONY  SPLEENWORT 

Asplcnmni  chencnni 

Fronds  slender  and  erect,  once-pinnate,  pinnae  eared  on  the  up- 
per or  on  both  sides,  stalk  and  rachis  blackish  and  shining,  fruit- 
dots  oblong.     On  rocks  and  hill-sides.     I'.  134. 

45 


GUIDE 


h 


29.  MAIDENHAIR   SPLEENWORT 

Asplciiiitnt    'J')i(!io))i(UU's 

Small,  fronds  once-pinnate,  pinna;  roundish,  stalk  and  rac-his 
purplish-brown  and  shining,  fruit-dots  short.  In  crevices  of  rocks. 
P.  136. 

30.  GREEN   SPLEENWORT 

Asplcuinni  viridc 

Small,  fronds  linear,  once-pinnate,  brownish  stalk  passing;  into  a 
green  rachis.     On  shaded  cliffs  northward.     P.  138. 

31.   SCOTT'S   SPLEENWORT 

Asplcniiim  cbcnoidcs 

Small,  fronds  pinnate  below,  pinnatifid  above,  apex  slender  and 
prolonged,  stalk  and  rachis  blackish,  fruit-dots  straight  or  slightly 
curved.     On  limestone.     Very  rare.     I\  140. 

32.  PINNATIFID  SPLEENWORT 

Aspliu  i  till  I  pinna  tifiJiiin 

Small,  fronds  pinnatifid,  or  the  lower  part  pinnate,  tapering  above 
into  a  slender  prolongation,  stalk  blackish,  passing  into  a  green 
rachis,  fruit- dots  straight  or  slightly  curved.  On  rocks.  Rare. 
P.  142. 

33.  BRADLEY  S   SPLEENV/ORT 

./  sp/cn  ill  111   Ihtu  //( yi 

Sm  ill,  once-pinnate,  pinnae  lobed  or  toothed,  stalk  and  rachis 
chestnut-brown,  fruit-dots  short.  On  rocks,  preferring  limestone. 
Very  rare.     P.  144. 

34,   WALKING   FERN 

( 'aniptoxonis   y'li-.opJivIliis 

Small,  fronds  undivided,  heart-shaped  at  the  base  or  sometimes 
with  prolonged  basal  ears,  tapering  above  to  a  prolonged  point 
which  roots,  forming  a  new  plant,  fruit-dots  oblong  or  linear,  ir- 
regularly scattered.  On  shaded  rocks,  preferring  limestone.    P.  146. 

46 


\ 


GUIDE 


35.   HART'S   TONGUE 


Scolopoiuyium  vu Igarr 

lanceolate  l^T  •■;"'^^^^/^"--'>'  ^-"  ^-^  ''>".^^  undivided,  oblong, 
anceolate.  heart-shaped  at  base,  fruit-dots  linear,  elongated.     Grow 


inff  among  the  fragments  of  limestone  cliffs. 


ngated.     Grow- 
Very  rare.     P.  1 50. 


36.  VIRGINIA   CHAIN   FERN 

IVooihiHjniia    rin^n'nica 

GROUP  VI 

FLRTILE  AND  STERILE  FRONDS  LEAF-LIKE  AND  USUALLY 
SIMILAR.  FRUIT-DOTS  ROUND  ""'^^^^^ 

37.   NEW   YORK   FERN 

iOL  revoiute.     In  woods  and  open  meadows,     p.  159. 
38.  MARSH   FERN 

Aspidiuin    77/c/,'/A77'r 

s  ^"  ^^^i- \\ooas  and  open  swamps.     P.  160. 

39.  MASSACHUSETTS   FERN 

Asf^idiiiDt  .uiinilatuni 
Close  to  preceding  species  r-tth^^r  t-Ji   (^      ^ 

47 


GUIDE 


CHRISTMAS   FERN 

As^idiiim  acrosticlioidcs 
[See  No.  17J 

40.  SPINULOSE  WOOD  FERN 

Aspidimu  spiniilosKin  7'ar.  iutcrmcdiiDit 

Very  common,  usually  but  not  always  lai\^;e,  fronds  oblonjr- 
ovat<\  2-3  pinnate,  lowest  pinnae  unequally  trianj:;uIar-ovate,  lobes 
of  pinnae  thorny-toothed.     In  woods  everywhere.     I'.  166. 

41.  BOOTT'S  SHIELD   FERN 

Aspidimu  Boottii 

Yxo\\\  one  and  a  half  to  more  than  three  feet  high.  Sterile  fronds 
smaller  and  simpler  than  the  fertile,  nearly  or  quite  twice-pinnate, 
the  lowest  pinnae  triangular-ovate,  upper  longer  and  narrower,  pin- 
nules oblong-ovate,  sheirply  thorny-toothed.  In  moist  woods. 
P.  168. 

42.  CRESTED  SHIELD   FERN 

Aspidium  cristatitvi 

Usually  rather  large,  fronds  linear-oblong  or  lanceolate,  once  pin- 
nate with  pinnatifid  pinna*,  linear-oblong,  frait-dots  between  mid- 
vein  and  margin.     In  swamps.     P.  170. 

43.  CLINTON'S  WOOD   FERN 

Aspidium  cristatutti,  7'ar.  C/intoiiinnu»i 

In  every  way  larger  than  preceding  species,  fronds  usually  twice- 
pinnate,  pinnae  broadest  at  base,  fruit-dots  near  the  midvein.  In 
swampy  woods.    P.  172. 

44.  GOLDIE'S   FERN 

Aspidium  Goldianum 

Large,  fronds  broadly  ovate  or  the  fertile  ovate-oblong,  once-pin- 
nate with  pinnatifid  pinna",  pinna  broadest  in  the  nu'ddic,  fruit-dots 
very  near  the  midvein.     In  rich  woods.     P.  175. 

48 


I 


-• 


M 


GUiDE 

45-  EVERGREEN   WOOD   FERN 

// spidiu m  ma ri^iua Ic 

Very  common,  lusually  rather  large,  smooth,  somewhat  Icatherv 
fronds  ovate  oblong.  .-2  pinnate,  fruit-dots  large  distinc    clo     T. 
the  margin.     In  rocky  woods.     P.  176.  ^  '    '''''  ^° 

46.  FRAGRANT  SHIELD   FERN 

.\ spidiu, It  J'xiorans 

Small  fragrant,  fronds  once-pinnate,  with  pinnatili.l  ninn-.-    sf.lk- 
and  rac  ,s  ,    affy,  fruit-dots  large.     On  rocks  northward    s'^cn 
near  waterfalls.     P.  178.  -tiu.c.sijeciau) 

47-  BRAUN'S  HOLLY   FERN 

Aspidium  aculeatum  var.  Ihaunii 

Rather  large,  fronds  oblong-lanceolate,  twice-pinnate    pinnules 

harply  toothed,  covered  with  long,  soft  hairs,  fruit-dots  ^malln 

deep,  rocky  woods.     P.  182.  ^  uuls  small.     Jn 

48.  COMMON   POLYPODY 

Polypodiuin  vidi^arc 
Usually  small  fronds  somewhat  leathery,  narrowly  oblonir  fruit 

t.  'z;:r  ■  nr  ■ '"-" "'''-  -^-^  -^  - 

HAY-SCENTED   FERN 

Dicksonia  pilosinsctila 
[See  No.  23J 


49.  LONG  BEECH   FERN 


^^''Xopfcns  pohpodioidi-s 
Medium-Sized,  fronds  downy,  triangular,  longer  than  broad  once 
pmnate   p,nna.pinnatifid;  lowest  pair  deflexcd  and  stanc  ng  fo  ' 
ward.     In  mo.st  woods  and  on  .he  banks  of  streams.     P   ,  87         ' 

49 


».*» 


«i 


(lUlUI; 
50.  BROAD   BEECH   FERN 

Lari;vr  lliaii  the  prctt'iiinj;-  species,  fronds  triangular,  as  broad  or 
broader  than  long,  om-e-pinnale,  pinnit  pinnatitkl,  lowest  pair  very 
large,  basal  segments  of  piniKu  forming  a  continuous,  many-angled 
wing  along  the  rachis.      In  dry  woods  and  on  hill-sities.     1'.  188. 


51.  OAK    FERN 

P/i, ■<;<>/'/,•  r/'s  J)/] optt-ris 

Mcdium-si/ed,  fronds  thin  and  delicate,  broadly  triangular,  spread- 
ing, ternale.  the  three  divisions  stalked,  each  division  pinnate,  pin- 
n;c  [)innatiti(l.     In  moist  woods.     W  190. 

52.  BULBLET    BLADDER    FERN 

( 'vsto/'h-ris  li!<l!<ij\-ra 

Fronds  delicate,  elongated,  tapering^  above  from  a  broad  base,  2- 
3  j.innate  or  pinnatifid,  bearing  llcshy  bulblets  beneath.  On  wet 
rocks,  preferring  limestone.     1'.  194. 


fly 
7 


53.  COMMON    BLADDER    FERN 

Cystopttris  ffdj^ilis 

Medium-sized,   fronds   thin,   oblong-lanceolate.   2-3  pinnate  or 
pinnatifid.     On  rocks  and  in  moist  woods.     1'.  19S. 

54.  RUSTY   WOODSIA 

ll'oodsia  //:'r/!sis 

Small,  more  or  less  covered  with  rusty  hairs,  fronds  lanceolate, 
once-pinnate,  pinn.c  pinnatifid.     On  exposed  rocks.     P.  200. 


55.  BLUNT-LOBED   WOODSIA 

ll'i'(ulsi(i  o/>fi(sa 

Small,  slightly  downy,  fronds  broadly  lanceolate,  nearly  twice-pin- 
nate.    On  rocks.     P.  203. 

50 


> 


.1 


GUIDL" 
56.  NORTHERN   WOODSIA 

Very  small,  smooth  or  nearly  ,s„,  fr„„,|s  „.,rr„vvly  o;,l„„„-|,.u„,.n 

57-  SMOOTH   WOODSIA 

ll'oodsui  j^Uilh-llii 
Very  small,  smooth  throinrhout  aiul  drlir-.i,.  f        .    ,• 
Pinnare,  pi„n.e  r„u,K,is„  ovat  ,:.:;."  ull'il^islTt""  K -.X^- 


51 


I 


11 


;: 


FERN  DESCRIPTIONS 


"Nature  made  a  fern  for  pure  leaves."— 7'//^r^, 


•au 


53 


GROUP   I 


STERILn    AND    FERTILE    FRONDS    TOTALLY    UNLIKE;    FERTILE 
FRONDS  NOr   LUAF-LIKE   IN   AI'l'CAKANCE 


1.  SENSITIVE    FERN 

Onoclt'ii  st'itsil'ilis 
Newfoundland  to  Florida,  in  wcL  meadows. 

Sterile  fronds. — One  or  two  inches  to  three  feet  hii;h,  broadly 
triangular,  deeply  cut  into  somewhat  ol)lon,v;-,  wavy-toothed  divi- 
sions, the  lower  ones  almost  reachini;  the  midrib,  tlie  upper  ones 
less  deeply  cut ;  stalk  long. 

Fertile  fronds. — Quite  unlike  tlie  sterile  frontls  and  shorter, 
erect,  rigid,  contracted  ;  pinnules  rolled  up  into  dark-green,  berry- 
like bodies  which  hold  the  spore-cases  ;  appearing  in  June  or  July. 

This  is  one  of  our  commonest  ferns,  growing  in 
masses  along  the  roadside  and  in  wet  meadows. 
Perfectly  formed  sterile  fronds  are  found  of  the 
tiniest  dimensions.  Again  the  plant  holds  its  own 
among  the  largest  and  most  effective  ferns.  From 
its   creeping   rootstock    rise    the    scattered    fronds 

54 


/I 


u 


which   at  1  i  m  v  s 

wear    very    li^^ht 

and     delicate 

shades   of   ^reen. 

There    is 

Moth  ing-, 

liowever, 

specially 

fragile    in 

the  plant's 

a  \)  p  e  a  r  - 

ance,   and 

one  is  strnck  by  the  inapj).i)p^' • 

ateness  ol  its  title.     It  is  pr-  hable 

that  this  arose  from  its  sen^.Liv'e- 

ness  to  early  frosts. 

Thoui^h  one  hesitates  to  dif- 
fer  from  Professor  Eaton,  who  a/V/. 
described  the  fer- 
tile fronds  as  "near- 
ly black  in  color" 
and  said  that  they 
were  "not  very 
common,"  and  that 
a  young  botanist 
might  "search  in 
vain  for  them  for 
a  long  time,"  my 
own  experience 
has  been  that  the 
fresh    ones    are 


Sensit 


55 


m 


imrz^) 


\ 


'Mm 


GKOUH 


STCRILF.    AND   FERTILE   FRONDS   TOTALLY   UNLIKE; 
FtKTILL    FKOMDS    N(jT    LLAIIIKI:    IN    AI'I'EARANCt 


\* 


i 


very  evidently  g^reen  and  neither  scarce  nor  spe- 
cially inconspicuous. 

1  have  found  these  fertile  fronds  aj)parently  full- 
j^rown  in  June,  though  usually  they  are  assigned  to 
a  much  later  date.  Tiiey  remain  standing,  brown 
and  dr}',  long  after  they  have  sown  their  spores, 
side  by  side  with  the  fresh  fronds  of  the  following 
summer. 

Detail  a  in  Plate  I  represents  the  vSO-called  7'nr. 
obtusilobata.  This  is  a  form  midway  between  the 
fruiting  and  the  non-fruiting  fronds.  It  may  be 
looked  for  in  situations  where  the  fern  has  suffered 
some  injury  or  deprivation. 

2.  OSTRICH   FERN 

O  HOC  lea  Strii  th  ioptcris 

Nova  Scotia  to  New  Jersey,  along  streams  and  in  moist  woods. 
Growing  in  a  crown,  two  to  ten  feet  higli. 

Sterile  fronds. — Broadly  lance-shaped,  once-pinnate  ;  pinme 
divided  into  narrowly  oblong  segments  which  do  not  reach  the 
midvein  ;  stalk  short,  deeply  channelled  in  front. 

Fertile  fronds. — Quite  unlike  the  sterile  fronds,  growing  in  the 
centre  of  the  crown  formed  by  the  sterile  fronds,  shorter,  erect, 
rigid,  with  green,  necklace-like  pinna;  which  hold  the  spore-cases ; 
appearing  in  July. 

I  first  found  this  plant  at  its  best  on  the  shore  of 
the  Hoosick  River  in  Rensselaer  County,  N.  Y. 
We  had  crossed  a  field  dotted  with  fragrant  heaps 
of  hay  and  blazing  in  the  midsummer  sun,  and  had 
entered  the  cool  shade  of  the  trees  which  border  the 
river,  when  suddenly  I  saw  before  me  a  group  of 
ferns    of    tropical    beauty    and    luxuriance.     Great 

5(> 


I  A 


PLATE  I 


the 
of 
kat 


SENSITIVE  FERN 
a.  Var.  obtusilobata 

57 


i  1 


STERILE   AND  FERTILE    hRONt>S   TOTALLY   UNLIKE  ; 
GROUF^    1      MR  FILE    FRUNDS    NOT    LEAK-LIKE    IN   APPEARANCE 


plumc-likc  (ronds  of  a  rich  ^rccn  arched  above  my 
head,  l^'rom  tlie  midst  ol  the  circle  which  they 
formed  sprain^  the  shorter,  dark,  rij^id  Iruit-clusters. 
I  was  fairly  startled  hy  the  unexpected  beauty  and 
re^al  bearinj^  ol  the  Ostricn  l*\'rn. 

This  ma^niricent  plant  luxuriates  especially  in  the 
low,  rich  soil  which  is  subject  to  an  annual  overflow 
innu  our  Northern  rivers.  Its  vase-liUe  masses  of 
foliage  somewhat  suf^«j^est  the  Cinnamon  Fern,  but 
the  fertile  fronds  of  the  Ostrich  Fern  mature  in 
July,  some  weeks  later  than  those  of  its  rival.  They 
are  dark-j^reen,  while  those  of  the  Cinnamon  I'Y'rn 
are  golden-brown.  Should  there  be  no  fruiting 
fronds  upon  the  plant,  the  Ostrich  Fern  can  be  dis- 
tinguished by  the  free  veins  with  simple  veinlets 
(Plate  11,  (7)  of  its  pinna*,  the  veins  of  the  Cinnamon 
Fern  being  free  and  its  veinlets  forking  (PI.  Ill,  a), 
and  by  the  absence  of  the  tuft  of  rusty  wool  at  the 
base  of  the  pinna;  on  the  under  side  of  the  frond. 

The  Ostrich  Fern  does  so  well  under  cultivation 
that  there  is  danger  lest  it  crowd  out  its  less  aggres- 
sive neighbors.  It  propagates  chicHy  by  means  of 
underground  runners.  Mr.  Robinson  describes  a 
specimen  which  he  had  planted  in  his  out  -  door 
fernery  that  crawled  under  a  tight  board  fence  and 
reappeared  in  the  garden  of  his  neighbor,  who  was 
greatly  astonished  and  equally  delighted  so  unex- 
pectedly to  become  the  owner  of  the  superb  plant. 

The  Ostrich  Fern,  like  its  kinsman  the  Sensitive 
Fern,  occasionally  gives  birth  to  fronds  which  are 
midway   between    its    fruiting   and   its  non-fruiting 

5« 


PLATt  H 


the 

on 
es- 
of 
a 
)or 
iid 
vas 
ex- 


OSTRICH   l"ERN 
</  Portion  of  sterile  frond  I:  Fertile  frond 

c  Detail,  showing  free  veins  v/ith  bin^jjiu  vtmU-ts 


5') 


iT-^ 


GROUP   I 


STERILE    AND    FERTILE    FRONDS    TOTALLY    UNLIKE; 
ILRTILE    FRONDS    NOT    LEAF-LIKE    IN    APPEARANCE 


Hi 


f(jrnis.      Tliis  is  spccialU'  liable  to  occur  when  some 
injury  has  befallen  the  plant. 

3.  CINNAMON    FERN 

i>S/>/UI/(/(/     (  /////ilMi'Wiil 

N()v:i  Scotia  to  Florida,  in  swampy  places.     (Irowinv;  in  a  crown, 

one  to  live  feet  high. 

Stt'rih'  fronds. — liroadly  lance-shaped,  once-pinnate;  piiuui'  cut 

.  4,r        into  broadly  oblonu  divisions  tliat  do 

.•'[r''''ivv,'tC       not   reach   the  niiilvein,  eacli    piinia 

t   'N' \C^^^":'"-        ^^'i^l^  ^  ^'^'^^  0^  rusty  wool  at  its  I)ase 

^^-  ,^\S^!^:Hf  .-  beneath. 


rJ^^..       ■'  ."ife'^'v:^"   . '4v|  ile    fronds,    i^rowinv; 


and      u  s  uai  i  y 
about  the  same 
height ;  erect,  with  cinna- 
mon-colored spore-cases. 

In  the  form  of 
little  croziers,  pro- 
tected from  the  cold 
by  wrap})ini;-s  of 
rusty  wool,  the  fer- 
tile fronds  of  the  Cinnamon  Fern  appear  every- 
where in  our  swamps  and  wet  woods  durino-  the 
month  of  May.  These  fertile  fronds,  first  irolden- 
i^reen,  later  cinnamon-brown,  are  quickly  followed 
and  encircled   by  the  sterile   ones,  which  ^rrow    in 

a    tall,   graceful    crown.     The    fertile    fronds    soon 

60 


a  1 1  y 
ame 
inna- 
ases. 

of 
"»ro- 
colcl 

of 
fcr- 

cry- 
the 
1  en- 
wed 
in 
oon 


At 


» 


^t^/ 


,3 


jr 


CINNAMON  FERN 

a  Showng  t'jft  of  wool  at  base  of  pmna,  also  free  veins  with  forking  veiniets 

6l 


GKOIJI'   I 


SriKIll     AM)    n  Kill  I     !K'()M)S    TOTAIIY    I'NI.IKi;; 
11  Kill  I     IKOINDS    INOI     I.IAI-IIKI     IN    AI'I'F AKANCE 


; 


wither,  and,  during;"  llic  siiniiiuT,  iiuiy  l)c  found 
citlicr  clinL;;-in5;-  to  the  stalks  ol  tlic  sterile  ironds  or 
Ivinj 


tl 


il  on  ttie  L^roiiiH 


The  Cinnamon  I'ein  is  olten  conlused  willi  the 
Ostrich  Fern.  When  either  plant  is  in  Irnit  there  is 
no  excuse  lor  this  mistake,  as  the  cinnamon-colored 
spore-cases  ol  the  lormei- ai)pear  in  Mav,  while  the 
(hirk-i;reen  lertile  Ironds  ol  the  hit ter  do  not  ripen  till 
Julv.  When  the  Iruitiiii;  fionds  are  absent  tlicloi-ked 
vcinlets  (Plate  lll.^/)  ol  the  Cinnamon  l\'rn  contrast, 
with  the  simple  veinlets  of  the  other  plant  (IMate  II, 
a).  Then,  too,  the  piiuuvof  the  Cinnamon  Fern  hear 
tuftsof  rustA'  wool  at  the  base  beneath,  the  remnants 
of  the  wooll}'  ,i;ai-ments  worn  by  the  yonn<;-  fronds. 

The  ])lant  is  a  superb  one  when  seen  at  its  best. 
Its  tall  sterile  fionds  curve  gracefully  out  ward,  while 
the  slender  fruit-clusters  erect  themselves  in  the 
centre  oi  the  rich  crown.  In  unfavorable  conditions, 
when  i^rowiiii;-  in  dry  meadows,  for  instance,  like  all 
thcC)smun(las,and  indeed  like  most  i^rowiui^  thing's, 
it  is  quite  a  different  plant.  Its  i^reen  fronds  become 
stiff  and  stunted,  losing- all  their  i^raceful  curves,  and 
its  fruit-clusters  huddle  among  them  as  if  anxious 
to  keep  out  of  sight. 

J^(ir.  froiidosa  is  an  occasional  form  in  which  some 
of  the  fruiting  fronds  have  green,  leaf-like  pinnnc 
below.  These  abnormal  Ironds  are  most  abundant 
on  land  which  has  been  burned  (ncr. 

The  Cinnamon  Fern  is  a  member  of  the  group  of 
Osrnundas,  or  "  flowering  ferns,"  as  they  are  some- 
times called.  !iot  ot  course  because  they  really  flower, 

62 


GROIJI- 


STIKll.i:    AND    lEKTIll     iROMiS    TOTAI.IY    IINI.IKP. ; 
H.KHI.I:    HKOINDS    NfH     ITAIIIKI     in    AI'Pl.AKANCh 


hut  hccausc  their  fruifiii<^  lioiids  arc  somewhat 
flowcr-hkc  in  ajjpcarancc.  'Plicre  aic  three  species  ol 
Osmiinda  :  the  Ciiinanion  Yiivw^  O.  cinnauionica;  the 
Royal  Fern,  O.  rcgalis;  and  tiic  Interrupted  Fern,  C^. 
ClaytoiiiiDia.  i\\\  three  are  beautiful  and  strikin*^ 
l)lants,  producinjj^  their  spores  in  May  or  June,  and 
conspicuous  by  reason  of  their  luxuriant  growth  and 
fh)\vcr-like  fruit  clusters. 

The  Osniundas  are  easily  cultivated,  and  j^roup 
themselves  effectively  in  shaded  corners  of  the 
j:^ardcn.  They  need  [)lenty  of  water,  and  thrive  best 
in  a  mixture  of  swamp,  muck,  and  {wmz  loam. 

4.  CURLY  GRASS 

ScJiiz<ru  pHsilla 
I'ine  barrens  of  New  Jersey. 

Sterile  fronds. — Hardly  an  inch  long,  linear,  slender,  tlattened, 
curly. 

Fertile  fronds. — Taller  than  the  sterile  fronds  (three  or  four 
inches  in  heis^ht),  slender,  with  from  four  to  six  pairs  of  fruit-bearing 
pinna.'  in  September. 

Save  in  the  herbarium  I  have  never  seen  this  very 
local  little  i)lant,  which  is  found  in  certain  parts  of 
New  Jersey.  Gray  assii^ns  it  to  "  low  g-rounds,  pine 
barrens,"  while  Professor  Eaton  attributes  it  to  the 
"  drier  parts  of  sohagnous  swamps  amo  r  white 
cedars." 

In  my  lack  of  personal  knowledge  of  Schizcra,  I 
venture  to  quote  from  that  excellent  little  quarter- 
ly, the  Fern  Bulletin,  the  following  passage  from  an 


m" 


1 


TRnilP    1      ^"^'''""'   AND   FERTILE    FRONDS   TOTALLY   I'NLIKE  ; 
FERTILE    FRONDS    NOT    LEAF-LIKE    IN    APPEARANCE 


article    by   C.    F.    Saunders    on   ScJiizcea   pusilla   at 
home : 

**S.  pusilla  was  first  collected  early  in  this  century 
at  Quaker  Bridge,  N.  J.,  about  thirty-five  miles  east 
of  Philadelphia.  The  spot  is  a  desolate-looking 
place  in  the  wildest  of  the  'pine  barrens,'  where  a 
branch  of  the  Atsion  River  flows  through  marshy 
lowlands  and  cedar  swamps.  Here,  amid  sedge- 
grasses,  mosses,  Lycopodiums,  Droseras,  and  wild 
cranberry  vines,  the  little  treasure  has  been  col- 
lected ;  but,  though  I  have  hunted  for  it  more  than 
once,  my  eyes  have  n'^ver  been  sharp  enough  to 
detect  its  fronds  in  that  localit3^  In  October  of 
last  year,  however,  a  friend  guided  me  to  another 
place  in  New  Jersey  where  he  knew  it  to  be  grow- 
ing, and  there  we  found  it.  It  was  a  small  open 
spot  in  the  pine  barrens,  low  and  damp.  In  the 
white  sand  grew  patches  of  low  grasses,  mosses, 
Lycopodium  Carolinianum,  L.  inundatum,  and 
Pyxidanthera  I'jfhulata,  besides  several  smaller 
ericaceous  plants  and  so^ae  larger  shrubs,  such  as 
scrub-oaks,  s  imacs,  etc.  Close  by  was  a  little 
stream,  and  just  beyond  that  a  bog.  Although  we 
knew  that  the  Schizaea  grew  within  a  few  feet  of 
the  path  in  which  we  stood,  it  required  the  closest 
sort  of  a  search,  with  eyes  at  the  level  of  our  knees, 
before  a  specimen  was  detected.  The  sterile  fronds 
(curled  like  corkscrews)  grew  in  little  tufts,  and 
were  more  readily  visible  than  the  fertile  spikes, 
which  were  less  numerous,  and,  together  with  the 

slender  stipes,  were  of  a  brown  color,  hardly  dis- 

64 


% 


I.IKF  ; 
lANCE 


isilla  at 


PLATE    IV 


century 
iles  east 
looking- 
vhere  a 
marshy 

sedg-e- 
id  wild 
en  col- 
re  than 
ugh  to 
)ber  of 
nother 

grow- 
I  open 
In  the 
losses, 
,  and 
maller 
ich  as 

little 
^h  we 
eet  of 
losest 
cnees, 
ronds 
,  and 
:>ikes, 
1  the 
'  dis- 


CURLY  GRASS 


65 


GROUf 


sTr-Rii.i:  AM)  ruK  rii.K  fronds  totally  unlikf  ; 

FLRTILIL    hKONHS    NOT   LEAK-LIKE   IN   AI'l'EARAINCE 


a 


i 


tiiiguishablc  from  tlic  capsules  of  the  mosses,  and 
the  matiirinj^  slems  of  the  grasses  which  grew  all 
about.  L\iug  flat  on  the  earth,  with  face  within  a 
few  inches  of  the  ground,  was  found  the  nujst  satis- 
factory plan  of  search.  Down  there  all  the  indi- 
vidual plants  looked  bigger,  and  a  sidelong  glance 
brought  the  fertile  clusters  more  prominently  into 
view.  When  the  sight  got  accustomed  to  the  minia- 
ture jungle  quite  a  number  of  specimens  were  found, 
but  the  fern  could  hardly  be  said  to  be  plentiful, 
and  all  that  we  leathered  were  within  a  radius  of  a 
couple  of  yards.  This  seems,  indeed,  to  be  one  of 
those  plants  whose  whereabouts  is  oftenest  revealerl 
by  what  we  are  wont  to  teiin  a  '  ha})[)y  accident,' 
as,  for  instance,  when  we  are  lying  stretched  on  the 
ground  resting,  or  as  we  stoop  at  lunch  to  crack  an 
egof  on  the  toe  of  or"  shoe.  I  know  of  one  excel- 
lent  collector  who  spent  a  whole  day  looking  for  it 
diligently  in  what  he  thought  to  be  a  likely  spot, 
but  without  success,  when  hnally,  just  before  the 
time  for  return  came,  as  he  was  half  crouching  on 
the  ground,  scarcely  thinking  now  of  Schizxa,  its 
fronds  suddenly  flashed  upon  his  sight,  right  at  his 
feet.  The  sterile  fronds  of  Scliizaca  pusilla  arc  ever- 
green, so  that  the  collector  may,  perhaps,  most  read- 
ily detect  it  in  winter,  selecting  days  for  his  search 
when  the  earth  is  pretty  clear  of  snow.  The  sur- 
rounding vegetation  being  at  that  time  dead,  the 
little  corkscrew-like  fronds  stand  out  more  promi- 
nently." 


I 


I 

* 
'.I 


65 


i 


IKE  ; 
ANCE 


scs,  and 
^rcw  all 
vithin  a 
St  satis- 
ic  iiuli- 
^lance 
tly  into 
i  minia- 
3  found, 
Icntiful, 
us  of  a 
one  of 
evealcrl 
cidcnt,' 
on  the 
rack  an 
;  cxccl- 
for  it 
y  spot, 
re  the 
lui^  on 
ta,  its 
at  his 
ever- 
rcad- 
search 
c  sur- 
d,  tlie 
promi- 


GROUP   II 


FFRTILt:   FRONDS   PARTIALLY   LEAF-LIKH,  THE   FERTILE 
PORTION   UNLIKE   THE   KE^F  01    THE   FROND 


5.  ROYAL  ff:rn.   flowering  fern 

OsniitHtla  yr^alis 

Xi'W   Hriuiswick  to  Florida,  in  swampy  places.     Two  to  five  feet 

high,  occasionally  taller. 

.S'Avv/t'yVw/^-A'.— Twice-pinnale,  phuur  cut  into  oblong-  pinnules. 
Fertile  fronds. — Leaf-like    below,    sporarioia    forniini;    bright- 
brown  clusters  tit  their  summits. 

Perhaps  this  Roval  or  Flowcrini^  Fern  is  the 
most  beautiful  member  of  a  sini^ularly  beautiful 
group.  When  its  smooth,  pale  -  green  sterile 
fronds,  grown  to  their  full  height,  form  a  iifi'^'ice- 
fill  crown  which  encircles  the  fertile  fronds,  it  is 
truly  a   regal-looking    plant.      These  fertile   fronds 

^7 


/^ 


\ 


..VI 


a  r  c  Icaf- 
1  i  k  c  be- 
low, and 
arc  tipped 
above  with  tlieir  llower-like 
fruit-elusters. 

Like  ils  kinsmen,  the  Royal 
Fern  api)ears  in   INIay  in  our 
u^ct    woods    and    fields.     The 
delicate  little  croziers  uncnrl 
with  dainty  grace,  the  [)hints 
wdiich  grow  in  the  oi)en  among 
the  yellow  stars  of  the  eaily 
crow-foot,  and  the  white  clus- 
ters of  the  spring  cress 
being  so  tinged  with  red 
that    they    suffuse    the 
meadows     with     warm 
color. 

Though  one  of  our 
tallest  ferns,  with  us  it 
never  reaches  the  ten  or 
eleven  feet  with  which  it  is 
credited  in  Great  Britain. 
The  tallest  plants  I  have 
found  fall  short  of  six  leet. 
Occasionally  we  see  large 
tracts  of  land  covered  with 
mature  plants  that  lack  a 
foot  or  more  of  the  two  leet 
given   as   the  minimum    height.     This  tendency  to 

08 


Royal   Fern 


■I-  i 


PLATE    V 


a  r  c  leaf- 
1  i  k  c  be- 
low, and 
arc  tipped 
■    lluwcr-Iike 

n,  the  Ro^al 
May  in  our 

fields.  Tiie 
ziers  uncurl 
;,  the  plants 
open  anionic 
jf  the  eaily 
;  wliite  elus- 
sprinj^  cress 
^ed  witli  led 
suffuse  the 
.vith     warm 

one  of  our 
,  with  us  it 
he  ten  or 
whicli  it  is 
at  Britain, 
ts  1  have 
of  six  leet. 
sec  huge 
X'^reci  with 
lat  kick  a 
he  two  feet 
endency  to 


.^7^1.  * 


a  Pinnule  of  Royal   Fern 


ROYAL  FERN 


r,,, 


l>  Showing  veinina 


GROUI'  II 


lIRTILi;    FRONDS    I'ARTIMLY    LEAF-LIKE, 
FIHIILL  I'UK  riON  UNLIKI    KtST  OF  FKUND 


(ic'j)aU|)cri/;it  ioii     one     notici's     cspcciallv      in     dry 
luarshcs  iicai"  1  he  sea. 

To  tlie  Koval  Feni  the  ohl  herbalists  attributed 
many  vaUiable  (|ualities.  One  old  writer,  who  calls 
it  the  "  Water  l''ern,"  says:  "  This  hath  all  the  >'ir- 
tucs  mentioned  in  other  ferns,  and  is  niucii  more 
effective  ihan  they  both  for  inward  and  outward 
griefs,  and  is  accounted  ^(U)d  for  wounds,  bruises, 
and  the  like." 

The  title  "  llowerin<j^  Icrn  "  sometimes  misleads 
those  who  are  so  unfamiliai^  with  the  habits  of  ferns 
as  to  imai^ine  that  they  e\er  flower.  That  it  really 
is  descriptive  was  proved  to  me  only  a  few  weeks 
ag'o  when  1  received  a.  pressed  specimen  of  a 
fertile  frond  accompanied  by  the  request  to  in- 
form the  writer  as  t(j  the  name  of  the  flower  in- 
closed, which  seemed  to  him  to  belong  to  the 
Sumach   family. 

'I'he  origin  of  the  generic  name  OsDiunda  seems 
somewhat  obscure.  It  is  said  to  be  derived  from 
()smund-er,  the  Saxon  Thor.  In  his  I  leibal  Gerarde 
tells  us  that  Osniuiufa  ?-i\<^aiis  was  formerly  called 
"  Osmund,  the  Waterman,"  in  allusion,  perha{)S,  to 
its  liking  for  a  home  in  the  marshes.  One  legend 
claims  that  a  certain  Osmund,  living  at  Loch  Tyne, 
saved  his  wife  and  child  from  the  inimical  Danes 
by  hiding  them  upon  an  island  among  masses 
of  flowering  ferns,  and  that  in  after  years  the 
child  so  shielded  named  the  stately  plants  after  her 
father. 


70 


F-LIKE, 
FROND 


4 


V 


HI 


dry 


s  attributed 
LT,  who  calls 
1  all  the  A'ir- 
mucli  more 
iiul  outward 
nds,  bruises, 

les  misleads 
ibits  of  ferns 
hat  it  really 
a  few  weeks 
cimen  of  a 
rjuest  to  in- 
le  flower  iu- 
:lono-    to    the 

luinda  seems 
lerived  from 
rbal  Gerarde 
merly  called 
,  perhaps,  to 
One  legend 
:  Loch  Tyne, 
mical  Danes 
nong  masses 
;r  years  the 
ints  after  her 


i 


cm\\\v  II    ""TiLi;  FK()Nr>s  paktially  leaf-like, 

UKi    Ul  II  KTILE  HOkTl.H  UNLIKE   KFSr  OF  FKOND 


The    following   lines   from    W'ordswortii   i»oinl   to 
still  another  origin  ol  the  generic  name  : 


" — ofttMi,  tritliiv^  will)  a  privilege 
Alike  indiili^fiid  to  all,  we  pausi'd,  oiu'  now, 
And  now  llir  otluT,  to  poiiu  out,  pcrcjiaiu't' 
'i'o  |)luik,  some  llowiT,  Of  watir-wi'id,   too  fair 
lalhcr  to  he  cliviik.d  from   the  place 
On  which  il  i^rew,  or  to  be  left  alone 
'I"o  its  own  beauty.     Nhmy  such  tlierc  arc, 
i'"air  ferns  and  flowers,  and  chietly  that  tall  lirn, 
So  stately,  of  the  (Hieen  Osnumda  named; 
I'lant  lovelier,  in   its  own  retiret!  aboile 
On  Cirasmere's  beach,  than  Naiad  by  the  side 
<  )f  (Irecian  brook,  or  Lady  f)f  the  Mere, 
Sole-sitting  by  the  shores  of  okl  romance." 

The  Royal  h'ern  may  be  cultivated  easily  in  deep 
moimds  ol  rich  soil  shielded  somewhat  from  the 
sun. 


71 


IMAGE  EVALUATION 
TEST  TARGET  (MT-3) 


V 


/> 


/ 


2, 


1.0 


1.25 


2.0 


1.1         r-^l 


1.8 


U    IIIIII.6 


p;^ 


<? 


/a. 


m^.r  .V  ^^- 


■^  "^    "^    >."* 


^A 


// 


y 


>^ 


Photographic 

Sciences 
Corporation 


23  WEST  MAIN  STREET 

WEBSTER,  N.Y.  14580 

(716)  872-4503 


^^ 


\ 


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\\ 


% 


v 


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1 

i  i 

1 

TROIIP   II       FEf'TILE    FRONDS    PARTIALLY    LEAF-LIKE, 
UKUUI  FERTILE  PORTION  UNLIKE  REST  OF  FROND 

6.  INTERRUPTED  FERN 

Osinunda  Claytoniana 

Newfoundland   to   North  Carolina,  in  swampy  places.    Two  to 

four  feet  high. 

Sterile  fronds. — Oblong-lanceolate,  once-pinnate,  pinnce  cut  into 
oblong,  obtuse  divisions,  without  a  tuft  of  wool  at  the  base  of  each 
pinna. 

Fertile  fronds. — Taller  than  the  sterile,  leaf -like  above  and 
below,  some  of  the  middle  pinnct  fruit-bearing. 

The  Interrupted  Fern  makes  its  appearance  in 
the  woods  and  meadows  and  along  the  roadsides  in 
May.     It  fruits  as  it  unfolds. 

Till  the  spores  arc  discharged  the  fruiting  pinnae 
are  golden-green  in  color.  Later  they  become 
brown.  They  are  noticeable  all  summer,  and  serve 
to  identify  the  plant  at  once. 

In  the  absence  of  the  fertile  fronds  it  is  often 
difficult  to  distinguish  between  the  Cinnamon  Fern 
and  the  Interrupted  Fern. 

The  sterile  fronds  of  the  Interrupted  Fern  are 
usually  less  erect,  curving  outward  much  more 
noticeably  than  those  of  the  Cinnamon  Fern.  Then, 
too,  its  pinnae  are  cut  into  segments  that  are  more  ob- 
tuse, and  the  whole  effect  of  the  frond  is  more  stubby. 

But  the  most  distinguishing  feature  of  all  is  the 
tuft  of  rusty  wool  which  clings  to  the  base  of  each 
pinna  of  the  sterile  fronds  of  the  Cinnamon  Fern. 
These  tufts  we  do  not  find  in  the  Interrupted  Fern, 
though  both  plants  come  into  the  world  warmly 
wrapped  in  wool. 

The  Interrupted  Fern  is  a  peculiarly  graceful  plant. 

72 


places.    Two  to 

te,  pinna  cut  into 
t  the  base  of  each 

f-like  above  and 


ppearance  in 
J  roadsides  in 

ruiting  pinnae 
:hey  become 
ler,  and  serve 

Is  it  is  often 
nnamon  Fern 

ted  Fern  are 

much    more 

Fern.    Then, 

are  more  ob- 

more  stubby. 

of  all  is  the 

base  of  each 

namon  Fern. 

rupted  Fern, 

orld  warmly 

raceful  plant. 


PLATE  VI 


OK" 


try 


INTERRUPTED  FERN 
a  Clusters  of  sporangia  i  Showing  veming 

73 


■rv- 


Its    fertile 
fronds, stand- 
ing"   quite    erect 
below  but  curving- 
outward  alcove  the 
fruiting  pinna*,  are 
set    in   a   somewhat 
shallow  vase  formed 
b\'  the  sterile  fronds, 
which  fall  away   in 
every  direction. 

in    the    fall    the 
fronds     turn     yel- 
low, and 
at  times 
are     so 
brilliant 
that 
the)' 
flood  the 
woods 
with  a^old- 
en  light. 

Like  the 
other  Os- 
m  u  n  d  a  s , 
the  Inter- 
r  u  p  t  e  d 
Fern  is 
easily  cul- 
tivated. 


Interrupted  Fern 

74 


•H 


Its    fertile 
fronds,  stand- 
quite    erect 
v  butcurvin<T^ 
rd  above  the 
1^  pinna',  are 
a   somewhat 
J  vase  formed 
sterile  fronds, 
fall  away  in 
lirection. 
the    fall    the 
turn     yel- 
low, and 
at  times 
„    are     so 
brilliant 
that 
the}' 
flood  the 
woods 
with  gold- 
en light. 

Like  the 
other  Os- 
mund a  s , 
the  Inter- 
r  u  p  t  e  d 
Fern  is 
easily  cul- 
tivated. 


,//// 
W 


m 


"''     '■^l:^,m: 


X  y'-\.< 


FERN.  CREEPING 
HARTFORD  FERN 


^■ii-^ 


I.Vi:;odiii)n  pab)Uitnm 

Massachusetts  and  soutliward,  in  moist 
thickets  and  open  woods.  Stalks 
slender  and  t\vinin>(. 

I'ronds .-\i\\\w\Sw\%  and  twining,  one 
to  three  feet  long,  divided  into  lobed, 
rounded,  heart  -  shapetl,  short  -  stalked 
segments  ;  f>i(it  -  clusters,  growing  at 
the  summit  of  the  frond,  ripening  in 
September. 


The  Climbinii:  Fern  is  still  found 
occasionally  in  moist  thickets  and 
open  woods  from  Massachusetts  southward, 
but  at  one  time  it  was  picked  so  reck- 
lessly lor  decorative  purposes  that  it  was  almost 
exterminated. 

In  1869  the  legislature  of  Connecticut  passed  for 
its  protection  a  special  law  which  was  embodied  in 
the  revision   of  the  statutes  of    1875,  "perhaps  the 

75 


GROUP  II 


FERTILE    FRONDS    PARTIALLY    LEAF-LIKE, 
FERTILE  PORTION  UNLIKE  REST  OF  FROND 


Part  of  fertile   pinnule 


only  instance  in  statute  law,"  IVofcssor  Eat(3n  re- 
marks, "  where  a  plant  has  received  special  legal 
protection  solely  on  account  of  its  beauty." 

I  have  never  seen  the  i)lant  growin<;,  but  remem- 
ber that  when  a  child  my  home  in  New  York  was 
abundantly  decorated  with  the  pressed  fronds  which 

had  been  brought  Irom  Hart- 
ford for  the  purpose.  Even  in 
that  lifeless  condition  their  grace 
and  beauty  made  a  deep  impres- 
sion on  my  mind. 

Mr.  Saunders  has  described  it 
as  he  found  it  growing  in  com- 
pany with  ScJiizcca,  in  the  New 
Jersey  pine  barrens  : 
"  Lygodium  palmatum  ...  is  one  of  the  love- 
liest of  American  plants,  with  twining  stem  adorned 
with  palmate  leaflets,  bearing  small  resemblance  to 
the  popular  idea  of  a  fern.  It  loves  the  shaded, 
mossy  banks  of  the  quiet  streams  whose  cool,  clear, 
amber  waters,  murmuring  over  beds  of  pure  white 
sand,  are  so  characteristic  of  the  pine  country. 
There  the  graceful  fronds  are  to  be  found,  some- 
times clambering  a  yard  high  over  the  bushes  and 
cat-briers  ;  sometimes  trailing  down  the  bank  until 
their  tips  touch  the  surface  of  the  water. 

**  The  Lygodium  is  reckoned  among  the  rare 
plants  of  the  region — though  often  growing  in  good- 
sized  patches  when  found  at  all — and  is  getting 
rarer.  Many  of  the  localities  which  knew  it  once 
now  know  it  no  more,  bo^h  because  of  the 


76 


;pre- 


KE, 


CKOIJI'    II      *^"""'      '•Kf^'^"!^    PAKilAIIY    IIAMIKI, 
tLKllLU  rUKilUN  l.MIM.  KlJ)i  ( i|   INUM) 


Eaton  rc- 
cial   legal 

it  remcm- 
York  was 
nds  which 
oni  Hart- 
Even  in 
their  grace 
;ep  inipres- 

Icscribed  it 
Jig  in  com- 
n  the  New 

of  the  love- 
cm  adorned 
Miiblance  to 
the   shaded, 
cool,  clear, 
pure  white 
ne   country. 
Hind,  some- 
bushes  and 
c  bank  until 


ng 


the  rare 
ving  in  good- 
d  is  getting 
^new  it  once 
of  the  depre- 


dations of  ruthless  collectors,  and,  to  some  extent, 
probably,  the  ravages  of  fire.  The  plant  is  in  its 
prime  in  early  fall,  but  may  be  looked  lor  u[)  to  the 


time  of  killing  frosts." 


8.  ADDER'S  TONGUE 


Op  It  /( ^gloss  Kill   I'll  li^iilii  in 


t'aiiada  lo  New  Jersey  and  Kentucky,  .a  moist  meadows.     Two 

inches  to  one  foot  high. 

Sterile  portion. — An  ovate,  fleshy  leaf. 

l'\r  tile  portion. — A  simple  spike,  usually  long-stalked. 

The  unprofessional  fern  collector  is  likely  to 
agree  with  Gray  in  considering  the  Adder's 
Tongue  "not  common."  Many  botanists,  however, 
believe  the  plant  to  be  "  overlooked  rather  than 
rare."  In  an  article  on  O.  vulij;atuni,  which  ap- 
peared some  years  ago  in  the  Fcrii  Bulletin^  Mr.  A. 
A.  Eaton  writes  : 

"  Previous  to  1895  Ophioglossum  vulgatum  was 
unknown  to  me,  and  was  considered  very  rare,  only 
two  localities  being  known  in  Essex  County,  Mass. 
Early  in  the  year  a  friend  gave  me  two  specimens. 
From  these  1  got  an  idea  of  how  the  thing  looked. 
On  the  nth  of  last  July,  while  collecting  Habenaria 
lacera  in  a  'bound-out'  mcjwing  field,  I  was  de- 
lighted to  notice  a  spike  of  fruit  in  the  grass.  A 
search  revealed  about  sixty,  just  right  to  collect, 
with  many  unfruitful  specimens.     A  few  days  later. 


/  / 


GROUP  II 


KFKTII.r     IRONDS    PAKTIAI.I.Y    LCAF-I.IKE, 
IIKTIM    PORTION  lIM.IKi:  KIST  OK  I  ROM) 


while  rakint^  in  a  similar  locality,  I  found  several, 
within  a  stone's  throw  of  the  house,  demonstratinjjj 
ajT^ain  the  well-known  fact  that  a  thing  once  seen  is 
easily  discovered  again.  On  the  23d  of  last  August, 
while  riding  on  my  bicycle,  1  noticed  a  field  that 
appeared  to  be  the  right  locality,  and  an  investiga- 
tion showed  an  abundance  of  them.  I  subseciucntly 
found  it  in  another  place.  This  year,  on  May  28th, 
I  found  it  in  another  locality  just  as  it  was  coming 
up,  and  1  have  since  found  three  others.  I  con- 
sider it  abundant  here,  only  appearing  rare  because 
growing  hidden  in  hne  grass  in  old  mowing  Helds, 
after  the  red  top  and  timothy  have  died  out,  and  the 
finer  species  of  Carex  are  coming  in.  A  good  in- 
dex plant  is  the  Ilabenaria  quoted.  1  have  never 
found  it  except  when  associated  with  this  plant, 
on  a  cold,  heavy  soil.  The  leaf  is  usually  hidden, 
or,  if  not,  is  easily  passed  by  for  Maianthemum  or 
Pogonia." 

In  the  "  Grete  Herbal  "  of  Gerarde  we  read  that 
"  the  leaves  of  Adder's  Tongue  stamped  in  a  stone 
mortar,  and  boiled  in  oyle  olive  unto  the  consump- 
tion of  the  juice,  and  until  the  herbs  be  dried  and 
parched  and  then  strained,  will  yecldc  most  excellent 
greene  oyle  or  rather  a  balsame  for  greene  wounds 
comparable  to  oyle  of  St.  John's-wort  if  it  do  not 
farre  surpasse  it." 

It  is  said  that  "  Adder's  Spear  Ointment,"  made 
from  the  fresh  fronds  of  this  plant  is  still  used  for 
wounds  in  English  villages. 

The  Adder's  Tongue  was  believed  formerly  to 

78 


F-l  IKE, 
IKOM) 


PLATE  VII 


ind  several, 
inonstriitin^ 
3ncc  seen  is 
last  Ai!,';ust , 

a  Held  that 
in  invcsti^^^a- 
;ubse(iuently 
m  May  2cStli, 

was  coming 
icrs.  I  con- 
rare  because 
owinj^  Helds, 
[  out,  and  the 
A  good  in- 

have  never 
1  this  plant, 
lally  hidden, 
mthemum  or 

we  read  that 
)ed  in  a  stone 
the  consump- 
be  dried  and 
nostexcellent 
reene  wounds 
t  if  it  do  not 


tment,"  made 
still  used  for 


1  formerly  to 


ADDER'S  TONGUE 


79 


CiKOIII 


;|l^* 


It  Kill  I      IKOMiS     I'AKIIAIIV     IIAMIKI, 
1 1  K  I  II  I    l'(  )K  1 1(  )N  IM  IKI    Hi  S  I   I  )|   I  K'(  >M> 


have  j)()is()ii()iis  t|iialitiis,  wliich 
not  only  injured  the  cattle  that 
fed  upon  it,  but  destroyed  the 
grass  in  which  it  grew. 


9.   RATTLESNAKE    FERN.    VIR- 
GINIA GRAPE    FERN 

Ju'tryi/iiutii   I 'iri^iuiamim 

Nova   Scotia   to    l'"loricia,  in  rich  woods. 
One  or  two  feet  lii,v;h.  at  times  nimli 
smaller,  when  it  be- 
comes /)'.  i^rad/i'. 


Rattlesnake  Fern 


Stt'ri/t'  port  i  o  n  .  — 
Usnally  broader  than 
Ion,i^,  spreadinii;,  with 
lliree  m  a  i  n  (Hvisions 
which  are  cnt  into  many 
smaller  segments,  thin, 
set  close  to  the  stem 
about  half  way  up. 

I-'ertili  •  portion.  — 
Lonij-stalked,  more  than 
once-pinnate. 

On  our  rambles 
through  the  woods 
we  arc  more  likely 
to  encounter  the 
Rattlesnake  Fern 
than  any  other 
member  of  the  Bo- 
try  cJiium  group.  It 
fruits  in  early  sum- 


80 


I  IKI  , 
KOM) 

tics,  wliicli 
cattle  tluit 
.troycd  tlu- 

V. 


GROUP  II 


m/riM     IKONDS    I'AITIMIY    l»AI-IIKI, 
II  Kill  I    IMIKIION  I  .M.IKI    klSlollKoM) 


iMcr,  !)iit,  the  witlured  fertile  jtoition  may  he 
h)iiiui  upon  the  plant  inneh  later  in  the  year. 
Its  fre(iueiit  companions  are  the  S|)innl()se  Shield 
Fern,  the  Christmas  I''ein,  the  Silvery  Spleenwort, 
and  the  Maidenhair. 


ERN.    VIR- 
FERN 

intium 

ill  ricli  woods, 
at  linu'S  nuu  h 
k-r.  when  it  bc- 
L'S  /)'.  i^raiilt'. 

•  por  t  i 0  ft .  - 
broader  than 
prcadini;.  witli 
lain  (hvisions 
c  cut  into  many 
segments,  thin, 
c  to  the  stem 
U  way  up. 

portion . — 
liked,  more  than 
nate. 

lour  rambles 

:h  the  woods 

more  likely 

counter    the 

;nake     Fern 

lany    other 

;r  of  the  Bo- 

im  group.    It 

in  early  sum- 


10.  TERNATE   GRAPE    FERN 

/>'(>/)■]•(////<»/   lt>Hiiliini  or   i/is\(-(iuni 

Nova  Scotia  to  Florida,  in  moist  meadows.      A  few  inches  to  moro 

tl'.an  a  foot  liiv;li. 

Sterile  portion. — liroadly  triangular,  the  three  main  divisions  cut 
aj^ain  into  many   Sfj;nu'»us,   on    a    separate   stalk 
from  near  the  base  of  the  plan.,  Ileshy.  A>\ 

I'ertile  portion. — Kreet,  usually  considerably 
taller  than  non-fruiting  segment,  wiore  than  oncc- 
niimatc. 


Sporangia  of 
Botrychium 


Of  late  some  doid^t  has  existed  as 
to  whether  />.  tcrnatiim  has  been  act- 
ually found  in  this  country,  althou<^h 
the  standard  Floras  give  no  evidence 
of  this  uncertainty.  Dr.  Underwood 
is  convinced  that  the  true  />.  tcrnatuui 
is  found  only  in  Japan  and  China, 
and  that  our  species  is  really  /?.  disscctuniy  a  spe- 
cies, not  a  variet}'.  Me  says  that  this  species  is 
very  common  in  the  vicinity  of  New  York  City, 
and  thence  southward  and  westward ;  that  it  is 
also  found  in  various  parts  of  New  En<^land ; 
that   it    reaches    its    fullest  development   in    moist, 

8i 


fTT^ 


!• 


! 


'II 


It 


1 
I     111 


GKOIIP 


lie  I II  I     IKnM)S    PARIIAIIY    llAF-IIKr. 
II  Kllll.  I'tiKllDN  l!M.IKL  Kl.:>r  ()|-  tHOM) 


bliady  \V(K)(ls  ;  that  In 
mossy  meadows  of 
New  liiiL^Iancl  and 
Central  New  York 
llie  plant  assumes  a 
more  con- 


believes 


^^ 


.\' 


its   segments 
are  more  apt 
to  be  divided  in  shady 
situations  than  in  open, 
sunny  ground. 
The  Ternatc  Grape  Fern  fruits  in  the  fall. 


Part  of  sterile  'C^^^|^^ 

portion  of 
B   dissoctum 


II.  LITTLE   GRAPE    FERN 

Botryt  Ilium    siiuplcx 

Canada  to  Maryland,  in  moist  woods  and  in  fields.     Two  to  four 
inches  high,  rarely  a  little  taller. 

Sterile  portion. — Somewhat  oblong,  more  or  less  lobed,  occa- 
sionally 3-7  divided,  usually  shou-slalked  from  near  the  middle 
of  the  plant,  thick  and  fleshy. 

Fertile  portion. — Either  simple  or  once  or  twice-pinnate,  taller 
than  the  sterile  portion. 

This  little  plant  is  sufficiently  rare  to  rejoice  the 

heart  of  the  fern  hunter  who  is  so  fortunate  as  to 

82 


IKI. 

t(lM) 

(Is ;  that  ii) 

jiuhnvs    of 

^land     and 

sew    York 

assumes  a 

more  con- 

t  r  a  c  t  e  d 

liabit.    He 

b  c  1  i  c  \'  e  s 


s  sccrments 
e  more  apt 
d  in  shady 
an  in  open, 
id. 
e  fall. 


PLAtt    VI 


Two  to  four 

iS  lobed,  occa- 
ear  the  niiddle 

;-pinnate,  taller 

rejoice  the 
iinatc  as  to 


41 


r-"^' 


C.  ^rr^ 


/ 


TERNATE  GRAPE  FERN 


i 


83 


»0^ 


f 


\l- 


m 


Hm 


'.'y.i  ■«  .is 


wim 


^^"li'  '  "f:   ■,4^ 


GROUP  II 


FFRTII.E    FRONDS    I'AHTI/.I.LY    LEAF-LIKT, 
FERTILE  PORTION  UNLIKE  REST  OF  FROND 


stumble  upon   it    by    chance   or   to  trace   it  to  its 
chosen  haunts. 

It  is  j;  jnerally  considered  an  inhabitant  of  moist 
woods  and  meadows,  though  Mr.  Pringle  describes 
it  as  "  abundantly  scattered  over  Vermont,  its  habi- 
tat usually  poor  soil,  especially  knolls  of  hill  pas- 
tures," and  Mr.  Dodge  assigns  it  to  "  dry  fields." 
It  fruits  in  May  or  June. 

12.  MOONWORT 

Ikitrych imn   I. una na 

Newfoundland  to  Connecticut  and  Central  New  York,  in  dry- 
pastures.  Three  inches  to  nearly  one  foot  high.  A  very  fleshy 
plant. 

Sterile  portion. — Oblong,  cut  into  several  fan-shaped  fleshy 
divisions,  growing  close  to  the  stem  about  the  middle  of  the  plant. 

Fertile  portion. — Hranching,  long-stalked,  usually  the  same 
height  as  or  taller  than  the  sterile  portion. 

The  Moonwort  is  another  of  our  rare  little  plants. 
It  grows  usually  in  dry  pastures,  fruiting  in  July. 

Formerly  it  was  accredited  with  various  magic 
powers.  Gathered  by  moonlight,  it  was  said  to 
"  do  wonders."  The  English  poet  Drayton  refers 
to  the  Moonwort  as  "  Lunary  "  : 

"  Then  sprinkled  she  the  juice  of  rue 
With  nine  drops  of  the  midnight  dew 
From  Lunary  distilling." 

Gerarde  m-^iilions  its  use  by  alchemists,  who 
called  it  Martagon.  In  the  work  of  Coles,  an  early 
writer   on    plants,  we   read  :  "  It   is  said,  yea,  and 

believed    by   many   that   Moonwort   will  open  the 

84 


LIKF, 


PLATE  IX 


c  it  to  its 

it  of  moist 
I  describes 
it,  its  habi- 
3f  hill  pas- 
Iry  fields." 


York,  in  dry 
A  very  tleshy 

-shaped  fleshy 
le  of  the  plant, 
illy    the    same 

little  plants, 
y  in  July, 
•ious  magic 
vas   said   to 
lyton   refers 


w 


smists,  who 
les,  an  early 
id,  yea,  and 
ill  open  the 


MOONWORT 


iiliif^ 


LANCE  LEAVED  GRAPE  FERN 


H 


] 


w 


i 


TROUP   II       Ff^l'TILE    FRONDS    PARTIALLY    LEAF  I  IlCn, 
I  LK TILi:  I'UKTION  UNLIKE   REST  OF  FkUND 


locks  wlicrcwitli  clwcUiiit^-liouscs  arc  made  fast,  if 
it  be  put  into  tlic  kc3'liolc  ;  as  also  that  it  will  loosen 
.  .  .  shoes  from  those  horses'  feet  that  <^o  on  the 
places  where  it  <;rows." 

It  is  to  the  Moonwort  that  Withers  alludes  in  the 
followiiii^  lines  : 

"  I'Iktc  is  an  herb,  some  say,  whose  vertue's  siuh 
1 1  in  the  pasture,  only  with  a  touch 
Unshoes  the  new-shod  steed." 

13.  MATRICARY   GRAPE    FERN 

Hot)yihiiiiii  iitatriiiiriiifoliiiDi 

Nova  Scotia  to  New  Jersey,  in  woods  and  wet  meadows,     Twt) 

inches  to  one  foot  liigh. 

Sterile  portion. — Once  or  twice  divided,  sometimes  very  Hesliy. 
i^rowint;^  hiijh  up  on  the  stem. 

I-\'rtilc  portio)i. — With  several  branched  pinna?. 

This  plant  is  found,  often  in  the  companionship  of 
/>.  Mrginiauuui,  in  woods  and  wet  meadows,  not 
farther  south  thiui  New  Jersey.     It  fruits  in  summer. 

14.  LANCE-LEAVED    GRAPE    FERN 

Botrvt  liiitm   Ituitt'oLitinn 

Nova  Scotia  to  New  jersey,  in    woods   and  meadows.      Two    to 

nine  inclic;  high. 

Sti-ri/t'  portion. — Triangular,  twice-pinnatifid,  with  somewhat 
lance-shaped  segments,  hardly  fleshy,  set  close  to  the  top  of  the 
common  stalk. 

Fertile  portion. — Branching. 

Like  the  Matricary  Grape  Fern,  this  plant  is 
found  in  the  woods  and   wet  meadows  from  Nova 

Scotia  to  New  Jersey.     It  fruits  also  in  summer. 

86 


iNl) 

Jc  fast,  if 
ill  loosen 

^o  on  the 

> 

les  in  the 


,  such 


GROUP   III 


udows.     Two 
.'S  very  Hcsliy. 


uonsliip  of 

Lclows,    not 

n  snnimer. 


vs.      Two    to 

Lb    somewhat 
le  top  of  the 


s  plant  is 
rom  Nova 
1  miner. 


FERTILE    FRONDS    UNIFORMLY   SOMEWHAT  LEAF-LIKE  IN 

APPEARANCE,  YET  DIFFERING   NOTICEABLY  FROM 

STERILE  FRONDS 

15.  SLENDER   CLIFF   BRAKE 

J'e//,r,i  gracilis  {P.  Str/h-ri) 

Labrador  to  Pennsylvania,  usually  on  sheltered  rocks,  preferrinj^ 
limestone.  Two  to  five  inches  lonjj,  with  straw-colored  or  pale- 
brown  stalks,  slightly  chaffy  below. 

Fronds. — Delicate,  with  few  pinnae  ;  pitDicr,  the  lower  ones  once 
or  twice  parted  into  3-5  divisions,  those  of  the  fertile  frond 
oblong  or  linear-oblong,  sparingly  incised,  of  the  sterile  frond  ovate 
or  obovate,  toothed  or  incised  ;  sporans^ia  bordering  the  pinnae  of 
the  fertile  frond,  covered  by  a  broad  and  usually  continuous  gen- 
eral I'ndustum,  formed  by  the  reflexed  margin  of  \ht  pinnule. 

The  first  time  I  found  the  Slender  Cliff  Brake 
was  one  July  day  in  Central  New  York,  under  the 
kind  guidance  of  an  enthusiastic  fern  collector.  A 
rather  perilous  climb  along  the  sides  of  a  thickly 
wooded  glen  brought  us  to  a  spot  where  our  only 

security  lay  in  clinging  to  the  trees,  which,  like  our- 

«7 


If 


'■I 

'  1 


GROUP  111 


lIKTIir   Ih'oNDS   INIinKMlY  SOMIWIIaT  I.FAr  I  IKF., 
Ill    iillllKnC.    NdlK.IAHIY  IN(IM  STIkin    IKONItS 


sclvt's,  had  ohlaiiu'd  doiibtfiil  stan(liiij^-ro(jm.  In  a 
pockt't  in  tlu-  limestone"  just  ahnvc  us  1  was  sliown 
a  very  brown  and  witlu  red  little  plant  wliieli  only 
the  elosest  scrutiny  in  combination  with  a  certain 
amount  ol  loreknowledL;('  could  identify  as  the 
Slender  Cliff  Biake.  The  season  had  been  a  dry 
one  and  the  plant  had  ])erished,  I  fancy,  for  lack  of 
water,  in  spite  of  the  stream  which  pinniped  from 
the  top  of  the  cliffs  close  by,  almost  near  enou<^h,  it 
seemed  to  me,  to  moisten  with  its  spray 
our  hot  cheeks. 

I-ater  in  the  season  I  found  more  })rom- 
isini;-  though  not  altoi^ether  satisfactory 
specimens  of  this  |)lant  j^rowiui^  in  other 
rocky  crevices  of  the  same  deep  ^len, 
in  the  ncii;hborlio()d  of  the  Maidenhair 
Spleen  wort,  the  Walkiui^  Leaf,  and  the 
Bulblet  Bladder  Fern. 

INI}'  sister  tells  me  that  late  in  Au(^ust 
on  the  cliffs  which  border  the  St.  Lawrence  River, 
refreshed  by  the  m3'riad  streams  wdiich  leap  or 
trickle  down  their  sides,  under  the  hanging  roots 
of  trees,  close  to  clusters  of  quivering  harebells 
and  i)ale  tufts  of  the  Brittle  Bladder  Fern,  the 
Slender  Cliff  Brake  growls  in  i)rofusion,  its  delicate 
fronds  rippling  over  one  another  so  closely  that  at 
times  they  give  the  eTfect  of  a  long,  luxuriant  moss. 
On  most  occasions,  in  these  soft  beds  of  foliage, 
she  found  the  fertile  fronds,  which  are  far  more 
slender  and  unusual  looking  than  the  sterile,  largely 

predominating,  though  at  times  a  patch   would  be 

88 


Portion  of 
fertile  frond 


GROIJI' 


rriMIII    IPONDS  rMlOKMI  Y  SOMrWllAT  ITAI   iiKi:, 
VLl   1)11 1  IKING  NOIICIMil.Y  I  k(»M    SIIKlii    IkOMtS 


jni.  In  n 
ras  shown 
'\\\c\\  only 

a  certain 
ly    as    the 
ccn  a  dry 
or  lack  oi 
wj-cd  Irom 

enough,  it 
h  its  spray 

iiorc  proni- 
salisfactory 
ing  in  other 
dcc\)    ^Icn, 
Maidenhair 
af,  and    the 

c  in  August 
rcnce  River, 
ich    leap   or 
nging   roots 
11  g   harebells 
r    Fern,   the 
its  delicate 
osely  that  at 
uriant  moss. 
s  ol    loliage, 
re   far   more 
erile,  largely 
Lli  would  be 


made  u\>  cliielly  of  the  sterile  Ironds.  I'luse  soine- 
wJKit  rcseiiii)k;  the  IJrittle  IJIaddcr  i'erii  in  whose 
company  they  are  seen  so  olten. 


illi 


rWdllP    III      "^''Tll.r   I KUNDS  DNIKJKMLY  SOMEWHAT  LEAF-LIKF., 
UKULI  ^,    I    |,in  IKING  NOTICtABLY  FKUM   SrtKILL  FRONDS 


i6.   PURPLE    CLIFF   BRAKE 

l\-l!iia  tihol'UrpHrfa 

Canada  to  Gcorj^ia  and  westward,  usually  on  limestone  cliffs;  with 

wiry  purplish  stalks. 

I't-rtili'  fronds. — Six  to  twenty  inches  hijjh, leathery,  bluish-green, 
l)ale  inulcrncalh,  once,  or  below  twice,  pinnate  ;  pif.iiu\  upper  ones 
long  and  narrow,  lower  ines  usually  with  one  to  four  pairs  of 
hro.ully  linear  /'/iniiilrs ;  s/ioranji^iti  bordcrinv,^  the  pinnne,  bri_i;ht 
brown  at  maturity;  inditsiu»i  formed  by  the  rellexed  marjj^in  of  the 
frond. 

Sfr>ili'  fr(>H(fs. — Usually  much  smaller  than  the  fertiK'  and  less 
abundant  ;  />iii>iir  obloni;-,  entire,  or  slightly  toothed. 

The  l^lrplc  Cliff  Brake  is  one  of  the  plants  that  re- 
joice in  iin-<^et-al-al)le  and  perilous  situations.  Al- 
thoui;"h  its  rani;e  is  wider  than  that  of  many  ferns, 
this  choice  of  inconvenient  localities,  joined  to  the 
fact  that  it  is  not  a  common  plant,  renders  it  likely 
that  unless  vou  pay  it  the  compliment  of  a  special 
exi)edition  in  its  honor  you  will  never  add  it  to  the 
list  of  yotir  fern  acquaintances. 

But  when  all  is  said  we  are  inestimably  in  debt  to 

the  plants  so  rare  or  so  exclusive  as  to  entice  us  out 

of  our  usual  haunts  into  theirs.     Not  only  do  they 

draw  us  away  from   our  books,  out  of  our  houses, 

but  off  the  well-known  road  and  the  trodden  path 

into  im familiar  woods  which  stand  ready  to  reveal 

fresh  treasures,   across  distant  pastures  where  the 

fragrant    wind    blows   awaj^  the    memory  of  small 

anxieties,  up  into  the  hills  from  whose  summits  we 

get  new  views. 

Although  the  Purple  Cliff  Brake  grows,  I  believe, 

90 


LEAF-LIKF:, 
LL  FRONbb 


PLATE    X 


lie  cliffs ;  with 


,l)luisli-}4rit'n, 
(/',  upper  ones 

four  pairs  of 
piniine,  briijht 

nuirt^^in  of  the 

ertiUi  and  less 


nts  that  rc- 
itions.  A!- 
iiany  ferns, 
ined  to  the 
n's  it  likely 
>f  a  special 
:ld  it  to  the 

'  in  debt  to 
itice  us  out 
ily  do  they 
)ur  houses, 
:)dden  path 
y  to  reveal 
where  the 
y  of  small 
u  mm  its  we 

s,  1  believe. 


PURPLE  CLIFF  BRAKE 
"   Portion  of  fertile  trend 


91 


GKOUl'  III 


FrRTILP.   FKONhS  IMIOKMIY  SOMf.WllAT  IPAF-lIKr, 
YFi  l)IFFFKIN(i  NOIICUAHLY  FKOM   SIIKIII    FK()M)i 


within  liltccn  miles  (*!  my  liomc  in  .Alban}-,  I  never 
saw  the  plant  nntil  this  snmmer  some  hundred  miles 
nearer  the  centre  of  the  State.  During-  a  morning 
call  I  chanced  to  mention  that  1  was  anxious  to  tind 
two  or  three  lerns  which  were  said  to  grow  in  the 
neighborhood.  My  hostess  told  me  that  twenty-five 
years  before,  on  some  limestone  cliffs  about  eight 
miles  away,  she  had  found  two  unknown  ferns  whicli 
had  been  classified  and  labelled  by  a  botanical  friend. 
Excusing  herself  she  left  me  and  soon  returned  with 
carefully  pressed  specimens  of  the  rurj)lc  Ci.'ff 
Brake  and  the  little  Hue  Spleen  wort,  the  two  ferns 
1  was  most  eager  to  find.  Such  moments  as  I  ex- 
perienced then  of  long-deferred  but  peculiar  satis- 
faction go  far  toward  making  one  an  apostle  of 
hobbies.  INIy  pleasure  was  increased  by  the  kind 
offer  to  guide  me  to  the  spot  which  had  yielded  the 
S}K'cimens. 

One  morning  soon  after  we  were  set  down  at  the 
little  railway  station  from  which  we  purposed  to 
walk  to  the  already-mentioned  cliffs.  We  were  not 
without  misgivings  as  we  followed  an  indefinite  path 
across  soive  limestone  quarries,  for  a  plant  may 
easily  disappear  from  a  given  station  in  the  course  of 
twenty-five  years.  In  a  few  moments  the  so-called 
path  disappeared  in  a  fringe  of  bushes  which  evi- 
dently marked  the  beginning  of  a  precipitous  de- 
scent. Cautiously  clinging  to  whatever  we  could 
lay  hold  of,  bushes,  roots  of  trees  or  imbedded  rocks, 
we  climbed  over  the  cliff's  side,  still  following  the 

semblance  of  a  path.     On  our  left  a  stream  plunged 

92 


F-llKF., 


\  never 
cd  miles 
niorniiiii; 

IS  to  t»"<^ 
w  in  the 
,'enty-tive 
out  eii^^lit 
rns  wliicii 
cal  (rieiici. 
irnecl  with 

two  ferns 
Ls  as  1  cx- 
luliar  satis- 

apostlc    of 
ly  the  kind 

•ielded  the 

own  at  the 
urposed  to 
J  were  not 
^hnite  path 

plant  may 
le  course  of 
be  so-called 

which  evi- 
cipitous  de- 
er we  could 

dded  rocks, 

llowing  the 
learn  pUmged 


(jKOUJ      III       VI  I    1,1111  KINC,    ^()II(,|  Alii  V  IKii.M  Sll  Kill     IKoNhS 

nearly  two  liundred  feet  into  the  ravine  below.  l'()r 
some  distance  the  eye  could  follow  its  silver  course, 
then  it  disappeared  beneath  the  arching  trees.  On 
our  right,  many  miles  beyond,  through  the  blue  haze 
which  hung  over  the  distant  valley,  we  could  see  the 
lake  to  which  the  stream  was  hunying. 

We  could  not  surrender  ouiselves  with  comfort 
to  the  beau'y  of  the  outlook,  as  our  suiiouudings 
were  not  such  as  to  put  us  altogether  at  ease.  Over- 
head hung  great  rocks,  so  cracked  and  seamed  and 
shattered  as  to  threaten  a  complete  downfall,  while 
beneath  our  feet  the  path  which  led  ahjug  the  face 
of  the  cliff  crumbled  away,  so  that  it  was  ditlicult 
in  places  to  obtain  any  foothold.  Having  passed 
the  more  j^erilous  spots,  lunvever,  we  became  accus- 
tomed U)  the  situation  and  turned  our  attention  to 
the  unpromising  wall  of  rock  which  rose  beside  us. 
From  its  crevices  hung  graceful  festoons  ol  Bulblet 
Bladder  Fern,  and  apparently  nothing  but  Bulblet 
Bladder  Fern.  But  soon  one  of  the  party  gave  a 
cry  and  pointed  in  triumph  to  a  bluish-green  cluster 
of  foliage  which  sprang  from  a  shallow  pocket  over- 
head. Even  though  one  had  not  seen  the  plant 
before,  there  was  no  mistaking  the  wiry  purplish 
stalks,  the  leathery,  pinnately  parted,  blue-green 
fronds,  and,  above  all,  the  marginal  rows  of  bright 
brown  sporangia  peculiar  to  the  Purple  Cliff  Brake. 
Soon  after  w^e  found  several  other  plants,  all  of  them 
decidedly  scraggly  in  appearance,  with  but  few 
green  fronds  and  many  leafless  stalks.  Occasion- 
ally a  small  sterile  frond,  with  broader,  more  oblong 

93 


h\ 


II 


GKUUI' 


Hkllll     FKONDS   rNllOKMI  Y  y),>\r.WHAr  I.I  AF-I  IKI  . 
VI  I    KIIH-KINr,  ^^»^|(■!AltlV  IKOM    mi  KIM     IPIINDS 


jtiniKL',  could  be  seen,  bill  these  were  in  tlie  miiioiity. 
A  number  of  very  yoiin^-  pliiiits,  with  MttU-,  heart- 
sliaped  leaves  alt()i;ether  uiiHke  the  nialutc  iroiids, 
were  wedded  in  neiL;hl)(jrinij^  crannies. 

As  our  eyes  i^rew  more  accustomed  to  tlie  con- 
tour and  coh)rin_<^  ol  the  clilfs,  tlie  success  ol  the 
(hiv  was  comi)leted  bv  the  discover}'  of  several 
specimens  of  the  iittle  I\ue  Spleenwort  with  tiny 
fronds  flattened  ajj^ainst  the  rock. 

When  next  I  saw  the  l'ui|)le  Chlf  IJrake  it 
seemed  to  me  cpiite  a  dilferent  lern  honi  the  rather 
awkward  phmt,  tlie  mere  sii;ht  ol  which  1  had  wel- 
comed so  eai^erly  that  any  unfavorable  criticism  of 
its  apj)earance  seems  iin<;ratf'ful. 

A|L;ain  it  sprang"  from  limestone  clilfs,  even  more 
remote  and  inaccessible  though  less  dangerous  than 
those  where  1  saw  it  lirst.  These  clilfs  were  so 
shattered  in  places  that  the  broken  fragments  lay  in 
heaps  at  their  base  and  on  the  projecting  ledges. 
Here  and  there  a  great  shaft  ol  rock  had  broken 
away  and  stood  like  the  turret  of  a  castle  or  the 
bastion  of  a  fort.  Among  the  shattered  fragments 
high  u\)  on  the  cliff's  side  the  Piir])le  Cliff  Brake 
grew  in  a  luxuriant  profusion  that  was  amazing  in 
view  of  the  surroundings.  The  rigid,  erect  fronds 
formed  large  tufts  of  greenish-gray  foliage  that,  at 
a  little  distance,  so  blended  witli  their  rocky  back- 
ground as  to  be  almost  indistinguishable.  The 
fronds  usually  were  much  more  compcjund  than 
those  I  had  seen  a  lew  weeks  before.  The  separate 
plants   had   a   vigorous,  bushy  apj)earance  that  did 

94 


I-IIKI  . 


ninority. 
U-.  hcart- 
e-  (roucls, 


the  con- 


ss  o 


1  tl 


K' 


1"    sever 


il 


\vill»   tiny 


Brake    il 
the  rather 
I  had  wel- 
riticism  dI 


even  more 


^erous 


than 


Is    were   so 
lenls  lay  in 

■    ledi^cs. 

I  broken 


the 


listle  or 
ragnients 

IciilT   l^rake 
ania/inL;-  in 
ircct  ironds 
re  that,  at 
Irocky  back- 
liable.     The 
hound    than 
he  separate 
Ice  that  did 


xt 


ff-™ 


«ll 


ifij 


1^ 


i 


I 


rwnlll'    III      '""'""    ^^'nN|l^  liMM)K.V\l  Y  MiMI  WHM   I  I  At   IIKI  . 
UKIIUI  VI  r   DIl^H  KllS«i   NOIICI  Alll  V  IKiiM  Ml  Kill    I  KnNKs 


not  sii^.i4cst  the  same  siuciis.  Many  ol 
the  jjiiuKt'  well'  so  tiiin((l  as  to  displav 
the  rii)e  spoiaiiijia,  which  IoiiikmI  a  hi  ii^lil- 
hiowii  hoi<h'r  to  the  |>aU',  sU'iider  divis- 
ions. Ileie,  too,  the  small  steiile  Irotids 
w  ere  very  rare. 

Orowiiij^  from  the  broken  rocks  in 
amoii;.;  the  l'iir[)le  C'lilT  lirake  were  thril- 
ty  little  tiitts  of  the  Maidenhair 
Spleeiiwoit.  This  tiny  plant 
seemed  to  have  forj^otten  its  shy- 
ness anvl  to  have  forsworn  its  love 
for  moist,  shaded,  mossy  rcjcks. 
It  ventured  boldly  out  upon  these 
i)arren  cliffs,  exposini^  itself  to 
the  fierce  i^lare  of  the  sun  and  to 
every  blast  of  wind,  and  holdini; 
itself  upriLcht  with  a  saucy  self- 
assurance  that  seemed  stran<;ely 
at  variance  with  its  nature. 

Near  by  a  sin*^le  patch  of  the 
Walkinu^  Leaf  climbed  up  the  face 
of  the  cliff,  while,  perhaps  strani;- 
est  of  all,  from  the  dccayiiiLC 
trunk  of  a  tree,  wdiich  lay  pr(js- 
tratc  amoni^  the  njcks,  sprani^  a 
sino^lc  small  but  perfect  plant  of 
the  Ebony  Spleen  wort,  a  fern 
which  was  a  complete  strani^er 
in  this  locality,  so  far  as  I  could 
learn. 

95 


More    compounc)    frond 
of  Pu(plo  Cliff  Brako 


Sterile  frond 


if  fr 


GKOUI'  III 


iikriir  iRoNDs  imiok.miy  somivviiai  iiai  iikf,, 

Yl.  1   DlULKIlSli   ^()^ICLAULY  1  K(  »M   SIlKII-i:  IKONUS 


i 

rli 

^ 

f 

!• 

: 

i 

'1 1 1 


i  f 


17.   CHRISTMAS    FERN 

/]s/>ii/ium  (urostii  /loidi's  (/hy,>//c/i.^    lU  1  oslithoidrs) 

N(.\v  IJrunswick  to  Florida,  in  rocky  woods,     (^ne  to  two  and  a 
half  ffct  liigli.  with  very  chaffy  stalks. 

J-'fo/iits. — ^Lancc-shapcd,  oiicc-pinnaic,  fertile  fronds  contracltd 
toward  the  suiiiniit  ;  piniuv  narrowly  lance-sha|)ed,  half  halberd- 
shaped  at  the  slij^dilly  stalked  base,  bristly-toothed,  the  npper  ones 
on  the  fertile  fronds  contracted  and  smaller;  fniit-dots  round. 
close,  confluent  with  age,  nearly  covering  the  under  surface  of  the 
fertile  pinncC ;  ituhisium  orbicular,  fixed  by  the  depressed  centre. 

Of  our  cvcr<rrccn  ferns   this   is  the  best   fitted  lo 
serve  as  a  decoration  in  winter.     No  other  fern  has 

such  deep-green,  liigldy  pol- 
ished fronds.  Thev  need 
onl}'  a  mixture  of  red  her- 
lies  to  become  a  ch)se  rival 
to  the  hoily  at  Christmas 
time. 

Wrapped  in  a  garmeiit 
of  brown  scales,  the  }  otmg 
fronds  of  the  Christmas 
Fern  are  sent  into  the  world 
early  in  the  spring.  When  we  go  to  the  woods  in 
April  to  look  for  arbutus,  or  to  listen  to  the  hrst 
songs  of  the  robin  and  th  bluebird,  we  notice  that 
last  year's  fronds  are  still  fresh  and  green.  Low 
down  among  them,  curled  up  like  tawny  caterpillars, 
are  the  young  fronds.  The  arbutus  will  have  made 
way  for  pink  and  blue  and  white  hcpaticas,  for  starry 
bloodroot,  and  for  tremidous  anemones  ;  thrushes 
and  orioles  will  liave  joined  the  robins  and  the  blue- 
birds before  these  new-comers  present  much  of  an 


Portion  of  fertile  frond 


(jO 


I    IIKF, 
IKUNUS 


■s) 
two  and  a 

roniracUil 
:iU  hallHTd- 
•  upprr  oiu's 
.,/,,/s  round. 
xU\cv  of  d\c 
;ed  ccntrr. 

t,  fitted  to 
r  (crn  has 
liohly  pol- 
'hcy  iK'cd 
,{  red  bcr- 
closc  rival 
Christmas 

ofarnicnt 

the  )ouni; 
Christmas 
the  world 
woods  in 
lo  the  first 
notice  tluit 
leen.     Low 
iterpillars, 
have  made 
I,  [or  starry 
thrushes 
ll  the  bliic- 
uich  of  an 


Hi 


;i  ii 


'i 


II 


!.! 


'I  :  I 


VJ^^-.^.-'*  /I'M'.''-  J 

.^   ,7 — *_ '»><■"   ■,>■  I'L'Kli/'  !i\  .k».  Vs 


Vi'i  11"" -    , 


i8.   NARROW-LEAVED    SPLEEN- 
WORT 


■■<"> 


Asf'I,  niion   a>r.^i<sti  foli itiii 

Canatl.i  to  Kentucky,  in  moist  woods.     Two 
to  four  fcft  Iii,s>li. 

Strrih'  fronds.  -  Thin,  sinoolli,  laiicc- 
shripi'd,  pcrisliabic,  onre-pinnatc. 

l'\) tile fro>i(fs. — Taller,  narrower,  loni;er- 
stalked ;  pinnw  more  narrowly  lance-shaped 
than  on  sterile  fronds  ;  fruit-dots  linear,  a 
row  on  each  side  the  midvein  ;  indusiuw 
slii^ditly  convex. 


If  we  make  an  expedition  to  the 
woods  early  in  July  we  may,  per- 
haps, find  some  plants  of  the  Nar- 
row-leaved Spleen  wort.  At  this 
season  they  are  specially  attract- 
ive, with  smooth,  delicate,  pale-screen  fronds,  so  re- 
cently unfolded  as  to  be  full  of  little  undulations, 
which  they  lose  more  or  less  at  maturity,  and 
which  are  as  indicative  of  youth  as  the  curves  and 

dimples  of  a  baby. 

98 


SPLEEN- 

liiiiii 

voods.      Two 

looth,    lanrc- 

c. 

iwcr.  loni;cr- 

lancc-shapcd 

\fots  linear,  a 

|i ;    iiidusim!' 

:ion  to  the 
may,  per- 
il the  Nar- 
At   this 
ly   attract- 
tids,  so  re- 
idulations, 
urity,  and 
curves  and 


NARROW-LEAVED  SPLEENWORT 
a   Maanifiod   pinna  of  fertile  frond 

99 


GROUP  III 


FFRTILr,  IRONDS  UNlKtRMI.Y  SOMIWIIAT  l.F.AK-.IIKE, 
Yti  DIFFl-KINd  NonCFAHI.Y  FKUM  STtKILL  FKDNUS 


llf  tli 


ill 


r? : 


Late  in  August  the  plant  has  reached  a  stately 
licii^^ht,  perhaps  oi  three  or  four  feet.  The  fronds 
arc  still  smooth  and  delicate  to  a  dei^ree  unusual 
even  in  ferns.  But  they  wear  a  deeper  green,  and 
their  texture  seems  a  trifle  more  substantial.  Oc- 
casionally, though  rarely  in  the  deeper  woods,  we 
find  a  frond  which  is  conspicuously  longer-stalked, 
taller,  narrower  than  the  others,  with  pinnic  more 
distant  and  more  contracted,  A  glance  at  its  lower 
surface  discovers  double  rows  of  brown,  linear  fruit- 
dots. 

Though  one  of  the  largest  of  its  tribe,  the  Nar- 
row-leaved Splecnwort  suggests  greater  fragility, 
a  keener  sensitiveness  to  uncongenial  conditions, 
than  any  other  of  our  native  ferns.  A  storm  which 
leaves  the  other  inhabitants  of  the  forest  almost  un- 
touched beats  down  its  fronds,  tender  and  perish- 
able even  in  maturity. 

This  very  fragility,  accompanied  as  it  is  with 
beauty  of  form  and  color,  in  the  midst  of  the  some- 
what coarse  and  hardy  growth  of  the  .Vugust  woods, 
lends  the  plant  a  peculiar  charm. 

I  find  it  growing  beneath  great  basswoods,  lichen- 
spotted  beeches,  and  sugar  maples  with  trunks  branch- 
less for  fifty  feet,  soaring  like  huge  shipmasts  into 
the  blue  above. 

Almost  the  only  flowers  in  its  neighborhood,  for 
in  midsummer  wood-flowers  are  rare,  are  the  tiny 
pink  blossoms  of  the  herb  Robert,  that  invincible 
little  plant  which  never  wearies  in  well-doing,  but 
persists    in   flowering    fr(.ni   June    till    October,  the 


lOO 


F-l.lKE, 
-KONDS 


GROUP  III 


FF.KTII.r  FRONDS  I'MFORMI  Y  SOMFWIIAT  I.FAF-I  IKF, 
VLI   UlUlKINti  ^()II(;1AIU.V  IKO.M  SlI.Kll.l    1KUM)J» 


I  stately 
c  fronds 
uiuisiuil 
ecu,  and 
ial.     Oc- 
oods,  we 
r-stalkcd, 
naj  more 
its  lower 
lear  Iruit- 

thc  Nar- 
[ragility, 
onditions, 
inn  which 
ilmost  un- 
\d  perish- 

is    with 
he  some- 
ist  woods, 

ds,  lichen- 
ksbranch- 
iiasts  into 

[-hood,  tor 

the  tiny 

invincible 

loino^,  but 

[ober,  the 


;i 


I 


violet-blue  iieads  ol  the  almost  equally  untirini:"  sell- 
heal  and  the  yellow  pitchers  of  the  pale  toueh-me- 
not  or  jewel-weed.  This  j)lant,  a  close  lelative  of 
the  more  southern  and  belter  known  spotted  touch- 
me-not,  grows  in  great  jjatches  almost  in  the  heart 


o 


f   the   woods.      The   lack   of    flowers  is 


somewhat 

atoned  for  by  the  coral  clusters  of  the  red  baneberry 
and  the  black-spotted,  china-like  fruit  of  the  white 
baneberry. 

But  ferns  chiefly  abound  in  the  woods.  Every- 
where 1  notice  the  thin,  s[)reading  frond  and  with- 
ered fruit-cluster  of  the  I'J.attlcsnake  Fern,  in  my  e.x- 
perience  the  most  ubiquitous  member  of  the  Botry- 
cJiiuui  group.  More  or  less  fre([uent  are  graeeful 
crowns  of  the  Spinul(3Se  Shield  Fern,  slender  shining- 
fronds  of  Christmas  Fern,  dull-green  groups  of  Sil- 
very S^jleenwort  and  stately  phnnes  of  Goldie's 
Fern.  As  we  draw  near  the  wood's  border,  where 
the  yellow  sunlit  helds  of  grain  shine  between  the  tall 
maple  shafts,  we  push  aside  umbrella-like  Brakes. 
At  the  very  limits  of  the  woods,  close  against  the 
rails,  grows  the  sweet-scented  Dickso)iia. 


lOl 


yj 


GROUP 


FFPTII  r  rPONDS  IINUORMI  Y  SOMF WHAT  I TAF-LIKF, 
VLl   DIMLKlNti  NOTICI.AHLV  1  K(^A\  iiilKll.i;  I  KUINDS 


!^ 


19.   NET-VEINED    CHAIN    FERN 

11 'i>(></:i'i! /■(//(/  (iir^iisti fi'/ia 
Swanip)'  places  from  Maine  to  Morida,  in  wet  \vf)0(ls  near  the  coast. 

Sti'n'lt' f)0)iiis. — Twilve  to  ei^hieen  inches  hii;Ii,  pinirititkl  with 
minuti'ly  toothed  (Hvisions  iniited  by  a  i)road  win^-. 

lurtih'  fronds. — Taller  than  the  sterile,  onee-pinnate  ;  p/iinw 
much  contracted  ;  yy/^/Z-^/r^/.v  in  a  sinj^le  row  each  side  of  the  sec- 
ondary midribs  ;  iiidusiinn  fixed  by  its  outer  margin,  opening  on 
the  sitle  next  the  miilrib. 

Tlic  \V()(xl\var(lias  are  associated  in  my  mind 
with  sea-air,  [jinc-trees,  and  the  flat,  sandy  country 

near  Buzzard's  Hay,  Mass.  Both 
species  were  met  with  in  one  walk 
not  far  from  the  shore. 

A  little  stream,  scarcely 
more  than  a  ditch,  divided 
an  open,  sunny  meadow 
(rom  a  bit  of  evergreen 
wood,  and  on  the  steep 
banks  of  this  runlet  srrcw  the  briofht  fronds 
of  Woodzvardia  august i folia,  i^iving  at  first 
glance  somewhat  the  im})ression  of  0)io- 
clca  scusibilis.  The  fronds  of  both  arede- 
scribed  as  pinnatifid,  and  in  this  Wood- 
zvardia  we  find  the  divisions  minutely 
toothed  (<?),  giving  them  a  rough  outline 
which  is  wanting  in  Ouoclea  scusibilis. 
These  are  the  sterile  fronds.  Among  them 
and  taller  than  they  arc  the  fertile  fronds 
with  very  narrow  divisions,  covered  on  the  versed 

side  with  the  chains  of  fruit-dots  (b). 

102 


y 


■-LiKr, 

KUNDS 


r  the  coast, 
vitilkl  Willi 

tr  ;    pimne 

of  the  SL'C- 

upcning  on 

ny  mind 
'  country 
,s.  Both 
one  walk 


I'i 


' 


i 


•f 


NET-VEINED  CHAIN  FERN 


I 


^ 


vr* 


m  V, 


1, ' 


I      !• 


GK(jUF  III 


FLKTM  I    IROINUS  LMIOKMLY  SOiMtWHAl    LEAF-LIKE, 
VLl   UIMLKliNO  ^UllCLAbLY  I  kUAl  SILKILL   ^KU^Db 


It  is  a  luindbunic  Iciii  and  very  satisfactory  to  the 
novice  in  fern  hunting,  because,  taking-  leitile  and 
sterile  fronds  together,  it  cannot  be  confused  with 
any  otiier  sj^ccics. 

Crossing  tlie  tiny  stream,  a  })atli  dim  with  the 
shade  of  h)w,  dense  evergreens  and  soft  and  elastic 
underfoot  from  their  fallen  leaves,  leads  through 
the  woods.  Here  among  the  partridge-vine  that 
runs  over  the  rocks,  growing  from  the  soft,  spongy 
soil,  are  groups  of  the  sterile  fronds  only  ol  this 
Woochvardia,  charming  little  clumps  of  fresh  green 
that  invite  one  to  dig  them  up  and  i)lant  them  m 
boxes  or  baskets  tor  decorative  purposes. 


1 1. 

i    t. 


Tn,j 


.tu 


EAF-LIKE, 
L   hKUNUb 


jry  to  the 
citilc  and 
used  with 

with  the 
and  elastic 
s  through 
i-vine  that 
){t,  spongy 
ily  of  this 
resh  green 
nt  them  in 


^  I 


GROUP   IV 

FERTILE  AND  STERILE   FRONDS   LEAF-LIKE   AND  SIMILAR  ; 

SPORANGIA  ON   OR   BENEATH   A   REFLIiXOD  PORTION 

OF   THE   MARGIN 

20.  BRAKE.  BRACKEN.  EAGLE  FERN 

J'ti-ris  aqnilitia 

Almost  throughout  North  America,  iu  dry,  somewhat  open 
places.     One  to  two  feet  high  ordinarily,  occasionally  much  higher. 

Fronds, — Solitary,  one  to  two  feet  wide,  cut  into  three  primary 
divisions  which  are  twice-pinnate,  widely  spreading  at  the  summit 
of  an  erect,  stout  stalk  ;  sporangia  borne  in  a  continuous  line 
along  the  lower  margin  of  the  frond  ;  indiisiiim  formed  by  the 
reflexed  edge  of  the  frond. 

Of  all  ferns  the  Brake  is  the  most  widely  dis- 
tributed. It  occurs  in  one  form  or  another  in  all 
parts  of  the  world.  With  us  it  grows  commonly 
from  one  to  two  feet  high,  occasionally  higher.  In 
Oregon  it  attains  a  height  of  six  or  seven  feet,  in 
the  Andes  of  fourteen  feet. 

It  is  a  vigorous  and  often  a  beautiful  and  striking 
plant,  growing  abundantly  on  sunny  hillsides  and 

in  open  woods. 

105 


r 


p 


*i|ffl 


'!  1 


TiRl  nil'   IV       '^'"T"    ^'^"  "^11  i'li  I    ll'itNDS  II  Ml  IK  I    AND  SJMII  AK  ; 
sj'MKANiilA    (IN    UK     IIIINIAIII     A    KM  HMD     MAKdIN 

III  llic  s|>iiiii;-  or  cailv  siimincr  ils  solilinv  spread- 
ing IioikI.  Iii;lil-i;r((ii  and  dclicalf  in  color,  niii;lil 
alnH)s(  \)v  conlnscd  uifh  tlic  Oak  I'Ciii.  l.atci-  ils 
j;rccn  takes  on  a  (kirk,  dull   shade,  and   its  <;ciK'ral 

aspect  becomes  nioK; 
hardy  tlian  tliat  of 
an\    otlier  fciii. 

The    li  r  a  k  e    is   hc- 


wV 


f> 


v^: 


^^-';:;^ 

&»«'^--^' 


.1  \' 


(' 


Saxons  and  to  have  s^iven  this  pre-  4>**  f  ^7?^.*/^^^- 7^^'%>>S"S 
fix  to  many  Eno-hsh  towns  and  vil-  /  y,;;<-;>^>"';-        % 

kiges,  such   as   Fearnhow  or  I'arn- 
how,  Farnins^hani,  etc. 

It  is  one  of  th(^  few  ferns  men- 
tioned by  name  in  j^eneral  b'tera- 
tnre.     In  the  "Lady  of  the  Lake" 


-:"n<  -  ■•-. 


/"  i 


Buike 


it  is  alhided  to  in  the  soni^  of  the  heir  of  Armanduve 

"  11u'  heath  this  nij^ln  must  be  my  bed, 

The  Bracken  curtain  for  my  head." 
io6 


\v ; 
(.IN 


ri'jul- 
nij^lit 
IT  its 

lUTlll 

more 
\\     of 

is   l)c- 


1>N    -      .1- 


i^V 


lliive : 


CKdlll'   IV       "Tlir  AND  MIKIII    IkoNhS  IIM-IIM    AM>sn\||,\K; 
M'nKANdlA    ON    ( (K      III  INI  A  I II     A      Klll.lMli      MAKi.lN 

JVcris  rsc/f /,•>//(/,  ;i  vaiic  1\  ol  our  niiikf,  is  said  to 
I)a\c  hccii  mil'  (»t  llic  cliicl  ailiclcs  <  t|  IcmxI  in  New 
/calaiul.  It  was  called  •' Ici  ii-i  i  lot,"  and  in  j  )r. 
TlHHnpson's '' Slot  V  ol  New  /calatid  "  is  s|>(iktii  ol 
as  IoIIdws:  "This  lood  is  (•clchi  alcd  in  soul;,  and 
the  yoiiiiL;  woincii,  in  layin<;  hclorc  travcllcis  bas- 
kets <»l  cooked  lern-i(»()t,  cliaii*  : 
*  What  siiall  he  our  lood?'  Shall 
shelllish  and  lei  ii-iool  ?  That  is 
t  he  root  ol  t  lie  earth  ;  that  is  I  he 
lood  to  sat  isl)'  a  man  ;  t  he  Ioiil^ik's 
L^row    l)V    reason    ol     the   lickiiiL;-, 

as    il     it     were     the     toni;ue    ol    a 

I»  ti 

Idic  titles  IJrakc  and  l-tacken 
are  not  always  conlined  to  their 
lawliil  owner.  J''reqnently  they 
are  apjilied  to  any  laii;e  lerns, 
such  as  the  ( )sinnndas.  oi-  even  to 
such  supcrlicially  Icrndikc  plants 
as  Myrica  (iaU\  the  sweet  ^^alc, 
or  sweet  lern. 

'Idiere  is  a  difference  of  oi)i!u"on 
as  to  the  oriii^in  of  the  plant's  scl- 
ent ihc  naine,  which  si^nilies  ea^lc 
win<^.  Some  snpj)osc  il  to  be  derived  from  the 
oulline  of  the  heraldic  ea^le  which  has  been  seen 
by  the  imasj^inativc  in  a  cross-section  of  the  younj^ 
stalk.  It  seems  more  likely  that  a  resemljlance  has 
been  fancied   Ijetwccn  the  sprcadini,^  frond  and  the 

[^lunuii^c  of  an  eagle. 

">7 


Pirinulo  of  Bfikw  •.lio//iiii/ 


'1 

r 

r 

1      i 

il 

' 

, 

1 

j.Koi'nv 


tIKIIII     \M<    MM  III    tlMiNlf,  M   M    I  IK    AMt'-IMIMW. 
sri>K\\til\     i"S    t'l      III  Nl  VIII      \     I  (Ml  Ml*     i^*^^.!^ 


rilC    I  ll  ,|l\i       (  lllir.     In  <  iVV  II     III    ,11 1 1  II  III  II,    I  Mil    I  |i  M   '.     IK  )l 

NVilliri   .iw  AS   lill  iIh'  I.'IImw  hi;;  \ .  ,ii 


!*til 


ji.   MAIDI'  NMAIU 

1, 11, 1  ft /h"/    /'••hi/ii'u 

NiU.l  Sii'li.i  li>  niitr.li  t  .'IiiimIii,i.    -oiiili    in   <  .i  nici.i    .iinl  Ai  Kiir.r., 
in  miM'.l  wnml  .        I  i  n  i>>  i  irlili  ■  n  iin  In   •  lih'li 

/  f. "/.;'«        I'KiLiI    ,(i    ilii     Mininni    "I    iIh     '.|iiii|<i    M.mI.    .iml   |«i| 
l«.l\it|    '.l.dlv.    ill.     i.iuiv.il    Im.uiiIi.  ••    111, nun;    i>ii    nin     Milt     mmmI 
si.  Uil.  I .  '•pit  .ulmr  1  Mil  11,11.    .h\  iM.'ir.  ,    .-^z ';v,v/,  >  I'liji.  jii.  I\   iii.hm'iiI.ii 
oM.Mu;  .  >/\"  .»»/);. '.»  Ill  '.lii'il  liiiil  .l.ii'.  .Ill  tile    iiml.  i  iii.ii\;m  ..I    i  lulu 
ol   llii'  li.Mul  .   i>i,i;t\i:t";  I.miii.  .1  l'\   Hi.    i.  ll.  v.  .1  l"l'.    <'i  Ln'ili  '•!  ll" 

ll.Ml.l. 

I'lM      pill  |<ns(".     «»l       l.lcill  lilt  ,ll  1.  >ll      ll      wniiM      •,(•(111 
•  ilmtist    Mi|»('i  llijoii'.    li»    (liMiiltc    llic    M.iii  ll  iili.iii .   ;i 

pl.ml  w  III*  ll  |ti  I  )|  i.il  il  \  •'.  iii«  »i  (• 

'  J     '*'  "1       'Mnci  .ill  \      .IppM  (  i.ilct  I      I  ll.lll 

••      .ill     1  lie    I  c'.l    til    I  lie    Ici  II'.    1(1 

'   '  .,  <M"1  lici .         N  (1.       s  1  I  .1  II  !•  (■  I  N 

v"        ("Ml  )ii:',Ii.    ll     i"^   «  ( )iiliis('(|    (ttii 

St.,      In    w  ll  h  nl  lici    |»l;iiils  ;iiiil 

w  It  ll    |il.iiils    \viii(  ll    .11  ('    not 

1(1  lis. 
>  1  I\m1i.11>S      lIlC    (.11  IN      IIK.kIoW     MIC 

\v.^«-"^v/     '^  '*i>  ,  is    the    iW.iiil    most    (tMunuMiU'    iiiis- 

J  t.ikiMi    loi    the    M.iii  Kill  111  il .      While 

it   (loc's  iu)l   sii^L^csl   st  I  iUiiii;!  V  out' 

cMstcMii  Umii.  its  lohcd  and  loiindcd 

Icatlcts  bear  a   likcm^ss   t()   rei  tain  spciMCs  nat  ivc   to 

otlicr   parts  ol    the  rnuntiw  notabh    to   ./.  i'd/^l/lns- 

Wneris.  the  X'enusdiair  1\  in  ol   the  souliiern  States. 

i.'S 


A  pinnn  >•.?  M.iu1ei'lia 


■A 


|i  II    ,    in  'I 


I  AiK.in 


nil        M   M   I  .ll 


II  I.IIU'II 


I.M 


III    1  l|     .1    It'llC 

l.inlll   I'l    ill' 


ill)     '.(•cm 


(11 


li.in.   .1 


1  \    ■'.  Mil  »i «' 

led     lli.iii 

Id  11*.    I«  • 

.1  n  :■,  <•  I  \ 

r.cil    inn 

hulls  ;iiul 


.11  (■ 


nnl 


low    IIIC 

luilv    Miis- 

Wliilc 

|nL;lv  our 

roimdrd 

IkiIIvc   1(> 

( 'r //'/////. V- 

lii  wStalcs. 


i.l/nlll'  IV 


M  t'  MM    A Nh      11  Mil  I    l»"iN|i  ,  I  •  Al    I  Ikl    ANh    .IMll  Af  , 
•  I'l  )f  AN(  ,|/S     nn     np     III  rij  A  III     A     MIIIIMIi     m^\'|,^'t 


r.iii 


I  I      I    ■     I  I  <  1 1     (    .  I    ,  \      I  I  t    (    <  1 1 1  \'  I  I  M    ( 


.1   MM  iKi   I  li.il    ll'     li.r 


MM)  If  ,1  nil  III.)  Ill  I  III  .  I '  :',  .1 1 'I  \  'III  I  h  ini  (  In  Im 
i|ii\in!'  I>\  .1  ImiiL  '»v'i!'M»vvn  willi  lli»  f.iily  iin  ,n| 
I  in    \\  III  n  III    I  ,1 11.  \'  III  I    ,it  t '  lit  I'  III  I '  I    I  Im     iinii  .11,1 1 


M\V 


.1 1  III  III  1,1  III  I  III  M  .1(1 1'  II I  III  I  I II  I  In  in  i|'  ll  I  •'  ll  III  I'  I'  I  I  '  ( 
III,  I,  Hint  III' In' ii.inl  .III  I  III  ,(  \(iii  Ml,", !',''.  I  1 1  nil  llir 
pi, ml     lie     ■■iw    w.i.     in»l     M.inl'iili.H  I  ,    Iml     llm   riirly 


iin.nl)  I  \v     III) 


II     In      li.K  •      III'      i'  .1  .1 


I '  v '  I '  I  n  f     I'll 


\'Miii     It' ll  ,iiin  .ll    .ll  I  .iiiiiin  III  .     In      "  iin  I;' in;' I  y    ;n  I  till  I' 
ih.il    |i'i'.   ilil\     ll    \\;i'.    mil    III'     '  .1 '  liiMi  \'     ,M;iidriili;iii 


ImiI 


III. I  ml. nil' 


I'  III  1 1  \     1 1 1,1 1     1 1    \\:r,    ;i    tin  n  «     ii  in  '  nii- 


iinni    ■.!»♦(  If.    wlinli    ;ili'iiiinl.    in    lii'.    ••,[»»•(  i,i|    in  ii'ji 

I  M  ii  III  II II  I.       II    ImiI\    '  1 1 1  ill  iiii.iI  n     \''Mi  li'il'l   yiiM    [if  ;n  i 
,  1 1 1 '  I  <  1 1 . 1 1 1 : ',  I    1 1  n     .  II 1 1 1 '  '  1 ,  1 1 1 1 1 

II  I II  I', •,«•','.((  I    I  »\'    ;i    I '  iiiin  III 
ill^    |i  »\  r    '  i|     I  I  III  ll     \\  III'  ll     i'. 
.ll  w  ii  \',    ;■,  '  I  I  III  !',     \ )  Ml    iiih  » 

I I I  nihlc,  \)  III  '.l.iln   •.;nll  \    Inil 
III  inly     I  li'il     <  *ii  I     in  ll  I  In  ;i',l 
(I  II  .S|;ili",  li;i\'(    lull  '  iin     .|if- 
(  ics  ol   .Miiif If'iili.iii  ,  .iinl  I  li.'il 

il  is  linn  (•  I  li.iii  iinpi )  ih.ihic  I  li.il  t  Im  f;i  vor  nd  ini;dib'n 
IkmkI  mI  his  lioiiic  (I'M  il  is  ;ilvv;i\'s  ;iii  iiimMi;ill)'  tif.h 
|(  K  ;i  lit  \' )  ( tllci  s  .'iinttlni.  I  In-  I'sult  '»(  I  liis  disfiis- 
sidii  islli;il  iiiciil.'ill  y  \')ii  ;im-  [ti ')in>iiin,f:d  holli  r, on- 
ceiled  iiiid  |)ii4  lic'idcfl.  I')!  ;i  (r,\v  unnks  tin-  piaiifs 
ill  (|ncsli()ii  aic  p.'issfd  willnnil  ffiinnn  nf,  Inif  [;)'  .'iti- 
ollicr  siimmcf  I  In-  t  i(  li  lm^wI  h  of  .M.iidfriliair  is  a;^.'iiii 
proudly  cxliilatcd.  Oiil\'  in  onn  wa)'  r.'iti  von  savf; 
vour  rnptilatioM  ami  pf>ssilj|y  convince  yrjiir  fricnrl. 
Wlu'ii    concci  iii;^^    him,    if     yon    i^lihly    rf:rriark    tfiaf 

(O'l 


t      I 


It 


>o^> 


.s:-:i 


^4.  :f '  A 


1i*iil  'Vl 


-i^' 

;% 


«^ 


'^^ 


X' 


,,....1. 


(^::: 


-■-«J-"5<**- 


•'■;;.  i> 


diantuvi  pcdatuvi, 
our  northeastern 
Maidenhair,  is  the 
only  species  which    has  been  found  in 
this  part  of  the  country,  that  A.  Capil- 
Ius-Vcncris,\\\c  Maidenhair  whicli  some- 
what lesembles  the  early  meadow  rue, 
can   hardly  be    found    north 
of  Virginia,  while  A.  tencrum 
is  found  only  in  Florida,  and 
A.   cuiarginatnni  is   confined 
to  the  Pacific  coast,  you  will 
have  redeemed  yourself,  not 


<;^ 


r- 


1k>., 


wm 


% 


vm^ 


',  pcdatmn^ 
hcastcrn 
lir,  is  the 

found  in 
:  A.  Capil- 
licli  sonic- 
adow  rue, 
Hid  north 
A.  tencrum 
orida,  and 
confined 

,  you  will 
rself,  not 


TROIIP   IV       '"''•^Tlir.  AND  Sri-RIIF.  FRONDS  IFAF-I  IKH  \m  SIMII  AP  ; 
l.jt\UUJ     IV       i^poKANGIA    ON    OK_Bl.NLATll     A    KLU.F.XFD     MAKi.lN 

from  the  stiij^ma  of  conceit,  far  from  it,  l)ut  from 
that  of  error.  Tlie  j^lib  utterance  ol  Latin  names 
is  attended  wit li  a  strange  power  of  silencini^  ^our 
opponent  and  filHni^  him  with  a  sort  of  i^rudi^ing 
lieHef  in  your  scientific  attainments. 

The  trutli  is  that  the  averai^e  ia^-man  who  takes 
an  interest  in  plants  is  as  sensitive  re<^ardin<^  tlie 
Maidenhair  as  he  is  about  his  recoj^nition  of  an 
orchid.  By  way  of  warnini^  what  more  need  be 
said  ? 

Thou<:rh  the  Maidenhair  has  a  wide  ramre  and 
grows  abundantly  in  many  localities,  it  possesses  a 
quality  of  aloofness  wliich  adds  to  its  cliarm.  Even 
in  neighborhoods  where  it  grows  profusely,  it  rarely 
crowds  to  the  roadside  or  becomes  the  companion 
of  your  daily  walks.  Its  chosen  iiaunts  are  dim, 
moist  hollows  in  the  woods  or  shaded  hill-sides 
sloping  to  the  river.  In  such  retreats  you  find  the 
feathery  fronds  tremulous  on  their  black,  glistening 
stalks,  and  in  their  neighborhood  you  find  also  the 
very  spirit  of  the  woods. 

Despite  its  apparent  fragility,  the  Maidenhair  is 
not  difficult  to  cultivate  if  provided  with  sufficient 
shade  and  moisture. 


Ill 


1 

1 

f 

i. 

1 

i 
1 

1  • 

1  ; 

'   1 
1 

It 
i 

GKOUl'  IV 


FrHTII.F  ANI>     TFRll.l'  I  RONI>S  I.LAK-I  IKT.  ANH  SIMILAR; 
Sl'OKANiilA    (JN    OK     ULNLAlll     A     KLILIiXliD     MARGIN 


22.  HAIRY    LIP   FERN 

ClhilaiitJics   I'cstita  {C.    /anos,:) 

Cirowing  on  rocks.  Southern  New  York  to  Georgia.     .Six  to  fifteen 
inehes  high,  with,  brown  and  .shining  .stalks. 

Fronds. — 01)long-hniee-shape(l,  rough  with  rusty  hairs,  twice- 
pinnate; //////«■  rather  thstant,  triangular-ovate,  cut  into  oblong, 
more  or  less  incised  pinnules;  fniit-dcfs  roundish;  indusium 
formed  by  the  rctlexed  margins  of  the  lobes  whii'h  arc  pushed  back 
by  the  matured  sporangia. 


Till  a  few  years  aj^o  the  nio.st,  northern  station  (or 
the  Hairy  Lip  Fern  was  siii)i)()sed  to  be  within  the 
limits  ol  New  York  City.  The  })lant  was  diseov- 
crcd,  in  i866  or  1867,  on  Manhattan  Island,  near  Fort 
Tryon,  growing-  on  rocks  with  an  eastern  exposure. 
If  one  shoidd  visit  this  station  to-day  he  would  find 
himself  at  196th  Street,  in  the  city  of  New  York, 
some  two  hundred  and  thirt3'-three  yards  west  of 
the  Kingsbridge  road,  an  1  I  fear  there  would  be  no 
tra  "e  of  this  to  us  rare  fern. 

Since  then  the  plant  has  been  discovered  close  to 
the  Hudson  River  at  Poughkeepsie. 

Its  narrowly  oblong,  dull-green  fronds,  more  or 
less  covered  with  red-brown  hairs,  which  give  it  a 
somewhat  rusty  appearance,  spring  from  the  clefts 
and  ledges  of  rocks. 


112 


I  SIMILAR; 
»     MAKiJIN 


PLATE    X 


III 


ix  to  fifteen 


airs,  twicc- 

ito  obloni^, 

indttsiuni 

ushed  back 


ation  for 
thin  the 
;  discov- 
car  Fort 
x'posiire. 
)uld  find 
^v  York, 
west  of 
Id  be  no 

close  to 

iiore  or 
ive  it  a 
le  clefts 


"  4f  I. 


HAIRY  LIP  FERN 
«  A  fruiting  pinnule 


fiKOUP  IV 


1 1  K  I II  I    AND  Sll  Kll  I    IkOlSDS  I  I  M   I  |KI    AND  SIMM  AK  ; 
SI'OKANdIA     ON     OK     HI  M  A  I  II     A     KIIIIXID     MAKiillN 


23.  HAY-SCENTED    FERN 

/)i,  k.u'iiiii  />il,(>st'!/Si/t/,i  {/>.   f'liih  tiloht4la) 

Two  to   three-  fci-l  liis^li  ;    hill-sidos.  nirailows,   and  thickets  from 

Canada  to  'I'ctiiu-ssct'. 

/•';  ('//(A.  ( )vate-laiu-e-shaped.  loiii^-tapcrini;,  palc-,q;rccn,  thin 
and  very  di'hcati-  in  texture,  shi^htly  ,'L;laiuhilar  and  hairy,  usually 
tliriee-pinnalilid  ;  piniur  lanec-shaped,  pointed,  re|)eatin,i;  in  minia- 
ture outhni'  of  frond  ;  f'inntilrs  cut  a.^ain  into  short  and  obtuse 
lolies  or  sc'^nients  ;  f)  uii-dots  eaei\  on  an  elevated  globular  rcrcp- 
taele  'U  a  yccurvid  ioothlct ;  iiuiusiuii:  cup-shajied,  open  at  Lhc 
top. 

Ill  pai'ts  of  the  country,  especially  from  Connecti- 
cut southwaid,  the  IIa\-scentecl  Fern  is  one  of  ilic 
abundant  plants,  'riioui^h  not  essentially  a  rock- 
lovino-  plant,  it  rejoices  \\\  such  rocky,  upland 
jxistures  as  crown  many  ol  our  lower  mountain 
ranges,  "  oicat  stretches  ol  o-fayish  or  sa_<]^e-^reen 
fields  in  which  everv  bowlder  and  outcrop  of  rock 
is  marked  by  masses  of  the  bri^^ht-jj^recn  fronds 
of  Dicksoniiu  over  which  the  air  moves  lazily,  heavy 
with  the  j)eculiar  frai^^rance  of  this  intcrestin<^  fern." 
Its  sino;ularly  delicate,  tapering-,  pale-green  fronds, 
curvinii^  i^racefully  in  every  direction,  rank  it  anionic 
our  most  beautiful  and  noticeable  ferns.  Often 
aloiii^  the  roadsides  it  forms  <;reat  masses  of  feath- 
erv  folias^c,  temptiiii^  the  weary  pedestrian  or  bi- 
cycler to  tlini^  himself  upon  a  couch  sufficiently 
soft  and  luxurious  in  ai)pcarance  to  satisfy  a  syba- 
rite. But  I  can  testify  that  the  Hay-scented  Fern 
docs  not  make  so  good  a  bed  as  it  promises. 

Two  years  ago,  during  a  memorably  hot  August, 

114 


I>  SIMILAR  ; 
I)     iVlAR(im 


r"!  ATK    XIV 


.<^^ 


liickcts  from 


-.ijrcrn,  tliin 
lairy.  usually 
ny;  in  iniuia- 
aiul  obtuse 
)bular  reccp- 
opcn  at   the 


Coniiccli- 
nc  of  tlic 
i  a  rock- 
',  upland 
mountain 
:ii^c-grccn 
p  of  rock 
n  fronds 
\y,  heavy 
ui;  fern." 
n  fronds, 
it  amon^ 
;.      Often 

of  fcath- 
in  or  bi- 
fficicntly 
y  a  sy  ba- 
ted Fern 
I. 

August, 


.-t^' 


SM^i' 


HAY-SCENTED  FERN 
«  Early  stage  of  Suiting  p.^nule 


iL 


Tn 

111 

! 

GKOlll'  IV 


MRTIIF  AM>  STIRIII    KRONOS  IIAF-I.IKI    AND  SIMIIAK; 
SPORANGIA     ON    OR     IIINIiATH     A     Rhll.f.XI  I)     MAR(jlN 


an  afternoon  drive  over  an  nnnscd  mountain  road 
brought  us  to  a  picturesque  spot  where  tlie  clear 
stream  tumbled  into  a  rock-paved  basin,  sui;i;eslii\ii;- 
so  vividly  the  joy  of 

"  —       the  cool  silver  shock 
Of  the  iiluni^e  in  a  pool's  iiviii^f  water," 

that  then  and  there  we  resolved  soon  to  pitch  our 
tent  upon  its  banks.  In  all  respects  it  was  no'  a 
suitable  camj)  site.  There  were  no  balsams  or  ever- 
f^reens  of  any  kind  available  for  beddiuij^  in  the 
nei^^hborhood,  so  wiien,  a  few  davs  later,  we  had 
taken  up  our  (juarters  just  above  the  rock-paved 
pool,  we  went  into  our  temporary  back-yard  where 
the  Dicksonia  «:^rew  al)un{ianllv  with  its  usual  soft 
and  seductive  appearance,  and  j^athercd  i^reat  arm- 
fuls  for  the  night's  rest.  I  must  frankly  own  that  I 
never  slept  on  so  hard  a  bed.  Since  then  I  have 
been  more  than  ever  inclined  to  believe  that  ferns 
inhabit  the  earth  chiefly  for  decorative  ends.  In 
the  })resent  age  they  do  not  lend  themselves  as  once 
they  did  to  medicinal  jnirposcs.  Usually  they  are 
without  culinary  value.  So  far  as  1  know  animals 
refuse  to  eat  them  on  account  of  their  acrid  juices. 
And  experience  proves  that  when  used  as  a  bed 
they  do  not 

"  medicine  thee  to  that  sweet  sleep 


Which  thou  owedst  yesterday." 

The  Hay-scented  Fern  is  very  sensitive,  wither- 
ing with  the  early  frosts.     Sometimes  in  the  fall  it 

ii6 


IMII  AW  ; 
MAK<ilN 

lin  road 
ic  clear 

;-i;cstiniJ^ 


itcli   oiH" 
as  no^  a 

or  cvcr- 
r    in    the 

we  had 
ck-paved 
n\  where 
siial  solt 
real  arm- 

n  that  1 
n   I  have 

lat  ferns 

luls.      In 
Is  as  once 

they  are 
animals 

d  uiices. 


IS  a 


bed 


with  er- 
ic fall  it 


rWOIlW    IV       ff^""-  A'^'^  STI,K1I.I.  IKONDS  IIAI-UKI    ANh  SIMILAR; 
^^'^^'  Sl'dKANCIA     ON     OK     ItIM  A  III     A     PIIIIXIi)     MAK(ilN 

bleaciies    almost    white.      Then    ils   slender    fioiid; 
seem  like  bcautiliil  wraiths  of  their  former  selves. 


The  Dicksofiia,  as  he  always  calls  if,  is  Thoica 


n  s 


favorite    amon<^    the    ferns,     lis    fronds   are    sweet- 
scented   when   crushed   or   in   dryini^,   and    t(j  their 


fragrance  he  was  {jecniiarly  sensitive  : 

"  Cioinsj^  aloiif^  this  old  Carlisle  road  .  .  .  road 
where  all  wild  thini^s  and  fi  !l.s  abound,  where 
there  are  countless  rocks  to  jar  those  who  venture 
in  wai^ons;  road  which  leads  to  and  throui^h  a  jj^reat 
but  not  famous  ijjarden,  zoolo<^ical  and  botanical,  at 
whose  gate  you  never  arrive — as  I  was  going  along 
there,  I  perceived  the  grateful  scent  (A  the  Dick- 
sonia  fern  now  partly  decayed.  It  reminds  me  of 
all  up  country,  with  its  si)ringy  mountain-sides  and 
unexhausted  vigor.  Is  there  any  essence  of  Dick- 
sonia  fern,  I  wonder?  Surely  that  giant,  who  my 
neighbor  ex[)ects  is  to  bound  up  the  Alleghenies, 
will  have  his  handkerchief  scented  with  that.  The 
sweet  fragrance  of  decay  !  When  I  wade  throu^ 
by  narrow  cow-i)aths,  it  is  as  if  I  had  strayed  into 
an  ancient  and  decayed  herb  garden.  Nature  per- 
lumes  her  garments  with  this  essence  now  espe- 
cially. She  gives  it  to  those  who  go  a-b,  rberryi 
and  on  dark  autumnal  walks.  The  very  scent  of  it, 
if  you  have  a  decayed  frond  in  your  chamber,  will 
take  you  far  up  country  in  a  twinkling.  Vou  would 
think  you  had  gone  after  the  cows  there,  or  were 
lost  on  the  mountains." 


n; 


ivofain 


Why   can   we   not   oftener  refresh    one    aiKjther 


1 1' 


^  1^^ 


I 


« 


i 


iti 


! 


CKOUr   IV        ' '  '^""    '^'^"  ''T"'"  '    "'<'>'^'">  II         '  ^^^  AND  SIMM  \V  ; 
*  M'OKAlNtJA     (t,N     OK     HI  M  A  I II     A  I.IXII)     MAPdlN 

willi  oiioiiial  llioii^lils  ?  II  llic  lia^r;incc  ol  IIk' 
I  )iclvS()iiia  \cv\\  is  so  _i;ral('liil  and  sii_ni;-(\slivc  to  us, 
iiow  imith  nioi'c  rclrcsliiiii;  and  ('n(:ouia_L;ini^,  khit- 
atini;,  would  he  Ircsh  and  Ira^rant  tlioui^lils  coiu- 
luunicatcil  to  us  from  a  man's  cx|)(iii'iuc' ''  I  want 
none  ol  his  pity  nor  sympatliy  in  llic  common  sense, 
hut  tiiat  he  should  emit  and  communieale  to  me  his 
essential  I ?:iL^rauce  .  .  .  ^oini;- a-huekleherryiui; 
in  the  fields  ol  thoui;ht,  and  enriching-  all  the  world 
with  his  vision  and  his  joys." 

In  connection  with  IIms  fein  i'horeau  in(lul<rc\s  in 
one  of  those  whimsical,  enchant inj^  disciuisitions 
with  the  Sj)irit  of  which  you  are  in  complete  accord, 
even  t.houi;h  you  may  seeiu  to  contiadict  the  letter: 

"  It  is  only  when  we  lorget  all  our  learnini;-  that 
we  bej^in  to  know,  I  do  not  i;et  nearer  by  a  hair's- 
brcadth  to  any  natural  object,  so  loni;  as  I  |)resume 
that  I  have  an  introduction  to  it  from  some  learned 
man.  To  conceive  ol  it  with  a  total  apprehension, 
1  must  lor  the  thousandth  time  apj)roach  it  as  some- 
thing totally  strange.  II  you  would  make  accjuaint- 
ancc  with  the  ferns,  you  must  forget  your  botany. 
Not  a  single  scientific  term  or  distinction  is  the 
least  to  the  ])urposc.  Vou  woidd  fain  perceive 
something,  and  vou  nrust  ai)proach  the  object  to- 
tally unprejudiced.  You  must  be  aware  that  noth- 
insr  is  wliat  vou  have  taken  it  to  be.  In  what  book 
is  this  world  and  its  beauty  described  ?  Who  has 
plotted  the  steps  towarc  the  discovery  of  beauty  ? 
Vou  must  be  in  a  different  state  from  common. 
Your  greatest  success   will   be  simply   to  perceive 

iiS 


MMII  AR  ; 
AUK(ilN 

c    ol    the 

,'C    to    US, 

j;,  rccrc- 
lits  com- 
I  want 
>n  sense, 
I)  ine  Ill's 
henyiiiij;- 
le  world 

liili^es  ill 
uisitions 
'  accord, 
e  letter  : 
lino-  tjiat 
a  hair's- 
presunie 

learned 
hension, 
IS  sonie- 
cquaint- 

botany. 
n  is  the 
jerceive 
)ject  to- 
at  noth- 
at  book 
i^ho  has 
beauty  ? 
ommon. 
)erceive 


(iK(  )LII'  IV      "  "'  "  '  '^^"  "^ "  ""  '  <  •"  'M's  1 1  Ai  I 


SI'di^INdlA     ON     (»p     lilMAI 


IK  I  a;m»  si.vui  Ak 


A     PI  II  I  Mil     .MAh'(.|N 


that   such    things   arc,  and 


\"ii    will    I 


>''\('    no   com 


nuinication   to   make    to    the    ivjoyal    S 

were  rc(|uired  to  know  the  position  ol  il,,.  |n,ii.,| 


o(  Id  V 


or  the  chara(  Icr  ol    ihc   i,,(| 


ot; 


(;asier  tli:in  to  ascertain  il  ;   hni  ji    ,| 


iisiiim,  iio||,in,L;    could    j, 


you   l)c  allcctcd   by  Icrns,  thai    1 1 


IS  rc(|iiirc(|    thai 


'MU! 


if 


><')■  amoiiiil   to  aiiv- 


si,i;nily  anvthin-  to  yon,  that    they  I 


sacred  scripture   and    icvclation    t 


red 


cem    your  lile,  this  end    is  not 


y  he  aiiollicr 
"   yon,  hclpinu-   |,, 


J)lished. 


so  casi, 


y  acconi- 


nq 


GROUr  V 


■? 


FCRriM;   AND  STrivMl.i;   I^^ONDS  LKAF-LIKI"   AND  SIMILAR; 
Sl'OKANc]IA   IN   LINIiAK   OK  OBLONG   rKlHT-DOTS 

24.  LADY    FERN 

AspliHimn  I''i!iA-j\im'nta 

A  wood  and  ro.ul.sidi"  fiMii,  i; rowing;-  in  all  parts  of  the  country 
ami  prt'scntini;  many  \;uyinn  forms.  OiU'  to  three  feet  high, 
witii   luftid.  siraw-i'olorid,  reddish,  or  brownish  stalks. 

Fronds.  -Hroadly  lanre-shapcd,  tapcrinj;  toward  the  apex, twice- 
pinnate  ;  pinuic  laP'-e-shaped  ;  pi)inulcs  oblong-laneeolate,  toothed 
or  inciscil ;  f)  nit-dots  short,  curved;  indnsium  delicate,  cin-ved, 
sometimes  shaped  like  a  horseshoe. 

The  Lady  Fcni  is  louiicl  in  all  parts  of  tlic  conn- 
try.  Sometimes  it  tonus  a  part  of  the  tangle  of  wild, 
i;racclid  thiiiixs  which  ori'ow  close  to  the  roadside 
fence.  Ai;ain,  in  company  with  the  Silvery  Spleen- 
wort,  the  Eveigrccn  Wood  Fern  and  the  S})imilose 
Shield  Fern,  forming  perhaps  a  background  for 
the  brilliant  scarlet  clusters  of  the  wile'  bergamot, 
it  fringes  the  banks  o(  some  amber-colored  brook 
which  surprises  us  with  its  swift,  noiseless  flow  as 
we  stroll  throusfh  the  woods. 

The  earliest  fronds  imciirl  in   May.     In  June  the 

120 


PLATE  XV 


IS 


:  country 
eet  liigli, 

ilks. 

-x.twire- 
,  toothed 
,  curved, 


^'  conn, 
•f  wild, 
ladside 
>plecn- 
luilose 
id  for 
^amot, 
brook 
low  as 

le  the 


^ 


yV 


'iiter 


'■<:>/ " 


a  Fruiting  pinnule 


LADY  FFRN 


i?A 


I'   Portion  of   sa 


nne 


r.RDlIP  V 


FrKIIII    ANKSIIklll    nriNh,  MAI    I  Ikr    AND  SIMII  AR: 
SPOHANtjiA      IN      IINLAK      UK      iMILUNij      IKDII-lHUSJ 


|)Iant  is  vri  \  Liiaccliil  and  pliasiiii;.  When  j^rowinj^ 
ill  sIkkIimI  phu'i's  it  is  oltcii  ("oiispitiioiis  hv  reason 
(»l  its  l)rii;lil  piiilv  or  it'ddisli  slalks,  whicli  contrast 
cllci  liv(.l\  with  llic  delicate  j;;ccn  ol  tlic  lolia^c. 
Hut  ill  later  siiiiiiik  r,  jucljjjinij^  by  inv  <»u  n  ex|>erience, 
the  l.ad\  l-'ei  n  l()st;s  nuicli  ol  its  delicacv.  Many 
ol  its  Iroiids  hi'conie  disli^ured  and  |)!esent  a  latlier 
hlotclied  and  coarse  appearance. 

'11. is  seems  strani;i'  in  view  of  tlie  facM  that  the 
plant  iscalU"(l  by  l^owc,  a  well-known  l*Ji<;^lish  writer, 
the  "  ()neen  ol  I'erns,  "  and  that  it  is  one  of  the  few 
leins  to  which  we  lind  reference  in  literatnre.  Scott 
pays  it  the  compliment,  rarel)'  bestowed  upon  ferns, 
of  mentioniiii;  it  by  name: 

"  Where  the  copse  wood  is  tlic  ifrccnest, 
Where  the  fountain  j;nslcns  sheenest, 
Where  the  :uorninj;  dew  lies  lon.i;est, 
'I'here  the  Lady  l'\'rn  j^rows  stronj^est." 

In  Entclish  worivs  devoted  to  ferns  I  find  at  least 
two  jioems,  more  remarkable  for  enthusiasm  than 
for  poetic  inspiration,  in  its  honor.  1  (juote  a  portion 
of  the  one  which  occurs  in  Miss  l^ratt's  "  Ferns  of 
Great  Britain  and  Their  Allies": 


"  I)iit  seek  liernot  in  earl.y  May, 

For  a  Sibyl  tlien  she  looks, 
With  wrinkled  fronds  that  seem  to  say, 

•  Shut  up  are  my  wizard  books  ! ' 
Then  search  for  her  in  the  summer  woods, 

Where  rills  keep  moist  the  j^round. 
Where  Foxgloves  from  their  spotted  hoods. 

Shake  pilfering  insects  round  ; 

122 


CUl  )lll'   V       "•'""    AMI  S  II  Kill    IHdM.S  II  M    I  IK  I    VMi  SIMII  AK  ; 
'  M'DKA.NdIA      IN      MM  AH      i  )K     ( lUI  i  iM ,      IKIII    imlS 


When  ii|)  ,iii<l  (Limbering  all  ahotit. 

'I'lu;  IravclliT's  Joy  llm,i;s  forth 
Its  snowy  .luiis,  that  in  and  onl 

lake  fcalhci'.  sir.w  ihr  cnth  : 
I'air  arc  I  he  tiifis  of  niiadow-swcci 

'I'liai  haply  blossom  niv;h  ; 
{■'ail'  arc  llic  whirls  of  violet 

I'l  iiiicll.i  show s  li.inl  hy  ; 
r.iii  nm  liy  hnin  in  wond,  or  vale, 

( irows  anythinj^'  so  fair 
/\s  the  plinny  crest  of  emerald  pale, 
That  waves  in  I  he  wind,  and  soii_nhs  in  the  v;alc, 
Of  the  l.ady  ICrn.  when  the  snnheams  iiiiii 

To  y,old  her  delicate  hair." 

Tlu;  otlici",  wliicli    I   L(ivc  in  lull,  on  accomil  of  its 
(|iKiiiitii(    s,  .'i|)[>carc(l   in   I  In-   llolaniidl  l.oohcr-ont  of 


K(l 


Will    l.l'fS 


Wlu'ti  ill  splcinlor  and  beanly  all  natnrc  is  ('rf)wn'd, 
The  !''eni  is  seen  (iirlinL;  half  hid  in  the  ,v;round, 
lint  of  all  tlu-  ^M"ei-n  brackens  that  rise  by  the  bnrn, 
Commend  me  alone  to  the  swcel  1-ady  i'"i'rn. 

I'olypodiiiin  indented  stands  stiff  on  the  rock, 
Willi  Ills  sori  exposed  to  the  tempest's  roiij^h  shoi  k 
On  the  wide,  ehilly  heath  A(|iiilina  stands  stern, 
Not  onie  to  be  named  v.ith  the  sweet  I,ady  I'ern. 


ilix-mas  in  a  circle  lifts  up  his  tureen 


froiuh 


And  the  Heath  I'^ern  delij^hts  by  the  boi^^s  and  the  ponds  ; 
Throui;h  their  shadowy  tufts  th(ni,t,di  with  pleasure  I  turn, 
The  palm  must  still  rest  w  itli  the  i  lir  Lady  Fern. 

IJy  the  fountain  I  see  her  just  sprinj^^  into  sight. 
Her  texture  as  frail  as  though  shivering  with  fright  , 
To  the  water  she  shrinks— I  can  scarcely  discern 
In  the  deep  humid  shadows  the  soft  Lady  Fern. 


11'^ 


CROUP  V 


rrRTIII-  AND  STIKIir  FRONDS  I  F.AI -IIKT  AND  SIMILAR; 
S1'()KAN(.IA      IIN      l.lMiAK      l)K      ()lll.()N(i      iklUr-UUlb 


'•  WluTf  tlic  water  is  poiiriiii;  foirvcr  she  sils, 
And  beside  her  tlu-  Ou/el,  the  Kiiij^fisluT  Hits; 
TIkmv,  suprcMU"  in  lu-r  bi-aiity,  beside  the  full  nni. 
In  the  shade  of  tlu-  roek  stands  the  tall  Lady  I'eiii. 

"  Noon  bnrns  np  the  mountain  ;  but  here  by  the  fall 
The  Lady  l-'ern  iKuirishes  i;raeeful  and  tall. 
Hours  speed  as  tlioui^hls  rise,  without  any  eoneern, 
Antl  lU)at  like  the  spray  gliding;  past  the  i^reen  I'ern." 

25.  SILVERY   SPLEENWORT 

Asplriti mil  t/ir/v/'tnoiit\.\-  (.7.   (jrrostir/u'i </(■•<) 


Hi  Hi'" 


Canatki  to  Akibama  and  wi'stward,  in  rieh 
woods.     One  to  three  feet  high. 

/■yoNi/s.  —  L:mee-shaped,  taperini;  both 
ways  from  the  middle,  onee-pinnale  ;  piiuuc 
linear-laneeolate,  dei'])ly  cut  into  obtuse  sei;- 
ments  ;  /> 7/ //-^/(V.v  oblong- ;  htdusiiiiii  silvery 
when  young. 


:^5)»I^C: 


^V>)^1 


-•^v 


Tlic    Silvery  Splccnwort.   i^^rows 

in  c\)ni})any  with  its  kinsman,  the 

"^r^^^^K''' ''■■■■-■  "  Narrow-leaved     Spleenwort,     and 

"^^^^Cwiu?'''..'"^'""  '     '^^^'^  ^^'^^'^  many  of  the  Aspidiiims,  such 

as  the  Spinulose  Shield  Fern,  the  Ever- 
green Wood  Fern,  the  Christmas  and 
Goldic's  Fern.  I  tind  it  <2:rowinix  in  larjre 
patches  in  the  rich  woods,  often  near 
M-ater,  either  in  boggy  ground  or  on  tlic 
very  ahre  of  the  clear,  brown  brook. 
Sometimes  it  is  difficult  to  detect  a  sinirle 
fertile   frond  in   a  group  of   plants  covering-   many 

square    feet    of   ground.     This   is    probablv    owinir 

124 


Entire  frond 


PLATE    XVI 


if 


1 
■  I 

i 


(l^^^\\^    \  I  MO  111  I     .\NI>  Ml  K'll  I    IKOINliS  II  Al    ||KI    ANI«  MMII  AK  ; 

SI'OKANiilA       IIN       I  IM  Al>       OK       ( »ltl  (>IN(  ,       I  K|i|  |     1 1(  » |  S 

In  \\\v  (1("<'|)1\  sli.uicd  sihi.itinns  wliitli  il  l.ivnis,  ;is 
m  suiniv  ('\|»()Mir(\s  I  li.ivc  n«»lirtMl  an  .ilxindaiuc  (il 
l(Mlil('  liomls, 

lis  lolor  is  .1  (lull  i;i('('n.  Ihc  silvci  v  iii(liisi.i  on  llic 
lo\V(M  sui  l.ucs  (ij  \\\c  i>iMn.r  lmvuii'  llicpl.iiil  ils  I'ji!'- 
lish  lillc.  ,\llh»ui;;i\  usiiallv  ils  Iio-mIs  aic  laijMM, 
ihiMT  (Mil  Iiiu\  lajxM  iiii;  as  il  docs  hoi  li  \va  \  s  liom  1  lie 
middle.  S(Miu'\vhal  siil;o(\s1s  llial  ol  llic  New  N'oik 
1'\m  II.  ll  is  icadilx  idciil  iiuMl.  as  1  he  oMoiii;  or  linear 
hiiil  dols  al  onee  pro(Iaiin  il  a  Spleen  woi  I.  and  no 
olher  inemhiM  ()!  ihisliihe  has  tiondsol  llie  .s.ime 
shape. 

.\llhouj;h  il  eannol  he  ilass(Ml  ainoniv  Hn-  rare 
l(Mns.  il  is  ahseiil  honi  inanv  proinisin:'  loealilies, 
and  is  assoiialc^l  in  inv  mind  willi  es|)e(iall\  siie- 
eesslul  e\^H^lilions. 


!»iil 


26.  RUE    SPLEENWORT.     WALL    RUE 

./>///■;,'///';/    Kut,}-"iuf  •>>  /,; 

.•\  sin. ill  i(M-k  Icni.  .v^rowiiii;  dii  Imirsimic,  XCrmont  lo  Micliiy^.m 
.uul  sonthw.iid.       I'mir  t(>  vsovrii   inolu'S  loiiv;.  wiih  _v;ircn,  slcndci-. 

tiitic^l   stalks. 

/'>r>:.;y.  I'l  i.inv;ular-(nMU\  stiiO(Mli.  cvcr^i ccn.  (wire  ctr  lliricc- 
pinnatr  boK^w  ;  pimur  cut  into  st,»lk(-ii  piiuuiKs;  i'rui/-,/,>/s  con- 
lluont  at  niaiunty,  (Mvc-rinv;  luaiiy  tlio  whoU-  lower  surfaci^  of  pin- 
nules;  ;>;</,v,v;,v";  licliiMlo. 


Mv  tirst  acqnaintanee  wilh  llu"  little  Rue  S|>h>en- 
wort  in  its  cnvn  lionie  dales  hack  lo  the  inemorahle 
day  wiicn  we  (liseoveied  the  new  slali(»n  (or  (he 
Hart's  Tongue. 

12b 


'■lAlf     njw 


RUE  SPLEENWORT 


127 


r.KOUP  V 


II  Kill  I    AM>  SIl  KIM    IKONIiS  II  A!    I  IKl    ANh  SIMM  AK'  ; 
SI'()KAIN(ilA      IN      IIINrAK      OK      ()lii(>IN(;      1K|I||-|)()|S 


!    . 


As  1  have  alrc^ad}-  iiuMilioiuMl  in  my  dcsci  ii)li()ii  of 
the  I'lirplc  Clilf  Hrakc,  on  a  chance  inorniiiL;  call  I 
learned  Ihat  t  wcnl y-livc  years  before  the  Kiie  Si)leen- 
wort  and  the  Turple  Cliff  Brake  hiid  been  lonnd 
on  certain  clilfs  which  overhuiii;  some  neij^hboiinjj^ 
falls. 

On  these  ver)-  clilis  a  ciuinter  of  a  cenlniy  later 
wc  found  a  few  sj^eciniens  ol  each  |)lant.  The  liny 
fronds  of  the  Rue  Si)leenworl  i;rew  from  small  hs- 
sures  in  the  cliffs,  Ilattenini2-  themselves  ai-ainst  their 
rocky  background. 

About  a  nuMith  later  we  ixMuined  to  the  spot  for 
the  purpose  of  securiiii;-  phot(\i;rai)hs  of  the  natural 
gallery  where  the  plants  i;iew.  The  seamed,  over- 
hano^ino^  rocks,  the  neii;hboriiii;  stream  phin_<;in_<:^ 
nearly  two  hundred  {rc\  to  the  iaviiK>  below,  the 
bold  opposite  clilis  showiiio-  here  and  there  through 
their  cloak  of  trees,  and  above  and  beyond  the  smil- 
ing upland  pastures,  the  wood-ciownet'  hills,  and  the 
haze-softened  valley,  had  left  a  pielure  in  the  mind 
that  we  hojied  to  reproduce,  howevei-  inadecjuately, 
by  means  oi  the  camera. 

This  morning  we  had  ai^iiroached  the  cliffs  from 
an  opposite  direction.  In  climbing  a  gradual  ascent 
from  the  bed  of  the  stream,  we  found  a  plant  of  the 
Rue  Spleenwort  which  was  more  vigorous  and  t  hi-ifty 
than  any  we  had  previously  seen.  In  the  single  tuft, 
about  as  large  as  the  palm  of  one's  hand,  we  counted 
forty-five  green  fronds.  Their  lower  surfaces,  in 
many  cases,  were  covered  with  confluent  fruit-dots. 

The  plant  had  much  the  eficctof  a  rather  small  spec- 

128 


CKOIll'    V        '"''""    A^ll'  ^11  I'll  I    IK<'NI.^  I  I  Al    IIKI    ANI.  SIMM  AR; 
SI'liKAN<.IA      IN      I  INI  AK      OK      (  iJlldM ,      IKlJl-i.or^ 

imciiof  the  Moiintain  Splcfii woii,  'I'lic  sliott,  lnoad 
lioiids  were  somewhat  h-alhei  y,  with  only  a  (ew  piii- 
iKL'.  Coiisi^hTiii^-  its  laek  o(  size,  the  litlh;  cluster, 
s[)rinj^iiii^  lioiii  the  hare  rock,  iiia(h;  so  fh:riMite  and 
interest  iiii;-  a  picture  that  we  tried  to  photojj^raph  if 
as  it  ^rew.  IJul.  alter  ome  time  s|)etit.  in  striving;  to 
vsccure  a  loothold  lor  the  tripod,  and  at  the  same 
time  for  the  photo.L(ra[)her,  we  ,L,^ave  up  the  attempt 
as  ho[)eless. 

Ill  Hnj^land  the  I^ue  Spleenwort  is  found  j^-iowini^ 
on  old  walls,  specially  on  their  northern  sides,  also 
on  church-towers,  brid^-es,  and  ruins.  It  is  said  to 
l)e  dinicult  to  cultivate. 

I'\)rmerly  this  fern  yielded  a  decoction  which  was 
supi)()se(l  to  be  beneficial  in  attacks  (jf  pleurisy  and 
of  jaundice. 


129 


I 


I     '(' 


27.  MOUNTAIN 
SPLEENWORT 


'^"'^l'^ 


^4 


Fromh.  —  Ovale-lanccolalc  in  outline, 
somewhat  leathery,  eut  into  oblonj;  pinnre, 
the  lower  ones  of  wiiieii  are  cut  ai^ain  into 
more  or  less  oblonj^,  toothed  divisions,  the  up- 
per ones  less  and  less  divided;  rachis  i-^reen, 
broad,  flat ;  fntit-dols  ^;;iear,  short;  iiuiusiuin 
thin,  hidden  at  leni;th  by  the  sporangia,  which 
mature  in  July. 


f 


With  us  this  plant  is  decidedly 
rare.  New  York  and  Connecticut 
are  given  as  its  northern  limits.  1 
have  found  it  only  in  one  locality,  in  the  neighbor- 
hood of  a  mountain  lake  in  Ulster  County,  N.  V. 
Though  growing  here  somewhat  abundantly,  the 
fern  is  so  small  that,  unless  your  eyes  are  trained  to 
search  every  cranny  in  the  hope  of  some  new  find, 
you  arc  not  likely  to  notice  it.  Even  with  trained 
eyes  you  may  readily  fancv  that  the  narrow  chinks 
in  the  cliffs  which  rise  sheerly  from  the  lake  are 
merely  patched  with  moss.  But  wdien  you  have 
pulled   your  boat   close   under  the   shelving  rocks, 


i.^o 


HLAIt  XVIII 


^A^^.O 


MOUNTAIN  SPLEENWORT 


a  A  fertile  frond 


b  A 


pinni  of  fertile  frond 


I.^I 


GKUUP  V 


llh'llll    ANKSTIKIIl    IKOINhS  l.rAI-l  IKI.  A!Nn  MMII.AK; 
SI'(»KAN(ilA      IN      IIMAK      ( tK     nU|.()N<i      IKIUi-DOTS 


and  liavc  sccurctl  a  liold  dial,  enables  you  to  stand 
14)  and  examine  at  leisure  the  susj)ici()us  patches, 
your  heart  l)()unds  with  delij^lit  as  you  i^et  a 
near  view  of  the  fringe  of  bhie-ij^recn,  leathery 
fronds  which    flatten    themselves   against   tiie  gra}' 


^^^>^^' 


Mountain   Sploenwort 


cliffs.    Apparently 

only    the    plants    that 

grow   under  specially 

favorable      conditions 

are   able    to   develop    fronds    that   attain   a    length 

of   five    or   six    inches.     Only    in    what    must    have 

been   almost   constant  shadow,  under  the  shelving 

rocks,    directly    above     the     lake     and     refreshed 

always    by    its    moisture,    did    1    find    these    really 

132 


'^ 


illy 

Dns 

-th 


mcr 


tlly 


i 


1^ 


11 


■u 


^Pi  H^ 


!'f! 


GF-fOUl'  V       ^^^^^^^  ^^^'  STFKIII    FPOND;  IFAF-I.IKr  AND  SIMILAR; 
M'OKANCilA      IN I.IMAK      UK      QUI  ( )N(J      |Kll.  f  -  IK)I  S 

attiiictivc,  tluifty-lookiii*;-  plants.  Tlic  spcciiiR'iis, 
which  were  lucatcd  at  sonic  (hstancc  from  the 
lake,  «,n-()win<;  in  one  instance  on  top  of  a 
mountain,  again  in  the  shaded  crevices  of  a  cliff, 
were  tiny,  indehnite-lookin«;  plants  with  iu)tiiin<,r 
to  recoinniend  them  to  any  eyes  save  Ihose  ol 
the  fern  collect(jr.  In  every  instance  they  <rrew 
from  fissures  in  the  rocks,  rootin*;  ai)parentlv  in  a 
mere  pinch  of  earth,  yet  with  such  tenacity  that  it 
would  have  been  very  difficult  to  extract  a  i)!ant 
unharmed.  In  almost  every  case  tiiey  were 
shielded  much  of  the  time  from  exposure  to  the 
sun. 

The  large  plants  in  the  immediate  vicinit  v  of  the 
lake  were  noticeably  bluish-orcen  in  color. 

It  is  to  be  hoped  that  the  few  known  haunts  of 
the  Mountain  Spleenwort  will  be  respected  in  order 
that  this  rare  little  plant  may  be  preserved. 


133 


If 


CiHiiVV  V 


MR  nil    AN!)  SlIKIir  FKONDS  I  FAF-I  IKI   AM)  MMII  AK  . 
SI'OKANr.lA      IN      I  INI  AK      ( »K      (illlONC,      IKlUl-lKrrS 


28.  EBONY    SPLEENWORT 

// V"/,;///////  ,'/itnrii»i   (./.  pliilyiuio  ,>ti) 

Maine  t(»  I'lorida  and  westward,  dii  rocks  and  liill-sidcs.     Nine  l(» 
i'ij^liii(  n  inches  Iii.v;li,  with  l)laikisli  and  sliiiuni;  stalks. 

J-yonds.  Uprijj^ht,  narrowly  ohiantiolate,  fertile  fronds  niiK  h 
the  taller,  onee-pinnale  ;  f^huuc  nsually  alti'rnali-,  oblong,  I'lnely 
tootlu'd.  the  base  aiirieled  on  the  npper  or  on  both  sides  ;  yVv///- 
dols  many,  oblony^,  nearer  niidvein  than  margin  ;  ifuitisiuiit  silvery 
till  maturity. 

The  slender  fronds  of  llic  Kbony  Spleenwort  liold 
tlieniselves  with  a  sort  of  riLj'id  ii^race  which  siioi'oests 

a  combination  <»1  delicacy  and 
end  ti  ranee. 

It  is  an  attractive  j)lant  with 
an  eliisiveness  of  habit  which 
serves,  i)erha|)S,  to  increase  its 
charm.  Its  ran^eis  from  Maine 
to  Florida  and  westward;  it  is 
said  to  j)refer  limestone  soil, 
and  my  past  experience  has 
proved  it  a  fairly  common  plant,  yet  so  far  this  sum- 
mer, in  many  expeditions  in  a  part  ol  the  country 
rich  in  limestone,  1  have  found  only  one 
specimen,  while  last  year  alon^^  the  road- 
sides of  Lon<^  Island  I  found  its  black- 
stemmed  fronds  standin<^  erect  and  slim 
in  crowded  ranks  under  groups  of  red 
cedars.  In  other  years  it  has  abounded 
in  localities  of  a  different  character, 
sometimes  foUowinj^  its  little  relative,  the  Maiden- 
hair   Spleenwort,    into     moist     ravines     or    aloni^^ 

134 


Portion  of  fertile  frond 


Ferlilo  pinna 
magnified 


IIIC 

is 

.il. 

las 

1111- 

try 


^"vT~;:;^  ^ 


# 


PLAft    XIX 


"&"   % 


EBONY  5PLEENW0RT 


("UOlll'  V     'f •'''"'  '^'^"  sriKiir  iKONi>s  iiaf-iiki  and  SIMIIAK; 

'  SI'OKANt.lA      IIN      l.liNLAK      UK      OHLUNti      IKUH-UUIS 


the  shelves  of  sliadcd  rocks,  ai2ain  cliiiil)iiii>-  ex- 
posed  hill-sides,  where  its  fresh  beauty  is  always  a 
surpiise. 

The  fionds  of  ihc  Rbony  S|)leen\v()rl  usually  face 
the  suu,  e\c'U  il  so  doiuii^  uecessilales  the  Iwislinir 
ol   its  stalk. 


29.  MAIDENHAIR  SPLEENWORT 

AspLitiuDi    'i'ricJioniiDU's 

Almost  llir()U!L;h()ul  North  AnicriiM.  A  small  rock  fiTii,  four  to 
Iwflvi'  iiuiu'S  long,  with  purplish  -  brow  n  aiul  sliijiini;,  thread- 
like stalks. 

/•;vv/</.s'.—  IJiicar  in  outline,  somewhat  rigid,  onee-piimate  ; 
/'/;///«'  rountlisli  or  o\al,  une(iual-sided,  atlaehed  to  raehis  by  a 
narrow  point,  tiuire  or  tootheti  ;  fniit-ilots  short,  oblong,  narrowed 
at  the  ends,  three  to  six  on  eaeh  side  of  the  midrib;  spoiaiii^ia 
dark-brown  when  ripe  ;  iiidiisiuni  tleliealc. 

lu  childhood  the  delicate  little  frouds  and  dark, 
olisteuino:.  thread-like  stalks  ol  the  Maidenhair 
Splcenwort  seemed  to  me  a  token  of  the  ni3'stcrious, 

ecstatic  presence  ol  the  deeper 
woods,  of  woods  where  dark 
hemlocks  arched  across  the 
rock-broken  stream,  where  the 
sponi^v  ii^round  w'as  carpeted 
with  low^,  nameless  plants  with 
white-veined  or  shininsi:  leaves 
and  coral-like  berries,  where 
precious  red-cupped  mosses  covered  the  fallen  tree- 
trunks  and  strans^e  birds  sang-  unknown  songs. 

Perhaps  because  in  those  days  it  was  a  rare  plant 

13b 


Fertile  pinnae 


■M-k 

he 
:lie 

[th 

re 
■e- 

iiit 


GKOUr  V 


MKIII.E  AND  STr.Fll.r,  [Kr)Nr)S  I.TAF   IIKR  AND   SIMILAR; 
bl'OKANGIA      IN      LINl.AK      Ok      OiUONii      hKlU  1  -  U  J I  b 


to    he   met.   willi    on    nire   oceasioiis,   in   a  s|>irit,  ul 
hreathless  exullatiou,  1  ahiiost,  heii-iiKlii-e  riiKlnii:-  it 


GROUP  V 


FERTILE  AND  STERILE  FRONDS  LEAF-LIKE  AND   SIMILAR  , 
SPORANGIA      IN      LINEAR      OR      OBLONG      FRUIT  -  DOTS 


li^-htiii":  on  Ihe   rocks  in   order  to  secure  some  in- 

sect,   now  tilting   backward  and  forward   with  the 

comical  motion  peculiar  to  them, 
now  gliding  swiftly  along  the 
pebbly  shore  till  their  brown  and 
gray  and  white  coats  are  lost  in 
the  brown  and  gray  and  white  of 
Lowor  pmn.D  shorc,  rock,  and  water. 

in  such  a  retreat  as  this  ravine  the  JVIaidenhair 

Spleenwort  seems  peculiarly  at  home.     Its   tufted 

fronds  have   a   fresh  greenness   that 

is  a  delight  to  the  eye  as  they  spring 

from  little    pockets  or   crannies   too 

shallow,   we  would   suppose,  for  the 

necessary  moisture  and  nourishment. 

Its   near  companions   are  the  Walk- 
ing   Fern,    whose  tapering,   leaf-like, 

blue-green    fronds    leap    along    the 

shelving  ledge  above,  and  the  Bulblet  Bladder  Fern, 

which  seems  to  gush  from  every  crevice  of  the  cliff. 


Upper  pinnao 


30.  GREEN  SPLEENWORT 

Aspleuium   '^'iridc 

Northern  New  England,  west  and  northward,  on  shaded  rocks. 
A  few  inches  to  nearly  a  foot  long-,  with  tufted  stalks,  brownish 
below,  green  above. 

Fronds. — Linear-lanceolate,  once-pinnate,  pale  green  ;  pinner 
ovate,  toothed,  midvein  indistinct  and  forking ;  friiit-dots  oblong  ; 
indiisiuDi  straight  or  curved. 

The  Green  Spleenwort  in  general  appearance 
resembles    the    Maidenhair    Spleenwort.       I^erhaps 

i3« 


Plate  xx 


I 


nL/-^3 


vV 


o 


^x)K., 


4?>  >P  0^  ciOOM' 


v^ 


1MH 


GREEN   SPLEENWORT 


'sy 


rRO''l*   V       ff'^T""''  ^NI)  STr.RII.n  FRONDS  LEAF-LIKF.  AND   SIMILAR  , 
'"^  SI'ORANCilA      IN      LINLAR      OR      OHI.()N(i      FRUIT  -  DUTb 

its  most  dislinij;iiisliing'  feature  is  its  stalk,  wliich, 
though  brown  l)eh)\v,  becomes  i^reen  above,  wliile 
that  ol  its  little  relative  is  dark  and  shinin*;-  throui^h- 
out.  its  discovery  on  xMt.  Manslield,  V't.,  by  Mr. 
Pringle  gave  it  a  place  in  the  flora  of  the  United 

States,  as  is  shown  in  the 
following  passage  from  Mr 
Pringle's  address  before  the 
Vermont  Botanical  Club: 

"  On  this  first  visit  to  Mt. 
Mansfield  my  work  was  re- 
stricted to  the  crest  of  the 
great  mountain.  About  the 
cool  and  shaded  cliffs  in  front 
of  the  Summit  House  were 
then  first  brought  to  my  view 
Aspidiuni  fragrans  .  .  .  and 
Asplcnium  %nridi\  .  .  .  for  1  was  still  on  my  fern 
hunt.  The  finding  of  the  former  added  a  s})ecies 
to  the  Vermont  catalogue  ;  the  latter  was  an  ad- 
dition to  the  flora  of  the  United  States.  Such  little 
discoveries  gave  joy  to  the  young  collector." 


Fsrtile  pinna? 


I 


31.  SCOTT'S   SPLEENWORT 

Aspleuium  cbcnoides 

Connecticut  to  the  Mississippi  and  southward  to  Alabama,  on 
limestone.  Four  to  twelve  inches  long,  v,  ith  blackish  and 
shining  iitalks. 

/^?•(;v/^/'.y.— Lanceolate,  tapering  to  a  long,  narrow  apex,  generally 
pinnate  below,  pinnatifid  above  ;  fndt-dots  straight  or  slightly 
curved  ;  indusium  narrow. 

140 


PLATE    XXI 


SCOTT'S  SPLEENWORT 
141 


GROUP  V 


I-LKTII.E  AND  bll.KILL  lKUISlJi>   LtAl-LlKE  AND  SIMILAR; 
bl'OKANGIA      IN      LlNllAK      UK      Oltl.ONG      FRUIT- DOIS 


i 


!M 


Tiie  known  stations  of  this  curious  little  plant  arc 
usually  in  the  immediate  neighborhood  oi  the  W^'alk- 
ing  Leaf  and  the  Ebt^ny  S[)leen\vort,  of  which  ferns 
it  is  supru>eerl  to  be  a  hybrid.      The  long,  narrow 


apex  occasiona 


liy  fo 


rming  a  new  p 


lant, 


anC 


th 


e  ir- 


regular fruit-dots  remind  one  of  the  Walking  Leaf, 
while  the  lustrous  black  stalk,  the  free  veins,  and  the 
pinnate  portions  of  the  fronds  suggest  the  ebony 
Spleenwort. 

Scott's  Spleenwort  mntures  in  August.  It  is  rare 
and  local,  except  in  Alabama.  The  fact,  however, 
that  it  has  been  discovered  in  widely  distant  locali- 
ties east  of  the  Mississippi  should  lend  excitement 
to  fern  expeditions  in  any  of  our  limestone  neigh- 
borhoods where  we  see  its  chosen  associates,  the 
Walking  Leaf  and  tlie  Ebony  Spleenwort.  To  find 
a  new  station  for  this  interesting  little  fern,  even  if 
it  consisted  of  one  or  two  plants  onl}',  as  is  said  to 
have  been  the  case  at  Canaan,  Conn.,  would  well  re- 
pay the  fatigue  of  the  longest  tramp. 


32.  PINNATIFID    SPLEENWORT 

Asplenium  pinnatifidiim 

New  Jersey  and  Pennsylvania  to  Illinois,  and  southward  to 
Alabama  and  Arkansas,  on  rocks.  Four  to  fourteen  inches  long, 
with  polished  stalks,  blackish  below,  green  above,  when  young 
somewhat  chaffy  below. 

Fronds. — Broadly  lance-shaped,  tapering  to  a  long,  slender 
point,  pinnatifid  or  pinnate  below  ;  pi)in(c  rounded  or  the  lowest 
tapering  to  a  point ,  fruit-dots  straight  or  somewhai  curved  ;  in- 
dusium  straight  or  curved. 

142 


PI  ATE    XXII 


PINNATIFID  SPLEENWORT 


H3 


r-iP<»iii.    \/       lll^riir  AND  STFKII.I    IKniNDS   IIAI    I.IKL  AND   SIMILAR; 
IjKUUI     V       s,i.,,pAN(ilA      IN      MM:AK     OK     UULONG      I  Kill  f- DOTS 

Tliis  plant  rcscmhk-s  tin-  W'alkiiii;  Leal  to  such  an 
extent  that  lornierly  it  was  not  considered  a  sep- 
arate species.  The  Ionics  slender  apex  ot  its  frond, 
which,  it  is  said,  sometimes  takes  root,  as  in  the 
Walkin^r  Leal,  i^ave  ground  for  its  confusion  with 
that  fern.  But  the  taperini;  apex  ol  t!ie  frond  ot  the 
PinnafVl  S;  '  'cnwort  is  not  so  long  and  the  veins 
of  the  ff.>n'j     'X  free. 

The  F.  !■  fUiid  Spleenwort  grows  on  rocks.  Its 
usual  companioned  <  re  the  Mountain  Si)lccnwort  and 
the  Maidenhair  wSpleenwort.  Williamson  tells  us 
that,  though  it  is  quite  common  in  Kentucky,  he 
has  never  found  a  Irond  which  rooted  at  the  apex. 
Eaton,  liowever,  speaks  of  "one  or  two  instances  of 
a  sligiit  enlargement  of  the  apex,  as  it  there  were 
an  attempt  to  form  a  proliferous  bud." 


i 


33.   BRADLEY'S   SPLEENWORT 

Asplcnimn  Bradlcyi 

New  York  to  C.eorsia  and  Alabama,  westward  to  Arkansas,  on 
rocks  preferring  limestone.  Six  to  ten  mches  long,  with  slender, 
chestnut-brown  stalks. 

Fronds. — Oblong-lanceolate  or  oblong,  tapering  to  a  point,  pin- 
nate ;  piiiihc  oblong-ovate,  lobed  or  pinnatifid  ;  friiit-dots  short, 
near  the  midrib  ;  iiufusijDii  delicate. 

To  my  knowledge  the  only  place  in  the  northeast- 
ern States  where  this  rare  and  local  species  has  been 
collected  is  near  Newburg,  N.  Y.,  where  Dr.  Eaton 
found  a  plant  growing  on  lime  rock  in  1864. 


144 


PLATE   XXIII 


• 


' 


h§ 


tM 


en].,.,.,  Vfvu< 


^-?1 


8 

»■  *■» 


B.^.ui^^^,.«ii^.„— .,.,^,^..,ll^„|HmAju  ^i,,,! 


BRADLEY  S  SPLEENWORF 
a  Kertile    pinna 


145 


fl 

II 


l-f 


34.  WALKING  FERN. 
WALKING  LEAF 


Caiiiplosonis  ild:.ophyllus 

Canada  to  North  Carolina  and  westward, 
no  shaded  rocks,  prcferrini^  limestone.  Four 
to  eighteen  inches  lung,  with  light-green 
stalks. 

/•Vvv/^/.v.— Simple,  lanceolate,  long-tapering 
toward  the  apex,  usually  heart-shaped  at  base, 
the  apex  often  rooting  and  forming  a  new 
plant  ;  fniit-dots  oblong  or  linear,  irn^gularly 

scattered  on  the  lower  surface  of  the  frond  ;  Indusiuin 

thin. 

To  its  unusual  and  sugij^cstivc  title  this  plant  lui- 
doubtedly  owes  much  of  the  interest  wliich  it  seems 
to  arouse  in  the  minds  of  those  who  do  not  profess 
to  be  fern-lovers.  A  friend  tells  me  that  as  a  child, 
eagerly  on  the  lookout  for  this  apparently  active 
little  plant,  he  was  so  much  influenced  by  its  title 
that  he  thoug^ht  it  luight  be  advantageous  to  secure  a 
butterHy-net  as  an  aid  ixi  its  capture.  I  find  that 
older  people  as  well  are  tempted  to  luiwonted  ener- 
gy if  promised  a  glimpse  of  the  Walking  Fern.    Then, 

146 


1 


vesiwanl, 
ic.     I'Our 


j-tapcrinj,^ 

;d  at  base, 

a   new 

rrfijfularly 

iiihtsiuni 


lilt  iin- 
sccms 
profess 
a  child, 
\r  active 
its  title 
ecu re  a 
nd  that 
sd  euer- 
.   Then, 


GROUP  V 


Fl  Kril.l    AM>  Ml  Kll  I    H<->NI>S  IIAF-LIKIi  AND  MMIl  AK  ; 
SlM»KAN<ilA      IN      LINIAK      UK      OHIONd      FKIIl-liorS 


'■ 


■1 


ti)(),  tlif  scarcity  ul  the  plant  in  many  lucalities,  or, 
indeed,  its  entire  absence  (rc^ni  certain  parts  ol  the 
country,  j^ives  it  a  reputation  for  rarity  which  is  one 
of  the  most  certain  i"oads  to  fame. 

For  many  years  I  was  unable  to  track  it  to  any  o( 
its  haunts.  During'  a  summer  spent  in  Kensselaei- 
County,  N.  V.,  the  Walkini;  Leaf  was  the  object  of 
yarious  expeditions,  1  recall  one  driye  of  twenty- 
live  miles  deyoted  t(j  huntinjj^  up  a  rumored  station. 
At  the  end  of  the  day,  whicli 
turned  out  cold  and  rainy,  and 
fruitless  so  far  as  its  special  ob- 
ject was  concerned,  I  felt  in- 
clined to  belieye  that  the  plant 
had  justified  its  title  and  had 
walked  out  of  the  nei^i^hborhood. 
Yet,  after  all,  no  such  expedi- 
tion, eyen  with  wind  nnd  weather 
ai^ainst  one,  as  in  this  case,  is 
really  fruitless.  The  shar[)  watch 
along  the  roadside,  the  many 
little  expeditions  into  inyiting 
pastures,  up  j)romising  cliffs,  over  moss-grown  bowld- 
ers, down  to  the  rocky  border  of  the  br(^ok,  are  sure 
to  result  in  disccjyeries  of  value  ur  in  moments  of 
delight.  A  llower  yet  unnamed,  a  butterfly  beautiful 
as  a  gem,  an  unfamiliar  bird-song  traced  to  its  source, 
a  new,  suggestive  outlook  oyer  the  well-known  val- 
ley, and, later,  "a  sleep  pleasant  with  all  the  influences 
ot  long  hours  in  the  open  air  " — any  or  all  of  these 
results  may  be  ours,  and  go  to  make  the  day  count. 

•47 


Portion  of  fertile  frond 


fr 


liKoiir  V 


II  kill  I    ANItSJlKIII    IKMNDSIIM    IIKI    ,\lN|t  SIMM  AK  , 
M'ttKANCilA      IN       MINI  AK      HK'      nlll  iiM  ,      |  h'l  I  I      I  h  » I  S 


IfifH 


I''iii;illv,  OIK-  Sc[)|i'iul»(  I  altc'i  iiooM,  slii  ii  1 1  \'  ImIoic 
k'aviiii;'  tlic  ncinhboiliood,  we  ic'S(»Ivl'(|  tipoii  :i  last 
scaicli,  in  (|iiiU'  a  new  diicct  ion.  Scvcial  milis  Irom 
lioiiu",  at  a  loik  in  llii-  road,  slaiidiiiL;'  in  a  pailiallv 
wooded  pasture,  we  iiotit  (  d  just  siu  h  a  laii^e,  sliadcd 
i"(H  k,  with  moss\'  ledges,  as  hail  liUcd  ii^  with  vain 
hopes  iiiaiiN'  times.  J.  siiL;;i;esled  a  elosef  exain- 
inalioii,  whic  h  I  diseoiiia^cd,  remeinhiTiii:;  previous 
ihsapjtoiiit  ineiits.  Hut  soiuet  hiiii;'  in  the  look  ol  the 
j;!"eat  howhUr  i)i()Voked  his  luriosit  \ ,  so  over  the 
fenec  and  nptlie  K"dL;es  he  sei'amhhML  Ahuost  his 
liist  !TSt  ini;-|'hice  was  a  projeet  ini;'  shc-ll  whi(  h  was 
carpeted  witli  a  mat  ol  l)luish-_i;i('en  lolia^c.  It 
necdeil  onlva  moment's  invest  i^'at  ion  to  identilv  the 
leathery,  laperiii!:;'  IVonds  ol  the  Walkini;-  I'ern.  \o 
one  who  has  not  spent  honis  in  some  such  search  as 
this  can  svmpathi/e  with  the  delii^hl  of  those  mo- 
ineiits.  We  faiilv  i:;h)ated  ovei^  the  (piaint  little 
jilants,  foUowin::;-  with  our  rini;(M-s  the  sIcikKm-  tips 
ot  the  li'onds  till  thev  rooted  in  the  moss,  startini;' 
another  generation  on  its  lile  journey,  and  eai"n- 
iiiij^  lor  itself  the  title  of  Walkinj^  Leaf  oi-  Walkini;' 
Fern. 

Althoni^h   since  then   I   have  found   the    W'alkinjj^ 

Leal  litHjuentl  V,  fmd  in  j^reaL  abundance,  1  do  not  re- 

meinhei'  ever  to  have  seen  it  make  so  line  a  displaw 

The  plants  were  unusually  lari^e  and  vi^^orous,  and 

the    aspect  of   the    matted    lufts   was  uncommonly 

luxuriant.     To  be  sure,  sonu'  allowance  must  be  made 

lor  the  glamour  ot  a  hi^st  meeting:;. 

The    Walkiui^  Leaf  i^rows    usually    on  limestone 

148 


2 


Ui 


J  J' 


H^ 


i 


!   ! 


GROUl'    V       fERTILi;  AND  STIRIl  i;  fronds  LLAr-l.lKl.  AM.   Sl.MILAI'  • 
bl'(JKANGlA      IN      LINtAK_OR_  OBLONG      FRUIT  -  DOTS 

rocks,  thouirh  it  has  been  fouiul  on  sandstone,  shale, 
and  conglomerate  as  well.  1  have  also  seen  it  on  tlic 
stumps  of  decaying  trees  near  limestone  cliffs  in 
Central  New  York,  where  it  is  a  common  plant, 
creeping  along  the  shaded,  mossy  ledges  above  star- 
like tufts  of  the  iMaidenhair  Spleenwort  and  fra<nle 
clusters  of  the  Slender  Cliff  Brake,  venturing  to'^he 
brook's  edge  with  sprays  of  the  J3ull)let  J]lad(ler 
Fern,  and  climbing  the  turreted  summits  of  the  hills 
close  to  the  Purple  Cliff  Brake. 

Although  without  the  grace  of  the  Maidenhair, 
the  delicacy  of  certain  of  the  Spleenworts,  or  the 
stately  beauty  of  the  Sldeld  Ferns,  the  oddity  and 
sturdiness  of  this  little  plant  are  bound  to  make  it  a 
favorite  cver3'wher'\ 

Occasionally  a  plant  is  found  which  will  keep  up 
its  connection  with  two  or  three  generations;  that 
is,  a  frond  will  root  at  the  apex,  forming  a  new  plant 
(the  second  generation).  This  will  also  send  out 
a  rooting  frond  which  gives  l)irth  to  a  new  plant 
(the  third  generation)  before  the  two  hrst  fronds 
have  decayed  at  their  tips  so  as  to  sever  the  connec- 
tion. 

At  times  forking  fronds  are  found,  these  forks  also 
rooting  occasionally  at  their  tips. 


149 


If 


! 


(iKour  V 


llKllll    ANliSIIKIll    I  K'oiNlis    I  I  Al    IIKI    ANDSIMIIAK; 
.S|'(>KA^»,IA       IN       IINl  AK'      ( »l<       OHI  (  (INl  ,      I  Pill  I      li(»|S 


35.   HART'S   TONGUE 

Sk'/i'/"/')!,/'  itl'l/     ,ll/;^i!l,'    (.V.      u  ,'I,'f',lh/>  iiini) 

Sli.'uK'd  r.ivincs  iiiiiK  r  Imu'slDiic  (  lills  mrciiir.il  \( -a  N'oiU  .iikI 
near  South  I'iiI'-Imii\;,  Tcihi.  A  lew  inrhcs  in  ik  ,irl\  two  tccl  \yn\\\, 
Willi  stalks  winch  arc  chally  iiclow  and  sometimes  to  the  h.isc  ol 
(he  leaf. 

/■'>,>;;, /s.  XaiTowlv  obloiij^,  uiKhvidcd,  from  a  somewhat  heart- 
shaped  b.isc,  l)riv;hl-!L;reen  ;  //////-, /<>/.s  linear,  eloni.;ated,  ;i  row  on 
eithei"  side  of  the  midrib  .iiid  at  i'i,i;ht  am;les  to  it  ;  iiuliisiioii 
appearinv;  l<i  be  donblc. 

When  (Irav  (k'scribc^s  a  Iciii  as  "  vcm^v  rai('"a!i(l 
\^\'.  l^rilloii  limits  it  to  two  small  stations  in  ncii;Ii- 
hoiiiii;'     cOiintic'S     in     tlu^    whole     noitlicin     United 

Slates,  the  feiii  lover  looks  lor- 
\vai"(l  with  a  sense  of  ea<;(M"  antici- 
pation to  seeing"  it  lor  the  lirst 
time. 

nniini;"  a  week  spent  al  Ca/e- 
n(n'ia,  N.  N'.,  a  few  vc-ais  ai^o, 
I  liM!  lu^l  that  t  he  rare  I  larl's 
roiiL»"ue  liiew  al  Chit  tenaniio 
I-'alls,  only  lonr  miles  away.  Hnt 
mv  time  was  limited,  and  on  a 
sins;lc  brief  \isit  to  t  he  pictnrescpic 
sjH)t  where  the  broad  Chittcnaiis.;"o 
stream  dashes  over  idilfs  one  hnn- 
dred  and  lilty  feet  hii;h,  losing' 
itsell  in  the  wild,  wooded  i;len 
below  on  its  journev  to  the  distant  valley,  I  did 
little  more  than  revel  in  the  beauty  ol  the  foaminj^ 
!nas»;  v\  Inch  for  many  tlavs  "  hauntetl   me  like  a  pas- 


-j 

1 


II  AK  ; 

1 1(  » I  s 


ork  .111(1 
ret  li)iu;, 
■   l)asc  (it 

;i(  lic.irl- 
1  t(i\v  on 
ih/usiiiiii 


v  "  and 

Unitc'd 
:)ks  lor- 
r  anlici- 
hc    lirsl 

it    Ca/c- 

irs    ai^o, 

Hart's 

cMiaMj;o 
y.     Hut 
ul  on    a 
urcs(iiic 
tcnauL;*) 
n\c  liiin- 
,   losini; 
cd    L:,len 
V,    I   did 
foainini; 
Vc  a  pas- 


- 
i 

t 


1 


''■"i:'0^n^:^ 


//' ' 


sion."  I  saw  no  siij^iis  of  the;  plant 
wliicli  lias  done  almost  as  imicli  as 
"the  sou  lid  i  ml;"  cataract"  to  make 
I  he  spot   lamoiis. 

'Idic  combined  recollection  of  the 
Ixantiful  falls  and  tlie  (or  mc  un- 
discovered fern,  joined  to  tli(;  fact, 
that,  Madison  and  the  adjoiniiii^ 
(  )nondai;"a  C'ounty  arc;  favoiitc 
hunlini;"  grounds  lor  the  fern  Io\er 
on  at:count,  of  the  many  species 
which  they  harbor,  drc;w  us  t(i 
("a/enovia  for  iiie  summer  Iwo 
years   later. 

(inidcd     l)y    the    exjdicit.    direc- 
tions ol  Mr.  J.  II.  Ten    I'Lyck  Ihirr, 
a    fein    enthusiast,    who    is    [dways 
ready     to    sliare     witii    (Ahers,    oi 
whose;    j^  o  o  ( I 
faith    he    is    as-  ('^ 
sured,    iiis    en- 
jo\  nienl  of   tlie 
h  idi  11  i;-p laces 
ol  his  fayorites, 
we    found    at. 
last    the   Hart's 
ronjT-ue    ill    its 
uwii  home. 


Pih'     \  ■ 
ffri   M\     ' 


■^^.S^mm 


:'p  ~  "  "7-'  '.  -  ■ 

Harfs  Tongue 


iii 


(iKiUll-  \ 


Mi.' nil     AINh  ^1  I  KIM    ll.OMiSIIAI    IIKI    AND  SIMM  M', 
SlMl|OA^t■IA       IN       I  li\l  AK       tt|0      (lllJOINi,       l|o|l|  1      IKIJS 


li  Ml.  Imiii's  kmdiic'vs  ill  '^cikIim;'  iiic  :.(>iiic  line 
)M('S'>C(1  s|>c(  iiiicii^;.  iiiK  I  llir  il  lir.l  I  .il  i(>ii'>  I  had  seen 
ill  \.ni(Mis  hooks.  li;nl  iiol  ,ihc;i(l\  iii.kIc  iiic  hiiiiihiir 
wilh  the  iMiuM.il  h)ok  ol  ihc  phiiil,  ihc  h>ii;'.  nil 
th\  i (h^h  loniMh'  hivi'  lM)ii(h',  so  (iillciciil  hi)iii  one's 
|M('CoiU('i\  ('(I  notion  ttl  ,i  Ici  n,  woiiiil  h;i\c  hccii  ;i 
;^i(Ml  ••nrpiis(\  I'.vcn  now  .  .ih  hoindi  I  h;i\c  \  isilcd 
ni.iin  limes  its  hi(hh"n  icIkmIs.  and  h.ixc  iiolcd  \\i(h 
didii;hl  c'\<'i\  iK'I.iil  ol  ils  ;'h»ss\'.  \i:',oions  !;io\\lh. 
il  S('(Mns  lo  nu'  .il\\.i\s  as  rair  and  unusual  as  il  «hd 
(he  hi  si   ihi\    I   h)iind  il. 

Al  CdiitUMiani;()  I'"alhs  Ihc  Mail's  roiiiMU-  jmows  a 
lew  \ards  Ironi  ihc  hasc  ol  l>ohl,  oxcihan^iiii^'  lime 
s1(>nc  clills.  llir  lojts  t)l  w  hi(  h  arc  hinged  l>\  pcii- 
(KmiI  rools  ol  ihc  nu\  cedar.  Ncaih'  al\\a\s  il  is 
cauijil  JKMUMlh  niossLirown  liai;incnls  ol  ihc  lall- 
c\\  Iinicsloiu\  ihc  hiiL^hl  .i;rc'(Mi.  nndiilalini;'.  flossy 
Kmv(~s  iMlIuM"  slandinj;  alinosl  creel  (curxinL;'  oul- 
waid  sli:;hll\  ;  ()\(-)  or  else  lalh'iii;  over  loward  (lie 
slope  ol  llie  la.ii  !  ■-'■■  as  lo  prcscnl  a  ncailx'  i)r()s- 
trati^  aj^iu  .irane  ■.  '^l  limes  lliesc  iroiids  are  vei^y 
iuim(M"i>us.  as  man\'  as  lilM  lo  a  planl,  lormiui;-  i^rcal 
clumps  ol  h)liai:,(\  A^ain  we  liiui  a  planl  wilh  onix' 
halt  a  do/en  or  (^\  (Mi  U^wcr  i^ixHMi  Ironds.  Al  nialni"- 
il\-  llu^  liiUMi".  bri^hld)ro\vn  huil-dols.  a  row  on 
either  side  liu^  midrih.  are  eonspiciKMis  on  the  Io\V(M" 
surtaees  ol  llu^  lr(>nds. 

Tliis  haunt  o\  the  1  lart's  I'onmie  is  shaded  by  a 
^TiMvlh  ol  tall  bassxyoods  and  maples,  of  sturdy 
oaks  ami  hemloc'ks.  The  neii^hboi'int.;-  (dilfs  are 
ibapcti  with  the  sleiulcM-  Iriuuls  ol  the  l>ulblet   Hlad- 


i;^ 


Mil  M'  , 
1  >»  t  I  S 


(.l'(  (111'    \' 


II  I' I  II  I    AM".  I  I  I'll  I    I  I'liNh  ,  I  I  \l    111,1    ANh    .IMIIM-', 
M'' i|.'AN(  ,IA       IN       MM  Al'       i  i|'     '  ■'■' m,'N(  ,      ||.' Ij  I       r  ,i  1 1  S 


Muc  Imc 
;i(l  seen 
lainiliiir 
)n<',  nil 
illl  (iiic's 
■  Itccn  ;i 
(•  visil("(l 
1((1  willi 
;•  I  ( »\\  I  ll. 

as  il  ili<l 

oiows  a 
ni;    limc- 

1>\    pcti- 

avs    il    is 

llu-    lall- 

^•,  l; lossy 

,inL;    oul- 

ward  Ihc 

ily   juos- 

Avc   vvvy 

ill*;  |L;i"ral 

villi  only 

\t  matiir- 

row    on 
he  lower 

tied  by  a 
)f  sturdy 
rlilTs  arc 
)lel  Hlad- 


i 


del'  I'  (I  II.  (  )li  <'\(  I  \  ',idc  I  i,c  I  lie  t;i||  ( c*  >\viis  < »(  I  ll(• 
<^mlli  |  iH'Sciil  i',\(|  ;■  I  ((Il  \\'(Mid  i'CMi.  Ll  »\\  (I  (|(  i\\  II, 
(losr  lo  llic  iii'.liiii;^  sin  am  wlinii  we  sec  injlily 
llir<uiL;li  llic  !M<  (  II  hiaiK  lies,  its  loai  al\va\s  in  oiii 
cars,  i;  I  ( iw  IIk  W'alkiii",  l.cal  aii'l  lli<'  Maidciilia  ir. 
Tlic  lilllc  r'il\|M»(|\-  (liiiil)',  i»\(i  llic  I  ( M  1^  ,  ,iiid 
I »('!  (  lies  (  ( till  (III  (■(  1 1  \'  (Mi  1 1 


(    '.I  )i  (  Ml  ll  ii:-    \  < )( >\\  ( »l   1 1  (■<• 


w 


1 1  i  I  ( '  .1  lew  1 1  a ;  m'  I  ( •  |  •  I  a  1 1 1  .  • » I   llic  S I  ( •  1 1  d  i  ■  i  (  '  h  1 1  li  la  k 


.1 


III 


soiiicl  Iiiiil;  <h  a  laiilv  m  IIksc  |»air>,  aic  laM(  iicd  lo 
I  lie  im  »sss'  IcdiM's. 

Tlic  <»lli(i  |tiil)li'dicd  IK  »i  I  Ik'i  II  '.lalioii  ol  the 
I  I. Ill's  ToiiLMic  is  al.  .laiiicsN'i  lie,  M  tine  lillccii  miles 
liiiiii  (  liil  l('iiaii:;i  I  i'alls,  iicai  a  small  ,li(cl  nl  \\al''r 
known  (  (  Miiim  )iil  \'  as  (iircii  j'oiid,  (  li  lislciic' I  liulan- 
ically  S('(  )li)|)(aid  I  iu  III  Lake.  Ilcic  also  il  lmows 
ainoiiL;  lli<"  laliis  at  llw  lool  ot  limcsloii''  cliffs.  I  lie 
planl  s  which  I  loiiiidiii  this  lo(  alii  y  were  |cs^  lux  u- 
rianl  lliaii  those  al  ( 'hit  leiiaii:;(»  i'alls.  They  ^^low 
in  niofc  exposed,  less  shaded  spots. 

Scolopcndi  inm  i/ake  has  hecome  soinewdiai  fa- 
mous in  the  woild  of  lein  tiidenls  hy  reason  of 
M?\  lliider wood's  claim  thai  i  il s  imiiK  diafe  vt'  iii- 
ily,  within  a  radius  of  lift'  ods  from  the  walei's 
ed|L;'e   (the    lake  heiiuj^  a    m<  pond),  i^iow    Iwenty- 

scyen  different  kinds  of  fei  i  ,,  while  within  a  ciich; 
whose  diametej-   is   not    o  three  miles   tlcity-four 

species  haye  \nn'i\  found.  I)urini4-  this  one  day  we 
i;"ave  lo  Ihe  ueii;li!)orhood.  we  conid  not  Iiope  lo 
liiul  so  L^real  a  niimher,  llie  result.,  perhaps,  (>{  many 
(lays'  iuveslij^at  ion,  and  were  foi'ced  to  conletil  (air- 
selyes  with  liie  lw(i!l\  oik     >,  f cies  we   did    tind.      In 


¥ 


iiii 


,.,....,.  IIKIll  I    AM>  SlIKII  I    IKoNhSMAI    IIKI    AND  SIMM  AW  ; 

'^  si'dh'AiNi.lA      liN      1  IM  AK      MK      t  >|ll  ( ilN( ,       ||o|i||      |  k  )  I N 


liis  lisl  Mr.  I 'ikIci  wood  in.iiks  (lie  rmplc  ('lill 
r)i.ik('  ;is  lound  l)nl  oik  (\  so  I  |iuI:m'  lie  did  iiol  dis- 
ro\c'i  llii^  sl;ilion  o\\  \\\v  liiii<l<-d  (lills  close  hy 
\\  licfe  il  j^iows  ill  ('\l  I  .i\;ii;;ml  prolusion,  inodiu  iiii; 
Iroiids  not  omI\-  iiuu  li  Ioii:;cr  and  liiu  r  lli;m  I  li;id 
s('(Mi  clsc'w  lu  re,  hiil  siipnioi  lo  lliosc  j)ii(ui("d  in 
I  lu-  illiisl  i.ilcd  l)ooivS. 

I>niiii:;  llic  s.inu"  siinnncr,  on  ;m  ('\|>cdil  ion  lo 
I\Mi\\illc'  I'alls.  which  we  had  planned  loi  the 
express  purpose  ol  lindini;  ihe  l\ue  Spleenwoil  and 
llie  I'lirple  C'lill  liiake,  a  new  slalion  was  diseov- 
e'/ed  lortlu^  Mail's  Tongue.  \\)  Miss  iMunav  l.ed- 
\"anl.  ol  C'a/enos  ia,  l)eloni;slhe  honor  ol  lindini^lhe 
111  st  plants  in  this  loialitv.  \\\-  had  heiai  sueeess- 
liil  in  ihe  oriL;inal  ohjcxi  ol  our  jonrnev,  and  had 
erossed  ihr  stream  in  order  1()  exaniine  liie  oppo 
site  eliils.  J.  and  l,euri.>us  lo  sludv  ihe  wel  wall 
ol  roek  eh^se  lo  ihc  shecM'  white  veil  ol  wahM',  whi(^h 
lell  more  ihan  oiu^  hundred  \cv\,  hnallv  secured 
an  unsubstantial  loolhold  amon<;-  i^iac-c^lul  lulls  ol 
llu^  i;i\  enish,  liU-like  llowcMS.  whic'li  ouLdtt  lo  re 
c^M\e  a  nmre  1  omelv  and  appropriate  title  than 
y^ r^'' f ' /'/!''/ s  ('/<X()/L\'.  I  laviiii;'  satistied  oursc^lves  thai 
llu^  nuvssv  ereviei^s  harbored  n<^  plants  ol  llu^  Slen- 
der (_'!ill  l>rak(\  now  the  immediate^  object  ol  our 
seaic-h,  we  lollowed  the  natural  ])ath  beneath  the 
en  cMhan^iiii;-  rock  and  above  the  sheer  descxMil  lo 
the  ravine,  exaniiniiii^-  (he  clills  as  we  eauliouslv 
piekcnl  (Mir  way.  Miss  l^edvard  had  remained  be- 
low, and  suddenlv  we   heard    her  i^ive  a  Iriumjihanl 

shout,    K)llowed    by    the    jovlul   announeenieni    that 

>54 


i 


1 


:.'' 


i 


(iWOlll-  V 


I  I  P  I  II  I    ANI>  S  I  I  Kll  I    I  |'(  (MiS  MAI    IIKI    ANI'  SIMIl  AC  , 
SrnkAINi.lA      IN      I  IINI  Al'      ni.'      (i|;HiN(,      11(11      h(  1 1  s 


'Ik     Ii.kI    (oiiikI    the     l|;ii('s     lOiii-iic.      'I  lie    stiili 


.>~) 


Oil 


ilinnl 
that 


'  ' 


'^ 


Ixiii;;  |M<vi()iisly  (|iiilc  iiiikiiowii,  this  was  a  most 
inlcKsliiii;  discoxci  y.  (  )ii  cntrriiiw  |l,c  nviix;  we 
had  discussed  its  |K)ssihilit  \ ,  hut  I  had  hiiK  icd  ihat 
aii\'  hope  ol  it  wouM  h(  iiiih  )iiii<  h  d,  as  i  :iiji|>o,((| 
the  ,L;i<)iiiid  had  hccii  I  h<)i()iiidd\'  (  an  va-  srd  l;ythr 
iiiai)\'  liolaiiists  who  had  visited  th(    iicii' hhoj  ))Ood. 

I  he  plants  were  still  yoiiii^,  hiil  hir^^e  and  v';")i 
<tiis,  <j  MOW  iuL;  in  a  |»ailial  ()|)eniii^  anion;',  th(  hass- 
wn'»(h>,  niaphs,  and  heei  hes,  on  a  steep  sloj;c  eov- 
ried  with  lia:onents  ol  linieslone,  some  thirty  or 
iorly  I<'<'1  Iroin  \\\c  hase  of  the  <  lilfs.  VV'e  must 
ha\c  h)nnd  iiom  twenty  to  thirty  plants  within  a 
radins  ol  as  man v  le(  t. 

Unlort  iniale!  \-,  as  it  f;irncd  ont,  the  diseoveiy 
found  its  \va\'  to  !he  c  'iainiis  ol  the  local  jtajxr, 
and  <>]\  tn\r  ictnin  to  the  station,  some  weeks  later 
our  <'aL;ei'  expecfation  ol  seeini^  tin;  yonni^  ph-mls 
in  the  splendor  (>l  mafnrity  was  crushed  hy  lind- 
insj;"  thai  Ihe  spot  had  heen  int hlessly  in vaded  and 
a  numher  oi  Ihe  linest  plants  had  disai)peared.  He- 
lore;  loni;  it.  will  be  necessary  for  hotanists  to  form  a 
secret  societ)-,  with  vows  f>l  silence  as  to  fern  lot  al- 
ities  and  some  sort  of  lynch  law  for  the  punishment 
ol  vandals. 

This  fei^n,  so  rare  with  us,  is  a  common  plant  in 
Rniope,  its  fronds  attainiiiL;-  at  times  a  leni^th  of  two 
or  three  feet.  In  Ireland  and  the  Channel  Islands 
it  is  especially  abundant.  In  Devonshire.  Kn^i^land, 
it  is  described  as  j^rowini;' "  on  the  tops  and  at  the 
sides  of  walls  ;  hanj^in^"  from  old  ruins    .     .    .    drop- 

'S5 


M 


Jl 


GKOUP  V 


,       FERTILE  AND  STERILE  FRONDS  LEAF-LIKE  AND  SIMILAR  ; 
SI>ORANC;iA      IN      LINEAR      OR      OBLONG      FRUIT  -  DOTS 


pin<^  down  its  long,  green  iroiids  into  the  cool 
and  liini)id  water  of  roadside  wells  hewn  out  of  the 
rock  ;  often  exposed  to  the  full  blaze  of  the  sun, 
but  always  in  such  cases  dwindled  down  to  a  tiny 
size  "  ("  The  Fein  Paradise"). 

The  Hart's  Tongue  has  been  known  as  the  Cater- 
pillar Fern  and  the  Seaweed  Fern. 


I 


36.  VIRGINIA  CHAIN    FERN 

IVoodwiVi/id   1  'irgiiiitd 

Swampy  places,  often  in  dcc-p  water,  from  Maine  to  Florida.     Two 
to  more  than  three  feet  hi;^h. 

Fronds. — Once-pinnate ;  piiuice  pinnatifid,  witli  oblong  seg- 
ments ;  fruit-dots  oblong,  in  chain-like  rows  along  the  midrib 
both  of  the  pinnx^  and  of  the  lobes,  contluent  when  ripe  ;  indnsiitm 
fixed  by  its  outer  margin,  opening  on  the  side  next  the  midrib. 


Emeruinij  fi-om  the  shade  and  silence  of  a  little 
wood  ui)on  the  rolling  downs  where  one  has 
glimpses  of  the  blue  bay,  our  attention  is  attracted 
by  a  tall  fern  beside  the  path,  growing  among  a 
tangle  of  shrtibs  and  vines.  It  does  not  grow  in 
symmetrical  crowns  or  tufts  like  an  Os))iunda,  but 
its  fronds  are  almost  as  handsome,  the  divisions 
being  wider  apart  and  more  scattered.  Turning 
over  two  or  three  of  the  rather  glossy  fronds,  we 
find  a  rusty-backed,  fertile  frond,  covered  on  one 
side  with  the  regular  chain-like  rows  of  fruit-dots 
which    make   its    name   of    Chain    Fern   seem   very 

appropriate  and  descriptive. 

i;6 


i:.AR  ; 

DOTS 

:  cool 
of  the 
iC  sun, 
a  tiny 

Cater- 


PLATE    XXIV 


la.     Two 

Dng  scg- 
le  mitlrib 
indiisium 
drib. 

a  little 
nc    has 
Iractcd 
mong  a 
rrow  in 
nda,  but 
i  visions 
\irning 
n.ls,  we 
on  one 
uit-dots 
\\\   very 


UPPER  PART  OF  FROND  OF  VIRGINIA  CHAIN   FERN 
a  Portion  of  fertile  pinna  d  Tip  of   fertile  pinna 


fi 


GK(JUl'  V 


II  Kill  I    AINi)  Ml  Kill,  I^KOINhS  ILAI-I.IKIi  ANI»  MA\I1  AK  ; 
bi'()KAN(,lA      IN      I.IMAK      OR      OHI  ONt ;      I  Kl'l  T  -  |)(  tiS 


In  tlic  l(nv,  (laiii|)  j^round  near  the  const  one  may 
expect  to  lind  this  (cni  ;  its  haunts,  where  the  nar- 
row path  winds  between  tall  masses  of  swect-peppcr 
bush  and  wet  meadows  where  pogonia  and  calopo- 
jj^on  delijj^iit  us  in  July,  and  ihe  white-frin_L';e(l  orcliids 
may  be  found  in  hiter  sunmier,  are  amonj^  the  tuost 
beautiful  ol  tlie  nuuiy  beautiful  kinds  of  country 
that  the  fern  and  llowcr  lover  knows,  to  which  liis 
feet  stray  inevitably  in  the  season  of  j^-reen  thing's, 
and  which  are  the  solace  of  his  "inward  eye"  when 
that  season  is  [)ast. 


158 


GROUP  VI 


FbUriLl:  AND  SU'RILFi   FRONDS   IJ;AF-LIKE   AND  USUALLY 
SIMILAR,   l-RUlT-DOrS   ROUND 


37.  NEW    YORK    FERN 

AspidiuHi  Xoveboraci'usc  [Dryopti-ris  AW'e/>oy(i,ri!.u's) 

Newfoundland  to  South  Carolina,  in  woods  and  open  mead- 
ows. One  to  more  than  two  feet  high,  with  stalks  shorter  than  the 
fronds. 

Fro/i(/s.  —  Lancc-?<ha\.2(.],  tapering  both  ways  from  the  middle 
pinnate  ;  //-'/;/c;' lanee-shaped,  the  lowest  pairs  shorter  and  dellexed, 
divided  into  Hat,  oblong  lobes  which  are  not  rellexed  over  the  fruit- 
dots  \  fruit-dots  round,  distinct,  near  the  margin  ;  indusiuni  minute. 


At  times  the  palc-p^rccn  fronds  of  the  New  York 
Fern  throng  to  the  roadside,  which  is  llaiikcd  hv  a 
tani^led  thicket  of  Osniundas,  wild  roses,  and  elder 
bushes. 

Again,  they  stay  quietly  at  home  in  the  open  marsh 
or  in  the  shadow  of  the  hemlocks  and  cedars,  wliere 

I5V 


IMAGE  EVALUATION 
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Photographic 

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33  WEST  MAIN  STREET 

WEBSTER,  NY    )4SB0 

(716)  873-4503 


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GKOUI'  VI 


FF.PTIU      AND     SIFKIM      IRONhS     IFAI-LIKE 
AM>   ISIAI.l.t    SIMILAR  i     I  Kll  I -IK  » IS    KOIIINl) 


they  have  fraij^rant  pyrola  and  jjipsisscwa  for  cotn- 
pany,  aiul  where  the  loiii;,  niehmcholy  note  of  the 
pee  wee  breaks  the  silenee. 

This  plant  is  easily  (Hstiiiij^uishecl  from  the  Marsh 
Fern  b}-  the  notieeable  tai)ering  at  both  ends  of  its 
frond,  and  by  tiic  flat  instead  of  rellexed  inari^ins  to 
the  kjbes  oi  the  fertile  piniue. 

38.  MARSH    FERN 

Aspidium    TlulypUyii,  {Dnvptiris    Tlu-lyplois) 

New  ]>ruiis\vi(k  to  Florida,  in  wet  woods  atid  s\\am|is.     One  to 

nearly  three  feet  hi.^h. 

Fronds.  —  I.ance-shaped,  sli;^litly  downy,  once-pinnate,  fertile 
fronds  longer-stalked  than  the  sterile  ;  //////«■,  the  lower  ones  hardly 
smaller  than  the  others,  cut  into  obloni;.  entire  lobes,  which  arc  ob- 
tuse in  the  sterile  fronds,  but  appear  acute  in  the  fertile  ones  from 
the  strongly  revolute  margins  ;  veins  once  or  twice  forked  ;  fniit- 
dots  small,  round,  lialf-way  between  midvein  and  margin,  or  nearer 
margin,  soon  e<Hitluent ;  i/uhtsiuiii  small. 

In  our  wet  woods  and  open  swainps,  and  occasion- 
ally in  drv  pastures,  the  erect,  Iresh-i^reen  fronds  of 
the  Marsh  Fern  i^row  abundantly.  The  lowest  pin- 
nrc  are  set  so  hii^li  on  the  loni^  slender  stem  as  to 
jj^ive  the  fern  the  apjiearance  of  tryiui;-  to  keep  dry, 
daintily  holdiui^  its  skirts  out  of  the  mud  as  it  were. 

The  plant's  ran^-c  is  wide.  As  1  pick  mv  way 
throui-h  marsh V  inland  woods,  usinir  as  bridires  the 
fallen  trimks  and  interlaciui;-  roots  of  trees,  its  briq-ht 
fronds  standino-  nearly  three  feet  hii^h,  crowd  about 
me.  Close  by,  securinj^:,  like  mvself,  a  firmer  foot- 
hold by  the  aid  of  the  trees'  roots,  I  notice  the  Hat, 

160 


I 


ir  coin- 
of  the 

Marsh 

s  ()(  its 
iriiis  to 


One  to 


Le,  fertile 
les  hardly 
h  arc  ol)- 
)nes  froin 
d  ;  fruit- 
ox  nearer 


:casion- 
onds  of 
est  pin- 
111  as  to 
}ep  dry, 
it  were, 
ny  way 
i2:es  the 
s  briirht 
d  about 
cr  foot- 
the  flat, 


PLATE    XX/ 


^X, 


^/M0^f'^ 


:^^^^^*lii^  &v,vVl<^^S?' - 


>!5S:^s? 


:^- 


a  Portion   of  fertile   pmna 


NEW  YORK   FERN 


l6i 


■p   of  pinna   ifi.Twmg  vc-i 


GROUP  VI 


FERTILE     AND     SITKILt     KRONDS     LEAF-LIKE 
AND   USL'ALLY    SIMILAR;     FRUIT-DOTS    ROUND 


■1: 


ttcs   and    the 

ttlcsnakc 

orcliicl.     Ill    tlic    open    swamps    beyond    the 

fern's    companion    is   another 

orcliid,     the     hidies'     tresses, 

with  braided  strikes  of  white, 

case    deliciously 

'crs. 

larslies  near  tlie 
lis  i)hint  associat- 
ing^ itself  with 
the    violet- 
scented     ad- 
der's   moutli, 
with  glis- 
t  e  n  i  n  g 
sundew, 
and  with 
gaudy 
T  u  rk's- 
cap  lilies. 
Fro  m 
the  New 


York  Fern 
it  may  be 
distinguish- 
ed easily  by 
the  some- 
what abrupt 


i 


Marsh    Fetn 


1O2 


F-1.1KE 
KOUISI) 

;s  and  the 
rutllcsnukc 
)cyoncl    the 

is  another 
cs'  tresses, 
2S  of  white, 

deliciously 

es  near  the 
;int  associat- 
liT  itself  with 
lie    violet- 
cented     ad- 
Icr's    mouth, 
with  glis- 
t  e  n  i  n  ^ 
sundew, 
and  with 
gaud  y 
Turk's- 
ca[)  lilies. 
Fro  m 
the  New 


York  Fern 
it  m  a  y  be 
distinguish- 
ed easily  by 
the  some- 
what abrupt 


TLA  IF.  XXVI 


•-C^ 


^H^^ 


Cm*: 


rrJ' 


yS^■yly^■^■  / 


^id^iVid 


MARSH  FERN 

Fertile  frond  Sterile  frond 

163 


GROUP  VI 


IFRTILE     AND    STERILE     FRONDS     LEAF-LIKE 
AND   USUALLY    SIMILAR;   FRUIT-DOTS  ROUND 


instead  of  tapering  base  of  the  frond,  by  the  strongly 
revolute  margins  of  tlie  fertile  frond,  and  by  its 
long  stalk. 

From  the  Massachusetts  Fern  it  may  be  distin- 
guished by  its  simple  veins,  the  less  revolute  mar- 
ins  of  the  fertile  frond,  and   by  its  thicker  texture 
md  deeper  green. 


<r 


ilR' 


I'll  I- 

hi 


39.  MASSACHUSETTS   FERN 

Dryoptcris   sini ulatum 

New  Ilanipshire  to  the  Indian  Territory,  in  wooded  swamps.    One 
to  more  than  three  feet  high. 

I'^onds. — 01)!ong-lanee-shaped,  little  or  not  at  all  narrowed  at 
the  base,  rather  thin,  pinnate  ;  pinncc  lance-shaped,  cut  into  oblong, 
obtuse  segments,  which  are  slightly  reP.exed  in  the  fertile  fronds, 
veins  not  foiled  ;  fruit-dots  rather  large,  somewhat  distant ;  indu- 
siuni  "  withering-persistent." 

This  species  closely  resembles  the  Marsh  Fern. 
The  less  revolute  margins  of  the  fertile  frond,  the 
simple  veins,  its  thinner  texture,  and  its  more  distant 
fruit-dots  aid  in  its  identification.  It  is  found  in 
woodland  swamps  from  New  Hampshire  to  the 
Indian  Territory. 


164 


s 


.trongly 
by   its 

e  disun- 
ite mar- 
textuic 


PLATE    XXVII 


amps. 


One 


larrowed  at 
into  oblong. 
2rtile  fronds, 
Btant ;  indt'- 


rsh  Fern, 
frond,  the 
>re  distant 
found  in 
re   to   the 


SPINULOSE  WOOD  FERN 

Aspiil  iiii^   Spinulosum,   var.   intermed'uiTi 
.(   Pij't,on   of  fortile   pinnule 

i('5 


'! 


II 


)fir^ 


(iKon-  \i 


II  Kllll      ANIi    sij  Kll  I      IKnNKS     ||  Al    I  Ikl 
AlSn  I'M  AIM     MMIIAK.    IKIII    iXHS    K(t|[Nh 


40.  SPINULOSE   WOOD   FERN 

Anpi'iium    spi»ulosutti    {Pt  yifto  is    i/i/«/^/,'i.;) 

Ncwfoniitll.iiul  In  Kcniiiikv.  Tlic  cominoii  I'linipcan  iV|'C,  i.nr 
in  NcHlh  Ainciii'.i.  ()iu'lo  two  .iiid  .1  hall  led  lii.i;li.  uilli  si. ilk'. 
li.iviny;  ,1  It  \v  iMli-lirowii  ili'i-iduoiis  scales. 

/•■;.'//,/.».   -I.ainc-dvalc,  l\vic<"-pimiatc  ;  />/;/;/</•  ()l)li(|iic  lo  the  ra- 
( Ins.  (>lt>nv;alt'(I-triaiiv;nl.ir,  tlu"  lower  ones  broadly  lii.iii.v;iilar  ;    fun 
nulis  oblniuc  to  ihc  nndiil).  eonneeted  by  a  narrow  wini;,  cut    inio 
thorny-tooilu'<l  scv^mcnts;    ftuit-iiots  round;    iiuiusiuin  smooth, 
without  inai\v;inal  v;lands.  soon  witherini;. 

To  niv  knowledge  I  liavf  only  scimi  lliis  Icru  in  I  he 
Ikm  i)ai"iuin.  it  1>imii_i;  rare  in  Ihi.s  count  ly.  It  is  lonnd, 
I  iiavr  DcHMi  fold,  cliicllv  toward  the  tops  ol  nioim- 
tains.     Its  piiuuu  arc  noticeably  asccndino;. 

Wir.  lutfyou'diiini  {/).  spivulosa  iiiti-rt»c/iii) 

I,.'il)r;i(U>r  to  North  C'.irolin.i,  in  woods  .'ilniost  evervwhcre. 
I'stKillv  lari;c,  with  somewhat  chalfy  stalks,  haviiij;-  brown,  daik- 
ccntri'd  scali'S. 

/•'/('fii/s. — Oblonti-ov.ite,  2-3  pinnate  ;  //;///r/' vihlon,'L;danee-sliai)ed, 
siMc.idinvi,  rather  distant.  i!ie  lowest  nneciually  trianv;ular,  the  pin- 
nules on  the  lowm-  side  loniL;<M"  than  those  on  the  upper  side;  /'///- 
f!u/<:\'  (n'ate-obloni;,  spreading,  with  obloni^'  lobes  thorny-toothed 
;it  the  ;\pex  ;  fruit-tiots  rouml ;  inJKsiuiii  delicate,  bi'si't  with  tiny 
stalked  glands. 

This  is  tlic  form  of  tlic  species  that,  abonnds  in 
onr  woods.  IV^Iiaps  no  one  j)lant  does  more  for 
tlieir  beauty  tlian  this  stately  fern,  whose  rich-i;reen, 
out ward-curviner  fronds  sj^riner  in  circles  from  fall- 
en trees  and  dccayini;^  slumps  as  well  as  from  the 
aground. 

The  }>lant  varies  greatly  in  heii^ht,  breadth,  and 

166 


I 


I  IKI 
(UNI* 


f\ 


an  lyi'C,  i.iri- 
I,  with  stalls'' 

ilf  to  the  ra- 
ij^iilar  ;    /'/-'/ 
viiij;.  tilt   mio 
iuiii   siiKMith. 


Icni  ill  llic 
t  is  loiiiid, 
>;  ol    tuoim- 

ir 

cvcrywlicic. 
bfowii,  (laik- 

-laiicc-sliai)ril, 
j;ular,  the  pin- 
jUT  side  ;  pin- 
honiy-tootlud 
H'scl  with  tiny 

iboiiiKiS  in 
s  more  for 
rich-^rccn, 
s  from  fall- 
:is  from  the 

ircatlth,  and 


r^ 


<^; 


Cl  A'C    XXVIII 


r-v\',,/»' 


<  "y 
7 


r,> 


'Si;. 


,1  ''..■^'^ 


•^n  fi<V,\ 


».iV\i 


BOOTT'S  SHIELD  FERN 

(I    fip  of  fertile   pinna 

167 


I  ! 
i  j 

I 


'(J 


f III i    ! 


CIHOIJI'  VI 


MKIILL     AM)    brtKILt     FRONDS     If.AF-LIKF. 
AM»    I'Sl'ALLY    bIMIlAK;     FKIJ|T-U()TS   K(JL'NU 


way  <il  li(»l(liii<^  itself.  wSoiiutiiiics  the  fronds  stand 
three  leet  lii«;h,aml  are  broad  and  spreach'nj^.  Aii^ain, 
they  are  tall,  slender,  and  soniewhat  erect.  A^ain, 
thev  are  not  inoie  than  a  foot  high. 

At  its  hesl  it  ,<;ro\vs  with  almost  tropical  luxuri- 
aiiee  and  is  a  plant  of  aie  bcanly,  its  fronds  hav- 
\nir  a  certain  featheriness  of  aspect  uncommon  in 
the  Aspidinins. 

J',!).  (///,ifii/N>/i  (/).   s/'inulosa  (iiliitata) 

Newfoundland  to  North  Carolina,  cliictly  in  the  mountains. 

Fronds. — I'sually  larj^c,  broader  at  base  than  in  cither  of  the  pre- 
ceding; speeies,  ovate  or  trianifiilar-ovate,  ofienest  thrice-pinnate  ; 
//'///////'.v  lanee-obloni;-,  the  lowest  often  much  elongated;  fruit- 
dots  round  ;  indusiitin  smooth. 

This  form  of  the  Spinulose  Wood  Fern  is  distin- 
ji^iiished  chieily  by  its  broader  fronds  and  by  the 
smooth  indusia.  As  these  indnsia  can  be  seen  satis- 
lactorily  only  by  the  aid  of  a  magnifying-glass,  there 
is  frequently  some  difficulty  in  distinguishing  this 
variety.  Occasionally  it  occtirs  in  a  dwarf  state, 
huiting  when  only  a  lew  inches  high. 

41.  BOOTT'S   SHIELD   FERN 

Aipidiitni   Boottii  {Dryoptcris  Boottii) 

Nova  Scotia  to  Maryland,  about  ponds  and  in  wet  places. 
<  )ncand  a  half  to  more  than  three  feet  high,  with  somewhat  chaffy 
stalks  which  have  pale-brown  scales. 

Fronds. — Long  lance-shaped,  somewhat  narrowed  at  base,  nearly 
or  quite  twice-pinnate ;  piniue,  the  lowest  triangular-ovate,  upper 
longer  and  narrower ;  pi)inulcs  oblong-ovate,  sharply  thorny- 
toothed,  somewhat  pinnatifid  hc\o\\  \  fruit-dots  round;  i?idusiuin 

slightly  glandular. 

K)S 


I.IKF. 
JUNU 

luls  stand 
:.  Aj;ain. 
.     A};aiii, 

al  luxuri- 
jiuls  liav- 
)inm()n  in 


juntains. 

er  of  the  prc- 
rice-piniuite  ; 
ited;    fnti/- 


,  is  distin- 

nd  by  the 

seen  satis- 

lass,  there 

shing  this 

arf   state, 


wet  places, 
lewhat  chaffy 

t  base,  nearly 
-ovate,  upper 
irply  thorny- 
d  ;  inifitsiinn 


PLATt     XXlX 


7  m 


^\ 


CRESTED  SHIELD  FERN 

a  A  pinna  /'  Portion  of  fertile  pinna 

lb9 


GROIIP  VI 


i       i 


I 


FFKTiir    AND    STPRII F     TRoNDS     IfAF-LIKC 
AM)   IMAIl.V  MAMIAKi    hKII  I  >-l>(  >  I  N    KnliM) 


Boon's  Shield  l-'ciii  is  loiind  in  moist  woods  and 
near  ponds.  It  is  dislinnnislicd  by  its  lon<^,  narrow 
Injnds  and  ininiilt-ly  s^lamlular  indusinin. 

42.  CRESTED   SHIELD   FERN 

.\^/<iJiuni  t>i  stilt  inn  (liryo/'tiris  iii\t,ita) 

Ni'wfnimdl.iiid  Id  Kiiiiiiiky,  in  swamps.  Our  to  luori-  than 
iliiff  (I'ct  lii.i;li.  with  stalks  whit  li  aft*  chalTy.  csptfially  htlow. 
and  wiiich  liavc   hv^lil-hiowii   scales,  stalks  of  sterile  fronds  inncli 

sliortt  r  that)  ilvi^^e  of   fcilile  fronds. 

/•V,';/,/v.  I.ine.n'-oblonj.;  or  lancc-sh.i|).  d,  iKariy  lwiee-pinn:itc, 
fertile  onest.ilK'r  and  lon'^er  st.alked  tli.in  the  sterile;  pimiir  (of  the 
ferlili-  frond,  tnrnini;  their  f.iees  lou.inl  the  api\  of  the  frond) 
r.ithiT  shoi't.  Linee-shaped  or  trianj^iil.ir-oblonv;.  di'i-ply  inij^resscd 
Willi  Veins,  eiil  (Keply  inio  ohloiii;.  obtuse,  finely  toothed  dixisions  ; 
I'l  i(il-,lots  larv;c,  romul,  lialf-w.iy  betwicii  iiiidvt  in  ;ind  ni;irv;in  ; 
iiiiliisiidit  l,ir.;e,  ll.it. 

hi  wcl  woods,  <;"ro\v inn;*  citiicr  from  the  <^i-{)und  or 
I  torn  the  tiuidvs  of  fallen  trees,  and  also  in  o[)en 
nieadous,  we  notice  the  tall,  slender,  (hirk-<^rcen, 
somewhat  lustrons  fronds  ol  the  Crested  Shield 
l"'ern,  nsiially  distins^niished  easily  from  its  kinsmen 
by  the  noticeably  upward-tnrnini^  pimia^  of  the  fer- 
tile fronds,  and  by  the  deep  impression  made  by  the 
yeins  on  their  upper  surfaces. 

The  sterile  fronds  arc  much  shoiter  than  the  fer- 
tile ones.  They  arc  eyeri^rcen,  lastini;'  throuj^h  the 
winter  after  the  fertile  fronds  have  perished. 

Near  the  Crested  Shield  Fern  we  find  often  many 
of  its  kinsmen,  broad,  feathery  fronds  of  the  Spinn- 
lose  Wood  Fern,  more  slender  ones  of  Boott's  Shield 


170 


xxx 


'<^; !  iotva 


^/^^i^^ 


vc^ 


Part  of  CLINTON'S  WOOD  FERrj 

a    Port  On    ■  f    f-.Tt  le    p  r,na 


V-> 


GROUI'  VI 


FERTILF.     AND    STFRIIF.     FRONDS    I.EAF-LIKE 
AND   USUAII-Y    SIMILAR;    FRl'ir-DOIS    ROUND 


Fern,  great  tufts  made  by  tlic  magnificent  bright- 
green  fronds  of  Goldie's  Fern,  symmetrical  circles 
of  vigorous  Evergreen  Wood  Fern,  and  shining  clus- 
ters of  the  Christmas  Fern.  All  these  plants,  belong- 
ing to  the  one  tribe,  seek  tiie  same  moist,  shaded 
retreats,  and  form  a  group  of  singular  beauty  ..nd 


vigor. 


v 


43.  CLINTONS   WOOD   FERN 

A  sj^  it! ill  III   cristatum,  var.    Cliiiton'uiniini    (Dryo/iltris   cristata    Cliiito- 

tiiiiiiii) 

Maine  to  New  Jersey  and  Pennsylvania,  in  swampy  woods.     Two 

and  a  half  to  four  feet  high. 

Fronds. — Larger  in  every  way  than  those  of  the  Crested  Sliield 
Fern,  nearly  twice-pinnate  ;  piiniiP  broadest  at  base,  cut  into  from 
eight  to  sixteen  pairs  of  linear-oblong,  obtuse,  obscurely  toothed  di- 
visions ;  fruit-dots  large,  round,  near  the  midvein ;  indusiitm  or- 
bicular, smooth. 

This  is  a  much  larger  and  more  showy  plant  than 
the  Crested  Shield  Fern.  Its  tall,  broad,  hardy- 
looking  fronds  arc  found  in  our  moist  woods.  While 
not  rare  it  is  exclusive  in  its  habits,  and  cannot  be 
classed  with  such  ever3'^-day  iinds  as  its  kinsmen, 
the  Marsh,  Spinulose,  Evergreen,  and  Christmas 
Ferns. 


172 


LIKE 

)11NI> 


t  bri<;ht- 
al  circles 
ningclus- 
s,  bclont^- 
t,  shaded 
3auty  .»nd 


PLATF.     XXXI 


istata    Cliiito 


oods.     Two 


rested  Shield 

put  into  from 

y  toothed  di- 

ndusium  or- 


plant  than 
d,  hardy- 
s.  While 
cann(3t  be 
kinsmen, 
Christmas 


Part  of  fertile  frond  of  Goldie's  Fern 
,j  Portion  of  a  fertile  prir.a 


"7t- 


f 


i«f>»  «iini.ii«.H>M 


;!!i 


'I': 


(iKOl'l'    \l 


II  |.nM      MNI>     ^n  I'll  I      ll'niNl.'.     MM    I  IK  I 

AiNi>i"Ni'Mn  siMiiM''.  urn  hMr<  i-oinm 


-<4.  c;()i.mi'.s  iiiHN 

,1 '/"niin"!  (,',\',ii,>iiit"/   ( /'' i.'/A  ; />    (<•'/, iir.iihi) 

New    llninswitlv  l"   \.>iih«  .1     liii.i.md   I  i  iim '-mc,  id  mli  wnod.. 
I  w  o  (11  moic  ih.in  I  "in   li  rl  liiv;li,  w  illi  '.l.ilk.  w  Im  li  .iic  <  Ii.ill  v  m  .11 
llii    h.isr, 

/•"',"/,/»  HiiMtllv  ov.llr.  ihc  (Ml  Iv  '-((I  lie  ours  inili  li  IiCoadrr  ill 
piopoi  tii'M  .niil  '.lu.illi  r,  uMi.illy  .'»  I"«'l  "'  inci  1  u  iilr,  nm  (-  pmn.ilr  , 
/^/'/'/,/  jMunaliliil  .  ,'■'  ,\),ii  \f  in  f^h-  nihfifi'.  (I  lir  ilr.|in<  I  h  in  li  1  mi  (  In; 
Ion's  Wood  I'l'inK  lilt-  duiMoii'..  .il'oiii  iwcniv  p. 111.,  (iMnni;  Iiikmi, 
sli\;lillv  loothi'd  ,  /'//;/-</.'/>  \v\\  lUMl  llu  niid\i  in  ;  ithlnsitdn  \k\\ 
l.u  v;!'.  01  Imi  111. 11 . 


In  \\\c  o»>I(l<Mi  (wiliohl  ol  (he  (Iccpci  w  ( xxis  ( liis 
sl.»l('l\  i>l.inl  imtmis  ils  (all.  hioad,  hi  i;.' hi  -  okmmi 
litHuis.  stihidrtl  on  lluMi  l).i(ks  wilh  tlic  loimd  Iriiil- 
*i«>ls  wliirli  arc  so  iuilii(Ml)h"  in  (his  , /.v/v,////;;/.  ad 
dino  niiu!i  1*)  ihcij  all  rarl  i\  cncss  hv  llic  sn^ot-sijon 
o\  l(Mlih(v. 

rhis  jWanl  ranks  wilh  iho  ( )sinnn(his  and  wilh  \\\v 
Oslriih  h'cMiiin  si/i^  and  vi^orons  I)(mii1  v.  lis  rclii- 
ino  hahils  oivc  ii  a  n-pnlalion  h»r  raril)  or  al  IcasI 
Ktr  oxchisivcncss. 


174 


J 


Kl 

INIi 


(  ll   \\  immI'.. 
ll.lllV    in  -H 


tio.nlcl     111 

('  piini.il'  , 

limn  i  In:  • 

Hu;  liiuMi, 

/\innt  V(  I  V 


)( »(Is  1  his 
1  -  L;r('<Mi 
lul  hiiil- 

L;i;cslinii 

willi  \\\v 
lis  iclir- 
r  at  least 


i 


riATE    ///n 


,  lit     ) 


^^'/''"^>v 


uiA/.-'w^ 


'^^iW^  a 


ll  Tip  of  fertile  pinna 


EVERGREEN  WOOD  TERN 

/'  M'ltjr.itiGfi  *"jit  (lot,   -jt-o/zing  indusi'jm  and  '.po'angi 

175 


T 


ntiji;- 


GROUP  VI 


hRRTILE    AND    STERILE     FRONDS     LEAF-LIKE 
AND  USUALLY  Sl.MILAR  ;   FRUIT-DOTS  ROUND 


45.  EVERGREEN  WOOD  FERN.     MARGINAL  SHIELD 

FERN 

Aspidinm    niar^^inalc  {Dryoptcris  margin  a  I  is) 

Canada  to  Alabama,  in  rocky  woods.     A  few  inches  to  three  feet 
high,  with  more  or  less  chaffy  staiics  having  shining  scales. 

Frauds. — Ovate-oblong,  smooth,  tliick,  somewhat  leathery,  once 
or  twice-pinnate  ;  pinmc  lance-shaped  or  triangular-ovate,  tapering 
at  the  end,  cut  into  pinnules  ;  pinnules  oblong,  entire,  or  toothed  ; 
fruit-dots  large,  round,  close  to  the  margin  ;  indiLsiuni  large,  con- 
vex, persistent. 

Above  the  black  leaf-mould  in  our  rocky  northern 
woods  rise  the  firm,  i^racefid  crowns  formed  bv  the 
blue-g-reen  fionds  of  the  Ever<^reen  Wood  Fern. 
The  plant  bears  a  family  likeness  to  the  Crested 
Shield  Fern,  but  its  conspicuously  marginal  fruit- 
dots  identify  it  at  siglit. 

It  is  interesting  to  read  that  it  comes  "  nearer 
being  a  tree-fern  than  any  other  of  our  species,  the 
caudex  covered  by  the  bases  of  fronds  of  previous 
seasons,  sometimes  resting  on  bare  rocks  for  four 
or  five  inches  without  roots  or  fronds  "  (see  Eaton, 
p.  70).  This  peculiarity  in  the  plant's  growth  is 
often  striking  and  certainly  suggests  the  tree-ferns 
of  the  green-house. 

Frequently  in  this  species  I  notice  what  is  more 
or  less  common  to  nearly  all  ferns,  the  exquisite 
contrast  in  the  different  shades  of  green  worn  by 
the  younger  and  older  fronds  and  the  charming 
effect  produced  when  the  deep  green  of  the  centre 
of  a  frond  shades  away  in  the  most  delicate  manner 
toward  its  apex  and  the  tips  of  its  pinnules. 

As  its  English  title  signifies,  the  Evergreen  Wood 

176 


;i 


", 


GROUP  VI 


riKiii.r.   AM>  sriRiir.  froM'S  iiai-iiki. 

AND  USUALLY  SIMIl.AK;    1  Kl  1  I    IK  )  I  S  KDIM) 


HIELD 


Lhree  feet 
:ales. 

lery,  once 

,  tapering 

toothed  ; 

irj^e,  con- 

orthcrn 
1  bv  the 
d  Fern. 
Crested 
al  fruit- 

"  nearer 

cies,  the 

:3revious 

for  four 

Eaton, 

owth  is 

ee-ferns 

is  more 
exquisite 
kvorn  by 
harming 
|e  centre 
manner 

;ii  Wood 


Fern  flourishes  throughout  tlie  winter.     In  one  ol 
the  October  entries  in  his  journal,  Th(jreau  records 
his  satisfaction  in  the  enchirance  of  the  hardy  Icrns: 
"  Now  they  are  conspicuous  amid  the  witliered 
leaves.     You  are  inchned  to  approacli  and  raise  each 
frond  in  succession,  moist,  trembhng,  fragile  green- 
ness.   They  linger  thus  in  all  moist,  clannny  swamps 
under    the   bare   maples  and   grapevines  and  witch 
hazels,  and  about  each  trickling  spring  that  is  halt 
choked  with   fallen  leaves.     What  means  this  per- 
sistent vitality  ?     Why  were  these  spaied  when  the 
brakes  and  osmundas  were  stricken  down  ?     They 
stay  as  if  to  keep  up  the  si)irits  of  l!ie  cold-blooded 
frogs  which   have  not  yet  gone  into  the  mud,  that 
the  summer  may  die  with  decent  and  graceful  mod- 
eration.     Is   not  the  water  of   the  s[)riiig  improved 
by  their  presence?     They  fall  back  and  droop  here 
and  there  like  the  plumes  of  de[)arting  sumiuer,  ol 
the  departing  year.     Even   in  thctn  I  leel  an  argu- 
ment for  immortality.     Death  is  so  far  lr(jm  being 
universal.     The   same  destroyer  does    not  destroy 
all.     How  valuable  they  are,  with  the  lycoi)odiinns, 
for  cheerfulness.     Greenness  at  the  end  of  the  yeai-, 
after  the  fall  of  the  leaf,  a  hale  old  age.     T(j  my  eye 
they  arc  tall  and  nol^le  as  palm-groves,  and  always 
some  forest  nobleness  seems  to  have  its  haimt  under 
their  umbrage.    All  that  was  immortal  in  the  swamp 
herbage  seems  here  crowded  into  smallei-  compass, 
the  concentrated  greenness  ol  the  swamp.    I  low  dear 
chey  must  be  to  the  chickadee  and  the  rabbit!  the  cool, 
slowly  retreating  rear-guard  ol  the  swamp  army." 

177 


GKnl!['  V 


FTRTIir     AMt    SIIRIII     I PONHS    IFAF-IIKE 
AM)  Isl  All  V  MA\II.AK  ;    I  Kl  1 1 -DOTS  ROI  ,^D 


46.  FRAGRANT   SHIELD   FERN 

Aspidhiiii  J r, I ^y alls   {Drwpti'ris  J'liigraii.) 

NortluTii  Xi'W  l!nj;laiul  to  Wisconsin  and  nortlnvartl,  on  rocks. 
Five  lo  sixttH'n  inclics  long,  with  very  chaffy  stalks  having 
i)rn\vn,  ,^li)ssy  scales. 

/•'rom/s. — Lance-shaped,  tapering  to  a  point,  nearly  twice-pinnate, 
fragrant;  f^iniiu'  oblong-laiux'olate,  pinnatilid  ;  fntit-dols  round, 
large  ;  indtisiiiin  large  and  thin. 

Tlic  Fragi'ant  wShicld  Fern  thiivcs  in  a  colder 
climate  than  that  chosen  b\'  many  of  its  kinsmen. 
ThotiL^h  [oiiiid  in  the  White  Mountains,  in  the 
Gieen  Mountains  (where  it  climbs  lo  an  elevation 
o(  four  thousand  leet),  in  the  Adirondaeks,  and  in 
other  si)eeial  localities  of  abotit  the  same  latitude, 
yet  it  is  rare  till  we  jouinev  iarther  north.  It  loves 
the  crevices  of  shaded  cliffs  or  mossy  rocks,  often 
thriviuLC  best  in  the  neiij^hborhood  ol  rtishiui^  brooks 
and  waterfalls.  Frequently  it  seems  to  seek  the  most 
inaccessible  spots,  as  if  anxious  to  evade  discovery. 
Mr.  J.  A.  ]5ates,  of  Ran(l()li)h,  Vt.,  writes  that  he  first 
saw  this  little  plant  throtiL:,h  a  telescope  from  the 
piazza  ot  the  Summit  House  on  Moimt  Mansfield  on 
an  appaientU'  inaccessible  ledi^e,  the  only  instance  in 
my  e\'pei"ience  when  the  fern  student  has  sou<;ht  this 
method  ol  observation,  suo-i^estinij^  "  Ferns  Throuij^h 
a  Sj)V-i;lass "  as  a  com])anion  volume  to  "Birds 
Throui;"h  an  ()i)era-i^lass."  But  even  the  most  care- 
fidly  chosen  sj)ots  are  not  safe  from  invasion,  as  Mr. 
Bates  tells  us,  for  some  tmprincipled  persons,  having 
felled  neiijhborino;  trees  and  constructed  a  rude  lad- 


M 


17S 


KF. 


,  oil  rocks. 
Iks    having 


cc-pinnalc, 
io/s  rouiul, 


a    colder 
kinsmen. 
s,    in    tiic 
c'lcviition 
vS,  and  in 
;  latitndc, 
It  loves 
cks,  oltcn 
Hi:;  brooks 
llic  most 
liscovery. 
at  he  iirst 
from  ilic 
nsField  on 
iistancc  in 
onobtthis 
;  Thronjrh 
o    "  Birds 
most  care- 
on,  as  Mr. 
ns,  having 
rude  lad- 


FLATE  x/Xiil 


^^^(^ 


^^«fe^^ 


,oMm> 


FRAGRANT  SHIELD  FERN 

a  Portion  of  fertile  pinna 

179 


^i! 


tiKori'  \i 


IIKIIII      AM>     SIIUIII      IKONDS     MAI    IIKI 
AM>    IM  Al  n    SIMIIAK,    IKIII    l»<)|S    KUHNIt 


(III,    liMVc     siu  I  (idcd     ill     iipi  <M)I  ini;     cvcrv     \Aa\\\ 
Irnin    tlic    l''i  ;»L;raiil     Sliichl     I'liii    (Mill   on     Momil 

MilMSlulil. 

The  !n)M(ls(»l  \\\c  l''r;ii;r.'int  Sliicld  I'rrn  <:fro\v  hi  a 
(•rowii  aiu!  the  liMlili"  oiu's  liiiit  in  <;rc'al  al)iiM(laiuc. 

MaloM  wiiU's  as  lollows  loiicliiiiL;  \\\v  l!ai;!anct;  nf 
tins  IcMii  and  its  use  as  a  hex  «.'ra<;('  : 

"  I'lu-  |)l(asaMl  (lor  ol  this  plant  remains  many 
Ncaisinthc  lu'rhaiinm.  The  early  w  ritei  s  i  nmparc; 
the  lia<;iaiu'e  to  I  hat  ol  raspberries,  and  M  ilde  repeats 
the  ohseivation.  ilookei"  and  (irevilli'  thouj^ht.  it, 
'not  nnlike  that  ol  the  common  |»rimrose.'  Ma\i- 
mowie/  states  that  tlu^odof  is  somet  imes  larkiiiii-. 
Mildi"  (jnotes  Kedowsky  as  sayin*^  that  the  ^'ako()ts 
of  Siberia  nsi*  the  plant  in  |tlaec  of  .ea  ;  and,  havinu^ 
tried  the  experiment  myself,  I  can  testify  to  tiie  not 
unpleasant,  and  very  fragrant  astriiii^ency  of  the 
infusion," 

The  followiui;  (leli<;ht Jul  description  ol  the  Fra- 
grant vShield  l'\Mn  was  written  bv  Mr.  C.  Ci.  I'rin<j^le, 

and  is   taken    from    Meehan's  "  Native  Flowers  and 

t-.  It 

•erns     : 

"  In    the    several    stations   of   AspidiuDi    frn^i^rdiis 

anionic  the  Green  Mountains  which  I  have  cx|)l()red, 

the  plant  is  always  seen  i^rowiniL:^  from  the  crevices 

or  on  the  narrow  shelves  of   drv   cliffs — not  often 

such  cliffs  as  are  exposed  to  the  sunlii^ht,  unless  it 

be  on   the   summits  of  the   mountains,  but  usually 

such  cliffs  as  arc  shaded  by  firs,  and  notably  such 

as  overham;  mountain-rivulets  and  waterfalls.   When 

I  visit  such  places  in  summer,  the  niches  occupied 

iSo 


s 


I 
I) 

plillll 
Mount 

<)\v  \\\  ;» 

aiicc  nl 

IS  iiKinv 
()mi>;n(' 
•  repeals 
)ii^lil,  it 
Maxi- 
lackini:-. 
Vakoots 

1,  haviii.L: 
1)  the  not 
nl    the 


CUCWIV  VI 


iikiiir   ANt)   siipiii    iKHNtis   irAiMKr 

ANIi   llsrAI  I  V  SIMII  Af'  ,    I  CI  I  I    IKil  s    Hnl  Ml 


I))'  the    |»laiit,s  aic   (|iiilc   dry.      •    think   it    woiihl    he 
iatal   to  tlic    |)hiiit    it    iiiiieh   s|May  shoiihl    hill  on   it 


tl 


(iniin<r  tiu;  season  ol  its  ac  tivc  iriowtli. 


W 


hen 


>■ 


on 


enter   the   shade  and   so 


litnd 


e  ol    the   hannts  ol    this 


lern,  its  piesi'iice  is  hetiayec!  hy  its  resinous  odor  ; 
looking;  tip  the  lace  ol  the  ( lill,  nsnally  mottled  with 
lichens  and  moss,  you  see  it  olteii  lai  above  your 
reach  han<j;inji^  aii^ainst.  tlie  rock,  masses  ol  dead 
l)r()\vn  fronds,  the  aetnmnlat  ions  ol  many  >cais,  pie- 
served  by  the  resinous  |»rineiple  which  jtervades 
them;  for  the  fronds,  as  they  disport  re<.^ularly 
about  the  elonjj^at in<;  caudex,  fall  rii^ht  and  lelt  |)re- 
cisely  like  a  woman's  liair.  Above  the  tiilt  oi  droop- 
ing" dead  fronds,  which  radiate  Irom  the  centre  ol 
the  plant,  <j^row  from  six  to  twenty  L;"reen  Ironds, 
which  represent  the  i^rowth  ol  the  season,  those  of 
the  precedinj^  year  dyini;  toward  autumn." 


Ilie  iM-a- 

l'rin«;le, 

wcrs  and 


fyaorniis 
\j)lored, 
crevices 
not  often 
unless  it 
t  usually 
bly  such 
Is.  When 
occupied 


iSi 


(iKtti  r  \  I 


IIKIIM      ANIi     SIIKin      IKONliS     M^IIIKI' 
AM!  I  M   \|  M    sn\ll  AK  .    I  HI  II    KM  IS    KtlllNIi 


.jy.  MKAIIN  :.    HOl  l.Y    IMKN 

»  ,ii\.iil.i  1i>  M.im.'  ilic  niMiinl.Mir.  n|  I'l  nir.\  l\  iiii  i  .iinl  ui  '.Iw.iiil. 
Ill  ilt>  |»  li<iK\  W.'n.l.  I  lui  li>  iimu  ill, III  IWti  l(  (  I  lnn>;.  Willi 
1  l\,ill\    '.lalK'..  Ii.iv  mr   Imhw  ii   m  ,iI<  •.. 


» 


•n 


/ 1 


/'».'»/./».  rin.  L.lwi.  .  |iinn.ili  .  /•/;/;/>(  I, iiu  rnl.iti.  I. i|i.  i  mv;  Imlli 
\\.i\'',    /'I't'thi',  \     tii\(i.(|    Willi    li.iir.    .Mill   M  .ill '..   liiiiii.iii.    IK, Illy 

li  .  l,llh'.ul,U    .11    ill.     I>.r..-  .     /  '  I,!/  ,i,\'\    I.MIIull'.ll,  Mil. ill,  111(1'. ll\     IK  .11    llir 

iiihlviiii'.  .    i';,!;,\i:,  i;  ci  l>h  ul.ii ,  tiiliir. 

rilis  Icin  i^  s.iid  to  h.ivc  liccn  Insl  disiovctrd  hy 
lu«lrMilx  riii'^ii  ill  iSo/  ill  Smiii;i;l('rs  Nnh  li, 
M«)iin(  M.insJK  l<l,  \  t.  In  (lie  (iiccii  Moiiiiliiiiis  iiml 
in  llu'  ('.il'-lvills  .s("\(i.il  sl.ilioiis  li.i\('  liccii  ('s(;ih- 
lislu'ii.  It  li.is  lu'cii  loiiiul  .iKo  ill  IIk"  ,\(liM>ii(l;i(ks 
.iiul  in  ()s\\("LM>  C\)iiiil\.  N.  N  ..  Miitl  il  is  now  ic- 
pv>rl("il  .IS  toinmon  in  llic  nukx  wnods  ol  noilli- 
(III  M.iinc.  .\iul  hv  inounl.iin  brooks  in  iiorllicin 
N\'\v  l''ni;l.iiul. 

Hr.uin"s  1  l»tll\  l"(M  n  is  one  ol  llic  nnnicrons  v;ii  ic- 
tii\s  1^1    \\\c    riiikU   Sliii'lcl    Vcrn  i)v  .1.  iti ///,<!////// (/>. 

riion^h  \c\\  ol  onr  Um  n-sf  nilcnls  w  ill  liavr  ;m  op- 
portnnitN  to  lolKnv  the  i'lii-klx  Shield  Vvvn  tlironi;!! 
all  tlu^  tonns  it  .issunu\s  in  diJlcMi-nl  parts  ol  the 
world,  vet  undouhtedlv  nianv  ol  them  will  have  the 
pleasure  ol  seeiui;-  in  one  ol  its  lonely  and  lovely 
haunts  our  own  varietv.  Hraun's  llollv  I^'ern. 


1S2 


IKI 


innii) 

\\  (  '.I  w  ,11  ll, 
InlU',     Willi 


jii  i  inv,  liiilli 

III  .    Ill  .11  Iv 

ll\  lu  .11  iIh' 


»V(M  til  l>\ 
^  Nnhll. 
ll  ;iiiis  ;iii(l 
(11  <st;il)- 
ii  ( )ii(lii(  ks 
n()\v     I  {*- 

(ll     MOtlh 

iiortluri) 

Dus  varic- 
/,<i ///>//  (/>. 

[\\c  :m  ()|)- 
M  tlni)ii.L;l» 
lis  ol  the 
11  liavc  the 
uul  lovely 

Mil. 


^ 


»•'  A  I  »     ///   / 


/'I 


I  ,      .  • 


»•  ■»., 


•*'iC 


'•     ,','■ ' 


,-//' 


rl. 


X  / 


"/■/'' 


/ 


'.'•ill-   \  ■     I 


•.  <' ;.' 


.4^'. 


''^^;' 


1/ 


0. 


*{j 


v;^wi;-''--wv>//y>/;v;|y:riTri:b;.>^     . 


ll   Portior>    of   pinni 


BRAUIJ'S  HOLLY   FERTJ 
'«3 


I.  :■ 

I 


m 


a> 


GKOLl'  VI 


FLRTII.r    AND    STHRII  F    FRONDS    LEAF-LIKE 
AND  IJbl  ALLY  SIA\II.AR  ;    FRUIT-DOTS  ROUND 


48.  COMMON   POLYPODY.     SNAKE   FERN 

J'i'/y/Hh/, it)>t    -i'tilgare 

Almost  throughout    North   America,  on  rocks,     A  few  inches  to 

more  than  a  foot  high. 


Polypody 


I'^ronds. — iJblong,    smooth,    somewhat 

rathery,  cut  into  narrowly  oblong,  usually 

ul)tusc  divisions  which  almost  reach  the 

rachis  ;  frt;it-iiots  large,  round,  half-way 

)etwcen    the    midrib    and    margin ;    in- 

(iiis/inii,  none. 

vStrangclv    cnoiii^li,  the    Poly- 
pody, one  of  our  most  abundant 
and     ul)i(iiiilous    ferns,     is     not 
ri<4-litly   named,    if  it   is   noticed 
at  all,  by  nine  out  of  ten  people 
who    come    across 
it     in     the    woods 
or  along-  the  road- 
side. Yet  the  plant 
has  a  charm  peculiarly 
its  own,  a   charm    aris- 
ino-  partly  from  its  vig- 
or,  from    the    freshness 
of   its  youth  and 
the  endurance  of 
its  old  age,  partly 
from  ils  odd  out- 
lines, and   partly 
from  its  usual  en- 
vironment, which 
184 


I 


t  i 


-^•^ 


KE 
ND 


GROUP  VI     '"'■''"M.r  AND  STr.RiiE   fronds   leaf-like 

AM>  LSHALLV  SLMILAK  ;    FRUrr-DOTS  ROLND 


^N 


inches  to 


somewhat 

ng,  usually 

reach  the 

1,  half-way 

irgin  ;    in- 


le    Poly- 

ibiindant 

is    not 

noticed 
n  people 
e    across 
5    woods 
he  ioad- 
the  plant 
icculiarly 
irni    aris- 
n  its  vig- 
freshness 
outh  and 
Li ranee  of 
ge,  partly 
i  odd  out- 
id   partly 

usual  en- 
nit,  which 


entitles  it  to    a    more    ready    and    universal  recog- 
nition. 

"The  cheerful   coninumity  of   the  polypody,"  as 
Thoreau  calls  it,  thrives  best  on  tlie  flat  'surfaces  of 
rocks.      I  recall  I  he  base  of  certain  great  cliffs  where 
the  rocky  fragments,  looking  as  though  hurled  from 
above   by  playful  giants,  are  thickly  covered  with 
these  plants,  their  rich  folingc  softening  into  beauty 
otherwise  rugged  outlines       Usually   the   plant    is 
found  in  somewhat  shaded   places. 
Occasionally  it  gi-ovvson  the  trunks 
of  trees  and  on  fallen  logs,  as  well 
3  on  rocks  and  cliffs. 
A    few    weeks   ag(j    I    found    its 
fronds  prettily  curtaining  the  clev- 
erly hidden  nest  of  a  pair  of  black 
and    white    creei)ers.     It    is    with 
good   reason   that  these  birds  are 
noted   for  their  skill  in  concealiu"- 
their  dwelling-place.     This  sj)ecial 
afternoon,  when  persuaded  bv  their 
nervous  chirps  and  fUitterings  about  the  rocky  perch 
where  I  was  sitting  that  the  young  ones  were  close 
by,  I  began  an  investigation  of  my  precipitous  and 
very  slippery  surroundings  which  was  not  rewarded 
for  an  hour  or  more.     Not  till  1  had  climbed  several 
feet  over  the    side    of  the    cliff   to  a    narrow    shelf 
below,  broken  through  a  thicket  of  blueberries,  and 
pushed  aside  the  tufts  of   l^)lvpody  which   hid  the 
entrance  to  the  dark  crevice  in  the  rocks  beyond,  did 

I  discover  the  little  nest   holding  the  baby  creepers. 

1S5 


Tip  of  fprtile  frond 


J  M 


TROIIP  VI        Fl^'^TILE    AND    STERILE    FRONDS    LEAF-LIKE 
AND  USUALLY  SIMILAR;    FRUTI-DUTS  ROUND 

Thorcau    writes  o(   the    Polypody   with    peculiar 
sympathy  : 

"  It  is  very  pleasant  and  cheerful  nowadays,  when 
the  brown  and  withered  leaves  strew  the  ground 
and  almost  every  i)lant  is  fallen  withered,  to  come 
upon  a  patch  of  pcjiypcjdy  .  .  .  on  some  rocky 
hill-side  in  the  woods,  where,  in  the  midst  of  dry 
and  rustliiii^  leaves,  defying  frost,  it  stands  so 
freshly  green  and  full  of  life.  The  mere  greenness, 
which  was  not  remarkable  in  the  summer,  is  posi- 
tively interesting  now.  My  thoughts  are  with  the 
polypody  a  long  time  after  my  body  has  passed. 
.  .  .  Why  is  not  this  form  copied  by  our  sculp- 
tors instead  of  the  foreign  acanthus  leaves  and 
ba3^s  ?  How  fit  for  a  tuft  about  the  base  of  a  col- 
umn !  The  siirht  of  this  unwitherins:  o-recn  leaf  ex- 
cites  me  like  red  at  some  seasons.  Are  not  wood- 
frogs  tlie  philosophers  who  frequent  these  groves? 
Methinks  1  imbibe  a  cool,  composed,  frog-like  phi- 
losophy when  1  behold  them.  The  form  of  the  poly- 
pody is  strangely  interesting,  it  is  even  outlandish. 
Some  forms,  though  common  in  our  midst,  are  thus 
perennially  foreign  as  the  growth  of  other  latitudes. 
.  .  .  The  bare  outline  of  the  polypodv  thrills  me 
strangely.  It  only  perplexes  me.  Simple  as  it  is,  it 
is  as  strange  as  an  oriental  character.  It  is  quite 
independent  of  my  race  and  of  the  Indian,  and  of 
all  mankind.  It  is  a  fabulous,  mythological  form, 
such  as  prevailed  when  the  earth  and  air  and 
water  were  inhabited  by  those  extinct  fossil  creat- 
ures that  we  find.     It  is  contemporary  with  them, 

1 86 


GROUP  VI 


FERTILE    AND    STFRIl  E     FRIENDS    LEAF-I.IKE 
AND  USUALLY  SIMILAR;    Fklll-UUiS  ROUND 


culiar 

when 
roiiiul 
come 
rocky 
){   dry 
ds    so 
niness, 
s  posi- 
itli  the 
passed. 
•  sciilp- 
es   and 
:  a  col- 
eaf  ex- 
wood - 
roves  ? 
vc  phi- 
e  poly- 
andish. 
re  thus 
itudes. 
ills  me 
it  is,  it 
;  quite 
and  of 
I   form, 
xir   and 
I  creat- 
them, 


and    affects    us    somewhat    as  'the   sight   of    them 
might  do." 

49.   LONG   BEECH   FERN 

I'/iei^optt'iis  p(^lypodioidei  (/'.   rhei^optc>i\) 

Newfuundland  to  AUiska,  south  to  mountains  of 
Virginia,  wet  woods  and  hill-sides.  Six  or  eight  inches 
to  more  tiian  a  foot  high. 

J'roiiih. — Tri.angular,    usually    lon-er    ilian    broad 
(4-9  inches  long,  3-6  inches  broad),  downy,  especially 
beneath,  thin,  once-pinnate  ;  piiuia;  lance-shapetl,  the 
lower  pair  noticeably  standing  forward  and  detiexed, 
cut   into   oblong,  obtuse  seg- 
ments \fntil-dols  small,  round, 
near   the   margin  ;    hidiisium, 
none. 


I' 


■^^^v 


Of  the  three  species 
ot  PJicgoptcris  native  to 
the  northeastern  States 
P.  polypodioides,  com- 
monly called  the  Long 
Beech  Fern,  is  the  one 
I  happen  t(j  have  en- 
countered oftenest. 

It  is  a  less  delicate 
plant  than  either  of  its 
sisters,  the  effect  of  the 
larger  and  older  specimens  being 
rather  hardy,  yet  its  downy,  often 
light-green,  triangular  frond  is  ex- 
ceedingly pretty,  with  a  certain  od- 
of  asuect  which   it  owes  to  the 


W^/i?;;^^ 


Kv„*^^ 


dity 


aspe< 


LotiiJ  Beech  Fe 


1S7 


rn 


rRDlIP  VI       FERTILE    AND    STERILE    FRONDS    LEAF-LIKE 
VI        AND  I'SIJALLY  SIMILAR;    FRIIT-DOTS  ROUND 


11 


lowest  pair  of  pinnae,  these  beinj^  conspicuously 
deflexed  and  turned  forward.  This  i)eculiarity 
gives  it  a  decided  individuality  and  renders  it  easy 
of  identification. 

The    Long    Beech   Fern   1   have    found    growing 


"^V~X 


(I  Portion  of  pinna 


/'  Tip  of  pinna 


alternately  in  c()mj)any  with  the  Oak  Fern  and  the 
Broad  Beech  Fern.  It  loves  the  damp  woods, 
clambering  over  the  roots  of  trees  or  carpeting 
thickly  the  hollows  that  lie  between. 

so.  BROAD  BEECH  FERN.  HEXAGON  BEECH  FERN 

Phcgopteris  hexagonoptcra 

Quebec  to  Florida,    in  dry  woods  and  on  hill-sides,    with   stalks 
eight  to  eighteen  inches  long. 

Fronds. — Triangular,  as  broad  or  broader  than  long,  seven  to 
twelve  inches  broad,  thin,  slightly  hairy,  often  finely  glandular  be- 
neath, fragrant,  once-pinnate  ;  pinucc,  the  large,  lowest  ones  broad- 
est near  the  middle  and  cut  nearly  to  the  midrib  into  linear- 
oblong,  obtuse  segments,  the  middle  ones  lance-shaped,  tapering, 
the  upper  ones  oblong,  obtuse,  toothed  or  ntire ;  basal  sei^ments 
of  the  pinnne  forming  a  continuous,  many-angled  wing  along  the 
main  rachis  ;  fruit-dots  round,  small,  near  the  margin  ;  indusium, 
none. 

In  many  ways  this  plant  resembles  its  sister,  the 

Long   Beech  Fern,  but  usually  it  is  a  larger  plant, 

iS8 


PLATE    XXXV 


Stalks 


v. 


V 


h:^:^'^^' 

^^'C 


_y~ 


BROAD    BEECH    FERN 
189 


"IFf^ 


11 


W' 


(iuonr  VI 


IIKllll      ANI»     SlIKIir      IKONKS     I  lAI    I  IKI 
AINI>  I'SI'AI  n    SIMIIAK;     IKIill    DOIS  KoniNIi 


witli  iiiori'  l)r();i(llv  t rianf;ulai"  hoiids,  wincli  wear,  to 
iiiv  niiiul,  a  hrii^lilcr,  fresher,  more  delicate  j^reeii. 
Ill  tlie  Loiij;  IJeeeli  Vvvu  the  Jwo  lowei*  |)airs  of  piii- 
iKV  (liffej- little  in  len,<;tli  and  hreadt  li,  wliile  in  the 
Broad    HecH-ii    Vein   the   h)\vest    ])air   are   decidedly 


ni;er  and   l)i()ader  than   the  next    i)aii 


th 


Id 


le  wniir 


ah^nj;-  the  rachis  formed  l)y  the  l)asal  se<;^menlsof  the 
pinn;r  seems  to  me  more  conspicuons  in  the  hitter 


tl 


lan  in 


the  f 


(M'mer 


Tiie  iani;e  of  the  Bioad  Heecli  Fern  extends  fai- 
ther  south  than  (h)esthat()l  its  two  kinsmen,  neither 
oi  wiiich  are  found,  I  believe,  soutii  ol  \'iri;inia.  It 
seeks  also  more  open  and  usuallv  drier  woods.  Its 
leaves  ar(^  frai^rant. 

Williamson  says  that  its  fronds  are  easily  decolor 
ized  and  that  they  form  a  "i;-ood  object  h)r  doublc- 
stainin^'^,  a  process  well  known  to  microscopisls." 


w 


51.  OAK   FERN 

Northoastoni  United  States  to  Vii'i^iiiia,  west  t(i  Orei^oii  and 
Alaska,  usually  in  wet  woods,  with  stalks  six  to  nine  Indies  loni;. 

J'ri>/;t/s. — I'sually  longer  than  broad,  four  to  nine  inches  loiJ^, 
l)roadIy  triani;ular.  the  three  primary  divisions  widely  spreadinj;, 
smooth,  once  or  twiec-pinnale  ;  Jruit-dots  small,  roiuid,  near  the 
margin  ;  indusiion,  none. 

So  far  as  I  remember,  my  first  encounter  with  the 
Oak  Fern  was  in  a  cedar  swamp,  famous  for  it, 
i^-rowth    of    showy    lady's-slippers.     One   July   day 

in    the    hope   of   finding-    in    flower   some   of    these 

1 00 


^'1  A  I F     y/y  vi 


wnif; 


''*.•""'!&■ 


OAK   FERN 


Ujl 


(iKOUl'    VI 


HKTII.I     AM)   sriKII.I      FKONI.S    I  I  Al -I.IKE 
AM)  IISIAI.I.Y  bIMII.AK;  IKIH-UOTS  KOHNI) 


m 


orchids,  I  visited  this  swamp.  It  lay  in  a  sc-ini- 
twili^ht,  caused  by  the  dense  growtli  of  cechirs  and 
licmh)cks.  I'rostrate  on  the  sponjj^y  si)hau^num  be- 
low were  hosts  of  ui)roole(l  trees,  so  (n'cnun  with 
trailing-  strands  of  partridi^e-vine,  twin-flower,  gold- 
thread, and  creeping  snowherry,  and  so  soft  and 
yielding  to  the  feet  that  they  seemed  to  have  be- 
come one  with  the  earth.  The  stumps  and  far- 
reaching  roots  of  the  trees  that  had  been  cut  or 
broken  off  above  ground,  instead  of  having  been 
uprooted  bodily,  had  also  become  gardens  of  many 
delicate  woodland  growths.  Some  of  these  decay- 
ing stumps  and  ()uts})rea(ling  roots  were  thickl}' 
clothed  with  the  clover-like  leaflets  of  the  wood- 
sorrel,  here  and  there  nestling  among  them  a  pink- 
veined  blossom.  On  others  I  found  side  by  side 
gleaming  wild  strawberries  and  dwarf  raspberries, 
feathery  fronds  of  Maidenhair,  tall  Osmundas,  the 
Crested  and  the  Si)inulosc  Shield  Ferns,  the  leaves 
of  the  violet,  foam-flower,  mitrewort,  and  many 
others  of  the  smaller,  wood-loving  plants.  Among 
these  stumps  were  jdooIs  of  water  filled  with  the 
dark,  polished,  rounded  leaves  of  the  wWd  calla, 
and  bordered  by  beds  of  moss  which  cushioned  the 
equallv  shining  but  long  and  })ointed  leaves  of  the 
Clintonia.  Near  one  of  these  pools  grew  a  j^atch 
of  delicate,  low^-sprcading  plants,  evidentl}-  ferns. 
It  needed  only  one  searching  look  at  the  broad, 
triangfular,  lio:ht-i::reen  fronds — sugc^cstini'-  somewhat 
those  of  a  small  Brake — with  roundish  fruit-dot::,  be- 
low to  assure  me  that  I  had  found  the  Oak  Fern. 

iy2 


I     SCIUl- 

ars  and 
lum  be- 
lli witli 
r,  gold- 
[)ft  and 
ave  be- 
nd far- 
cut  or 
^  been 
tf  many 
decay- 
thickly 
\v()(^d- 
a  pink- 
oy  side 
berries, 
las,  llic 
;  !?aves 
many 
f\monf^ 
ith  the 
1  calla, 
led  the 
I  of  the 
I  jiatch 
'  ferns, 
broad, 
newhat 
lot::,  be- 
er n. 


FF.RTIir    AND    STKHIl-F.    FWONOS    Lr.AFllKr 
GWOUl'   VI        ^N,.  USUALLY _SljV\ILAK^KUIT-lX)TS  KOIM) 

Every  lover  of  plants  or  of  birds  or  of  any  natural 
objects  will  appreciate  the  sense  of  something  more 
exciting  than  satisfaction  which  I  experienced  as   I 
knelt  above  the  little  plantation  and  gathered  a  lew 
slender-stemmed    fronds.     One    sue  i    fmd    as    this 
compensates  for  many  hours  of  fatigue  and  discom 
fort,   or   intensihes    the    enjoyment   of    an    already 
happy  day.     The  expedition  had  justihed  itself  with 
the  first  full  view  of  the  solemn,  beautilul  depths  of 
the  cedar  forest.     The  discovery  of  the  Oak  Fern 
provided  a  tangible  token  of  what  we  had  accom- 
plished, and   when   we   hnally   found   the  tall,  leafy 
plants  of  the  showy  lady's-slipper,  without  a  single 
blossom  left  upon  them,  our  disappointment  was  so 
mild  as  to  be  almost  imperceptible. 

As  is  often  the  case,  having  once  discovered  the 
haunt  of  the  Oak  Fern,  it  ceased  to  be  a  rarity.  It 
joined  the  host  of  plants  which  climbed  over  the 
mossy  stumps  and  fallen  logs,  and  at  times  it  fairly 
carpeted  the  ground  beneath  the  cedars  and  hem- 
locks. 


193 


ti 


■   ;  I 


^1 


■^...,..  %i  ■'\^:^'^^v, 


..  ( 


'>• 


z*  ;j-»*' 


^f^^i^-V     "^^ 


52.   BULBLET     ''•r'A^;|NtX 
BLADDER  ^  i  ■'    .;'"  .sfijx 

FERN  •.■.',-;n?'^-^ 


Caiiiu'a  to  Trntirssro.  on  wet 
roi'ks.  prcfcniiiv:  liiucslonr.  One 
to  thrcr  fiuM  lonv;.  vvilh  liv;l\t- 
colotoil.  somewhat  brittle  stalks. 


/■'' (V/,/.s-.—  I".lonj;at0(l,  laiicr-sha|ir(l 
from  a  broad  base,  often  brarinj;  be- 
neath larv;i\  tleshv  bulbs,  nsii.illy 
twiee-iiinnate  ;  />/>»;/</•  lanee-oblonv;, 
"^  pointed  ;  pitiuuh-s  tootheii  or  deeply 

loboii  ;     fndt-di^ts    ronndish,    ifuiusiN))!    short. 

hood-like,  .\tt.\ehed  by  .i  broad  base  on  the  sitle 

tmvard     t'  -     midrib,     early 

thrown  back   and  witherinv;- 

so  that  the  mature  fruit-dots 

appe.\r  arehed. 


^^'^^ 


,  "A> 


'^^>^ 


Tho  Bulblet  Blad- 
der V'cfti  is  ncvci"  more 
at  home  than  when 
it  i;rows  close  to  falliiiii   water,   ch'njjinof  to  rocks 

dark    and    wet    with    sj-trav.     It    seems   to    reflect 

104 


»),%»» Vr,«..», 


/^>'- 


4" '    '  '^'*' 


c- 

^^^^U'  . 


'^?S, 


^:/> 

^^i^: 


cks 
Icct 


KAFf.    XXX/II 


1^  U'jT  "•• 


.  kV'/.". 


■\ 


•7^.^ 
;  /-j>~::» 


r^  ^..^  5-^^;^ 


■^ 


BULBLET    BLADDER    FERN 
is  Portion   of  fruiting  pinna 

195 


T^ 


i.KMH'l'  M 


It  f  III  I      AM>     Ml  h'll  I      IfOMiS     I  I  Al    I  IKI 
AINPI'SliAin    MMIIAK.    IKI'll    |M  1 1  S  ft  MiNh 


ll\<'    vrry    spiiil    »»l    llic    \vnt«"i  l.ill.    .ill    i(s    lilc    .md 


i< 


ii 


("S.    I    jl  tl  ll 


^raiv.  as  it  s|»im^sln>!n  \hv  .li  ippinj;  Icd^ 
inj;  tluMU  wilh  ;»  «li;ipliinntns  ^anncnt  <•!  «l(ln  ale 
jijirrn  wliic  li  vi("-  wilh  Ihcii  mi^' lil»nriii^  veil  ol 
white.  MOW  pouiini;  ovrr  snmr  mmK\  sIhII  a  s«»li«l 
but  silcnl  inassoi  ii.ilc  liixtii  iant  Inlia^M,  now  h  .liliii)', 
ilown  \hc  ilill  its  lt»n^.  tapering  liomis,  siilc  l»v  si«l(' 
w  ith  s\l\  iM  N  si  1  amis  ol  w  atci .  i  lose  to  lulls  n|  wind 
hlnw  n.  spia\  lippcil  iiai  ('-ixils. 

/\Illu>ui;h  lh<'  |>i.ml  is  iicv ci  seen  al  ils  Ixsl  save 
in  some  smh  n(Mi;h  i»oi  liooii  as  I  his.  its  siciifii  i .  Icalh 
(MV  Iroiuis  .\\c  always  possessed  »)!  sinj;ular  ^laic 
and  ehaiMi.  whelher  nndnlalini;  alonj;  the  dried 
K^t'kv  i>ed  ol  a  inounl.iin  hiook  oi  hendimv  I'll  theii 
slender  lips  neaiix  loin  h  Ihe  iiishini;  stream  oi 
iir(>wini;  quite  awav  irom  ihe  Kxks  which  are 
their  natural  and  usual  eompanitms  ainoni;  the 
nu\ss-i;i own  trunks  and  lalleu  trees  ol  the  wet 
wiiods. 

1  kuinv  n(>  other  leju.  save  the  elimhiiii;  leiii, 
whieh  is  s»>  vine-like  ami  • ''Mj^inj;'.  In  reality  its 
stalk  and  midrib  are  somewhat  brittle,  yet  this  brit 
tlencss  diH's  nt>t  jMey^Mil  its  adaplini;  ilsell  wilh  sup- 
ple aud  exquisite  curves  to  w  hatevcr  support  it  has 
chi^sen. 

In  its  manner  of  i;T(nvlh.  as  well  as  in  its  slentler, 
taju^rinix  outline,  the  RulblcM  nhnlder  Fern  is  so  in- 
dividual that  there  can  be  no  ditiicult  v  in  identifying 
the  full-sized  fertile  frctnds.  i^ven  in  the  absence  of 
the  little  bulbs  which  s^i'^w  on  the  under  side  of  the 

frond,  usually  at  the  base  oi  the  pinna\     The  sterile 

196 


KAfC  jtvyviii 


/ 


y 


A/l/>>;t,^ 


FRAGILE    BLADDER    FERN 

a  Portion  of  fertile  [jinna  b  Tip  of  fertile  p  nna 

c  Magnified  fruit-dot  showing  indusium 

197 


;iil 


i 


r 

I: 


GROUP  VI 


FERTILE    AND    STERILE    FRONDS    LEAF-LIKE 
AND  USUALLY  SIMILAR;    FRIIT-DOTS  ROUND 


fronds  are  shorter  and  broader  in  proportion,  and 
not  so  easily  identified. 

53.  FRAGILE  BLADDER  FERN.  COMMON  BLADDER 

FERN 

Cystofiteris  frag  ill  s 

A  rock  and  wood  fern,  found  from  Newfoundland  to  Georgia. 
Six  to  eighteen  inches  long,  with  slender  and  brittle  stalks,  green 
except  at  the  base. 

Fronds. — Oblong-lanceolate,  thin,  twice  to  thrice-pinnate  or  pin- 
natifid  ;  pinnce  lance-ovate,  irregularly  cut  into  toothed  segments 
which  at  their  base  run  along  the  midrib  by  a  narrow  margin  \  fruit- 
dots  rountlish,  often  abundant ;  i>idusium  early  withering  and 
exposing  the  sporangia,  which  finally  appear  naked. 

This  plant  may  be  ranked  among  the  earliest  ferns 
of  tlic  year.  In  May  or  June,  if  we  climb  down  to 
the  brook  where  the  columbine  flings  out  her  bril- 
liant, nodding  blossoms,  we  find  the  delicate  little 
fronds,  just  uncurled,  clinging  to  the  steep,  moist 
rocks,  or  perhaps  beyond,  in  the  deeper  woods,  they 
nestle  among  the  spreading  roots  of  some  great  for- 
est tree.  Their  "fragile  greenness"  is  very  winning. 
As  the  plant  matures,  attaining  at  times  a  height  of 
nearly  two  feet,  it  loses  something  of  this  first  deli- 
cate charm.  By  the  end  of  July  its  fruit  has  ripened, 
its  spores  are  discharged,  and  the  plant  disappears. 
Frequently,  if  not  always,  a  new  crop  springs  up  in 
August.  We  are  enchanted  to  discover  tender 
young  fronds  making  patches  of  fresh  green  in  ev- 
ery crevice  of  the  rocks  among  which  the  stream 
forces  its  precipitous  way.     Once  more  the  woods 

are   flavored  with  the   essence  of   spring.     In   our 

19S 


PLATE  XXX, X 


n 


','.1 


ev- 


RUSTY  WOODSIA 


i9) 


!u 


!  i 


PH 


GROUP  VI 


FERTILE    AND    STERILE    FRONDS    LEAF-LIKE 
AND  USUALLY  SIMILAR  ;    FRUIT-DOTS  ROUND 


delight  in  this  new  promise  we  forget  for  a  mo- 
ment to  mourn  the  vanishing  summer. 

The  outline  of  the  Common  Bladder  Fern  sug- 
gests that  of  the  Obtuse  Woodsia.  The  two  plants 
might  be  difficult  to  distinguish  were  it  not  for  the 
difference  in  their  indusia.  At  maturity  the  indu- 
sium  of  the  Common  Bladder  Fern  usually  disap- 
pears, leaving  the  fruit-dot  naked,  while  that  of  the 
Obtuse  Woodsia  is  fastened  underneath  the  fruit- 
dot  and  splits  apart  into  jagged,  si)rcading  lobes. 

The  sterile  fronds  of  the  Slender  Cliff  Brake  also 
have  been  thought  to  resemble  this  fern,  in  whose 
company  it  often  grows. 

Williamson  says  that  the  Common  Bladder  Fern 
is  easily  cultivated  either  in  mounds  or  on  rock- 
work. 

54.  THE   RUSTY  WOODSIA 

]]\hhisia  Ili'i'iisis 

From  Labrador  and  Greenland  sout\  to  North  Carolina  and  Ken- 
tucky, us'ially  on  exposed  rocks  in  somewhat  mountainous  regions. 
A  few  inches  to  nearly  one  foot  high. 

Fronds. — Oblong-lance-shaped,  rather  smooth  above,  the  stalk 
and  under  surface  of  the  frond  thickly  clothed  with  rusty  chaff, 
once-pinnate ;  pi)i!uc  oblong,  obtuse,  sessile,  cut  into  oblong  seg- 
ments ;  fniit-dofs  round,  near  the  margin,  often  confluent  at  matur- 
ity ;  i)i(htsiu))i  detached  by  its  base  under  the  sporangia,  dividing 
into  slender  hairs  which  curl  above  them. 

Last  Decoration  Day,  while  clambering  over 
some  rocky  cliffs  in  the  Berkshire  Hills,  I  found  the 
Rustv  Woodsia  c:rowing-  in  masses  so  luxuriant  to 

the  eye  and  so  velvety  to  the  touch  that  it  hardly 

200 


PLATE  XL 


mo- 


a  Portion  of  pinna 


BLUNT-LOBED  WOODSIA 

/>  Fruit-dot  magnified,   showing  indusium 


20I 


i,il 


GROUP  VI 


FERTILE    AND    STERILE    FRONDS    LEAF-LIKE 
AND  USUALLY  SIAIILAR;    FRUIT-DOTS  ROUND 


suggested  the  bristly  looking  plant  which  one  finds 
later  in  the  summer. 

This  fern  reverses  the  usual  order  of  things,  be- 
ing gray-haired  in  youth  and  brown-haired  in  old 
age,  with  tlie  result  that  in  May  its  effect  is  a  soft, 
silvery  green.  But  even  in  August,  if  you  chance 
upon  a  vigorous  tuft  springing  from  some  rocky 
crevice,  despite  its  lack  of  delicacy  and  its  bristle 
of  red-brow  a  hairs  or  chaff,  the  plant  is  an  attract- 
ive one 

Envi  nment  has  much  to  do  with  the  charm  of 
ferns.  The  first  plant  of  this  species  I  ever  identi- 
fied grew  on  a  rocky  shelf  within  a  few  feet  of  a 
stream  which  flowed  swift  and  cold  from  the  near 
mountains.  Close  by,  from  the  forked  branches  of 
a  crimson-fruited  mountain  maple,  hung  the  dainty, 
deserted  nest  of  a  vireo.  Always  the  Rusty  Wood- 
sia  seems  to  bring  me  a  message  from  that  abode 
of  solitude  and  silence. 

55.  BLUNT-LOBED    WOODSIA 

IVootlsia  obtusa 

Canada  to  Georgia  and  Alabama  and  westward,  on  rocks. 
Eight  to  twenty  inches  high,  with  stalks  not  jointed,  chaffy  when 
young. 

Fronds. — Broadly  lanceolate,  nearly  twice-pinnate  ;  pinrtcc  rather 
remote,  triangular-ovate  or  oblong,  pinnately  parted  into  obtuse, 
oblong,  toothed  segments  ;  7'eiHs  forked  ;  fruit-dots  on  or  near 
the  minutely  toothed  lobes  ;  indusitan  conspicuous,  splitting  into 
several  jagged  lobes. 

The  Blunt-lobed  Woodsia  is  not  rare  on  rocks  and 

stony  hillsides  in  Maine  and  Northern  New  York. 

202 


GROUP    VI        •''EKTII.E    AND    STFRILE    FRONDS     LEAF-I.IKE 
AND  USUALLY  SIMILAR  ;    FRUIT-DOTS    ROUND 

It  is  found  frcquciUly  in  tiic  valley  of  the  Hudson. 
Though  not  related  to  the  Common  Bladder  Fern 
{C.  fragilis),  it  has  somewhat  the  same  general  ap- 
pearance. Its  fronds,  however,  are  usually  both 
broader  and  longer,  and  its  stalk  and  pinnae  are 
slightly  downy.  Its  range  does  not  vary  greatly 
from  that  of  the  Common  Bladder  Fern,  but 
usually  it  grows  in  more  exposed  spots  and  some- 
times basks  in  strong  sunshine. 

Meehan  says  the  Blunt-lobed  Woodsia  is  found 
along  the  Wissahickon  Creek,  Fenna.,  on  dry  walls 
in  shady  places.  "  One  of  its  happiest  jihases," 
he  continues,  "is  toward  the  fall  of  the  year,  when 
the  short,  barren  fronds  which  form  the  outer  circle 
bend  downward,  forming  a  sort  of  rosette,  in  the 
centre  of  which  the  fertile  fronds  somewhat  erectly 
stand." 

The  sterile  fronds  remain  fairly  green  till  spring. 

56.  NORTHERN    WOODSIA.     ALPINE    WOODSIA 

Woodsia   Jivpcrborca    (  W.    alpiiia) 

Northern  New  York  and  \'erniont,  and  northward  from  Labra- 
dor to  Alaska,  on  rocks.  Two  to  six  inches  long,  with  stalks 
jointed  near  the  base. 

Froiufs. — Narrowly  oblon,g-lanceolate,  nearly  sniootli,  pinnate  ; 
pinme  triany^ular-ovate,  obtuse,  lobed  ;  lohcs  few ;  fruit-dots  some- 
what scattered  ;  inditsiiim  as  in  IV.  Ihcnsis. 

This  rare  little  fern  has  been  found  hv  Dr.  Feck 
in  the  Adirondacks  and  by  Horace  Mann,  jr..  and 
Mr.   Fringle   in  Vermont.      In  his  delightful  "  Rem- 

^03 


u 


Troup  vi     fKR^iiE  and  sterile  fronds  leaf-like 

AND  USUALLY  SIMILAR;    FRUIT-DOTS   ROUND 

iniscenccs  of  Botanical  Rambles  in  Vermont," 
published  in  the  Torrey  Bulletin,  July,  1897,  Mr. 
Prin<^le  describes  his  first  discovery  of  this  species : 

*'  1  was  on  the  mountain  [Willoughby]  on  the  4th 
of  August  and  examined  the  entire  length  of  the 
cliffs,  climbing  upon  all  Lheir  accessible  shelves. 
Among  the  specimens  of  Woodsia  glabella  brought 
away  were  a  few  which  I  judged  to  belong  to  a 
different  species.  Mr.  Frost,  to  whom  they  were 
first  submitted,  pronounced  them  Woodsia  glabella. 
Not  satisfied  with  his  report,  I  showed  them  to  Dr. 
Gray.  By  him  1  was  advised  to  send  them  to  Pro- 
fessor Eaton,  because,  as  he  said,  Woodsia  is  a  criti- 
cal genus.  Professor  Eaton  assured  me  that  I  had 
Woodsia  hyper borea,  .  .  ,  another  addition  to  the 
flora  of  the  United  States." 

Later  in  the  year  Mr.  Pringle  made  a  visit  to 
Smugglers*  Notch  on  Mount  Mansfield,  when  he  was 
"  prepared  to  camp  in  the  old  Notch  House  among 
hedgehogs,  and  botanize  the  region  day  by  day." 
This  visit  was  rich  in  its  results.  The  most  nota- 
ble finds  were  Aspidiwn  fragrans,  Aspleniiiin  viride^ 
Woodsia  glabella,  and  Woodsia  hyper borea. 


r?04 


PLATE    XLI 


mont," 
)7»  Mr. 
pecies : 
the  4th 

of  the 
helves, 
roiight 
g  to  a 
I  were 
iabella. 

to  Dr. 
:o  Pro- 
a  criti- 
t  I  had 

to  the 

isit  to 
he  was 
among 
day." 
:  nota- 
viride. 


rr2 


mi4 


^i!?' 


') 


NORTHERN  WOODSiA 


205 


GKOUI'  VI 


irKTIli:    AM)     SIIKIII      IKONC^      UAFI.IKL 


A.M)   USUALLY  blA\II.Ak  ;    LKULr-l 


ROUND 


\\\\ 


m 


^BS  : 


57.  SMOOTH    WOODSIA 

Northern  Xrw  York  aiul  X'cnnont,  and  norihward  from  Labra- 
dor to  Alaska,  on  moist  rocks.  Two  to  live  inches  \o\v^,  with 
stalks  jointed  at  base. 

J'^rauis. — \'ery  deUcate,  linear  or  narrowly  lanceolate,  smooth 
on  both  sides,  pinnate  ;  pinner  roundish  ovate,  obtuse,  lobed.  lobes 
few  ;  fntit-dots  scattered  ;  indiisiutn  minute. 

The  Smooth  Woodsia  closely  resembles  the 
Northern  Wotxlsia,  and  one  may  expect  to  find  it 
in  much  the  same  parts  of  the  ccjnntry.  In  texture 
it  is  still  more  delicate  ;  its  fronds  are  almost  per- 
fectly smooth,  its  outline  is  narrower,  and  its  pinna; 
are  but  slightly  lobed. 

Mr.  Pringle  tells  us  that  a  letter  fr(>m  George 
Davenport,  asking  him  to  l(K)k  for  Woodsia  gla- 
bella, awakened  his  first  interest  in  ferns.  Mis  own 
account  of  these  early  fern  hunts  is  inspiring  in  its 
enthusiasm  : 

"  In  1873  George  Davenport  was  beginning  his 
study  of  ferns.  A  letter  frc^n  him,  asking  me  to  look 
lor  Woodsia  glabella  .  .  .  started  me  on  a  fern  hunt. 
The  sj^ecies  liad  been  found  on  Willoughby  Moun- 
tain, \'t.,  and  at  Little  Falls,  N.  Y.;  might  it  not 
be  growing  in  many  places  in  Vermont?  When  I 
set  out  I  knew,  as  I  must  suppose,  not  a  single  fern, 
and  it  was  near  the  close  of  the  summer.  You  can 
imagine  what  delights  awaited  me  in  the  autumn 
woodlands.  1  made  the  acq  laintance  of  not  a  few 
ferns,  though  it  was  too  late  lO  prepare  good  speci- 
mens of  thein.     In  this  first  blind  endeavor  I  got,  of 

206 


PLATE    XLII 


I  gla- 


4 


"■0,^ 


^'V>, 


■-c'"1kJ'    ^^u7\Z) 


'1 


SMOOTH   WOODSIA 

a  Fertile   pmna 

207 


GROUP  VI 


11^^      ' 


Fr.i^Tiii:  ANit   sfiKii.i:    fP^NDs   iiai  like 

AMJ  usually  SIA\ILAK;   hKlll-DOIb   KUUND 


course,  no  clew  to  Woodsia  glabclltx.  The  next  sum- 
mer tlie  hunt  was  renewed  and  persistently  followed 
up.  I  found  pleasure  in  securing  one  by  one  nearly 
all  our  VeruKJut  lerns.  At  the  time  I  thought  it 
worthy  of  remembrance  that  a  single  held  of  diversi- 
fied pasture  and  woodland  on  an  adjoining  farm 
yielded  me  thirty  species.  Although  the  two  com- 
mon species  of  Woodsia  were  near  at  hand,  Woodsia 
i^Iabclla  was  still  eluding  my  search.  1  sent  a  friend 
to  the  summit  of  Jay  Peak  in  a  fruitless  quest  for  it. 
Finally,  on  SejAember  ist,  1  joined  Mr.  Congdon  at 
its  old  station  on  Willoughby  Mountain,  and  made 
myself  familiar  with  its  exquisite  form. 

"During  the  hrst  two  years  of  my  collecting  in 
earnest,  1874  and  ICS75,  sevend  visits  were  made  to 
Camel's  Hump,  the  peak  most  accessible  to  me.  In 
this  way  some  time  was  lost,  because  its  subalpine 
area  is  limited,  and  consequently  the  number  of  rare 
plants  to  be  found  there  is  small.  Yet,  with  such 
dogged  persistence  as  sometimes  prevents  my  mak- 
ing good  progress,  my  last  visit  to  that  point  was 
not  made  till  the  20th  of  June,  1876.  On  that  day  I 
clambered,  I  believe,  over  every  shelf  of  its  great 
southern  precipice  and  peered  into  every  fissure 
among  the  rocks.  At  last,  as  I  was  climbing  up  the 
apex  over  the  southeastern  buttress,  my  perilous  toil 
was  rewarded  by  the  discovery  not  only  of  Woodsia 
glabella,  but  of  Aspidiiini  fragrans.  .  .  .  There 
were  only  a  few  depauperate  specimens  of  each 
which  had  not  yet  succ.mbed  to  the  adverse  condi- 
tions of  their  dry  and  exposed  situation." 

208 


IKR 


cxt  siiin- 
fol  lowed 
c  nearly 
ou^Hit  it 
di  versi- 
ng   faiiii 
wo  com- 
IVoothia 
a  friend 
:st  for  it. 
igdon  at 
id  made 

ctinii^  in 
made  to 
me.  In 
Libalpine 
r  of  rare 
ith  such 
ny  mak- 
)int  was 
It  day  I 
ts  great 

fissure 
^  up  the 
[ous  toil 
IVoodsia 

There 
:>i  each 
I  condi- 


GK(JUl'   VI 


iiKriir.  AND  STiKiir   fhonds   hai  IIK^ 
A^ID  usually  m.mii  ak;  IkMli-IKUS  PnlM) 


In  tlie  following  passage  Mr.  I'lingle  describes  his 
pleasure,  some  years  later,  in  the  companionships 
fostered  by  a  common  interest  in  his  pet  hobby  : 

"...  my  delight  'n  this  preserve  ol  borcai 
plants  was  shared  with  not  a  few  geiii;il  liotanists. 
Charles  Faxoti  came  before  any  of  us  suspected  tliiit 
he  possessed  undeveloped  talent  lor  a  botanical  ai- 
tist  of  highest  excellence.  Kdwin  Taxon  followed 
his  young  br(3ther,  aiul  with  me  made  the  tedious  as- 
cent to  Stirling  l^)nd,  a  day  of  toil  well  rewarded. 
Thomas  Morong  came,  befoi'c  the  hardships  of  his 
Paraguayan  journey  had  broken  him  down.  .  .  . 
Our  honored  President  came.  .  .  .  Inthosedavs, 
as  now,  .  .  .  he  was  often  my  companion  to  add 
delight  to  my  occupation  and  to  reinforce  my  en- 
thusiasm. .  .  .  The  gentle  Davenport  cam.*  at 
last  to  behold  for  the  first  time  in  their  native  haunts 
many  of  the  objects  of  his  first  love  and  study.  Wiien 
I  had  found  for  him  yet  once  more  in  a  fifth  Vermont 
station  (this  was  under  Chcckerberry  Ledge,  near 
Bakersfield)  the  fern  he  at  first  desired,  and,  together 
with  that,  had  discovered  within  our  limits  three  or 
four  others  quite  as  rare  and  scarcely  expected,  1 
might  feel  that  I  had  complied  with  the  reciuest  of  his 
letter.  But  that  letter  initiated  a  warm  friendship 
between  us  and  association  in  work  ui)()n  American 
ferns,  which  has  continued  to  the  present  time. 
During  these  twenty-three  years  of  botanical  travel 
on  my  part  my  hands  have  gathered  all  but  thirty- 
six  of  the  one  hundred  and  sixty-five  species  of  North 

American  ferns,  and  from  tlie  more  remote  corners 

209 


il 


ill 


GKOlll'  VI 


FERTILE    ANI)    STIRIII.     YVOSUS    1 1  AM  IKE 
ANt)  IISIIAI.I.Y  SIMII  AK  ;    IKIII   l«)IS   K(  »l  (SI) 


of  our  continent  I  liavc  sent  home  to  my  friend  for 
clcscri|)tion  and  publication  sixteen  new  ones.  Yet 
I  trust  that  the  fern  hunt  upon  which  he  started  me 
in  1873  is  still  far  from  its  chjse." 

The  above  quotations  illustrate  fairly  the  entlr.i- 
siasm  aroused  by  a  pursuit  which  is  full  of  peculiar 
fascination.  Almost  anyone  who  has  made  a  study 
of  our  native  ferns  will  recall  hours  tilled  with  de- 
light thi'ough  their  agency,  companions  made  moie 
comj)anionable  by  means  of  a  c(jmmon  interest  in 
their  names,  haunts,  and  habits. 


210 


INDEX   TO   LATIN    NAMES 


Ar)iANTirM  capillus-Vencris,  io8 
Adi.uitiiiii  t'm,it^,'iii;itimi,  no 
AdiantiiMi  pfdaiuni,  io8 
Adiaiitiiin  tfiiuruin,  no 
Aspidium  acrusticlioidcs,  q6 
Aspidiiim  acidi-atum,  182 
Aspidium  acidcalum  var.  Hrauiiii,  102 
Aspidium  nouttii,  168 
Aspidium  lirautiii,  182 
Aspidium  cristatuni,  170 
Aspidium  cristatuni,  var.  Clintoniu- 

nuiii,  172 
Aspidium  fraiyrans,  178 
Aspidium  Cj(  dicanuMi,  174 
Asjiidium  inarginale,  176 
Aspidium  Noveboracensc,  159 
Aspidium  spinulosum,  166 
Aspidium    spinulosum,    var.    dilata- 

tuiii,  168 

Aspidium  spinulosum,  var.  interme- 
dium, 166 
Aspidium  Tlielyiitcris,  160 
Asplcnium  acrostichoidcs,  124 
Asplenium  anj,Histilblium,  98 
Asplonium  Uradleyi,  144 
Asplcnium  chcneum,  134 
Asplenium  ehcnoides,  140 
Asplenium  I''elix-fa>mina,  120 
Asplenium  montanum,  130 
Asplenium  pinnatifidum,  142 
Asplenium  platyneuron,  134 
AspItMiium  Rnta-muraria,  126 
Asplenium  thelypteroides,  124 
Asplenium  Tricliomanes,  136 
Asplenium  viride,  138 

BOTRYCHIUM  dissectum,  81 
Botrychium  gracile,  80 


n<)trycliium  lanceolaium,  86 
Hotryeliium  lamaria,  84 
MotryeliiuiM  iMatricariilnluun,  86 
Hotryiliiuni  simplex,  81 
Hotrycliium  ternatimi,  81 
Motryehium  Virginianum,  80 

Camptos()Ri;s  rliizopliyllus,  146 
Chfilantlies  lanosa,  n2 
Clieilanllies  vestita,  112 
Cystopteris  bulhifera,  194 
Cystopteris  fragilis,  198 

niCKSONU  pilosiiiscnla,  n4 
Dicksonia  punctilobula,  n4 
Dryopteris  aerosticlioides,  96 
Dryopteris  aculeata,  182 
Dryopteris  Hoottii,  168 
Dryopteris  Hraunii,  182 
Dryopteris  cristata,  170 
Dryopteris  cristata  Clintoniana,  172 
Dryopteris  fragrans,  178 
Dryojjteris  (Joldieana,  174 
Dryopteris  marginalis,  176 
Dryopteris  Novcboracensis,  159 
Dryopteris  simulata,  164 
Dryopteris  spinulosa,  166 
Dryopteris  spinulosa  dilatata,  168 
Dryopteris     spinulosa     intcrincdia, 

166 
Dryopteris  Thelyptcris,  160 

Lygomum  palmatum,  75 

Onoc:lka  sensibilis,  54 

Onoclea  sensibilis,  var.  ol)lusilobata 

56 
Onoclea  Struthiopteris,  56 


211 


INDEX  TO  LATIN   NAMES 


IJ  1 1 


Ophioglossiini  vulgatum,  77 
Osnmnda  cinnamomca,  60 
Osmunda    cinnamoniea,    var.    fron- 

dosa,  62 
Osmunda  Claytoniana,  72 
Osmunda  rcgalis,  67 

Pkll.'EA  atropurpurea,  90 
Pcll.x'a  gracilis,  87 
Pell.L'a  Stelleri,  87 
PliL'gopteris  Dryoptcris,  190 
Plicgopteris  hcxagonoptcra,  188 
Plicgopteris  Phegopteris,  187 
Plicgopteris  polypodioides,  187 
Poly  podium  vulgare,  184 


Pteris  aquilina,  105 
Pteris  cscuienta,  107 

ScHiZi7-;A  pusilla,  63 
Scolopendrium  scolopcndrium,  150 
Scolopendrium  vulgare,  150 

WOODSIA  Alpina,  203 
W'oodsia  glabella,  206 
W'oodsia  hyperborea,  203 
W'oodsia  Ilvensis,  200 
VVoodsia  obtusa,  202 
\  .11.  Jwardia  angustifolia,  102 
Woodwardia  Virginica,  156 


w 


212 


I50 


INDEX  TO  ENGLISH  NAMES 


Adder's  Tongue,  77 
Alpine  Woodsia,  203 

Beech  Fern,  Broad,  188 

Beech  Fern,  Long,  187 

Bladder  Fern,  Bulblet,  194 

Bladder  Fern,  Common,  198 

Bladder  Fern,  Fragile,  198 

Blunt-lobed  Woodsia,  202 

Boott's  Shield  Fern,  168 

Bracken,  105 

Bradley's  Spleenwort,  144 

Brake,  105 

Braun's  Holly  Fern,  182 

Caterpillar  Fern,  156 
Chain  Fern,  Net-veined,  102 
Chain  Fern,  Virginia,  156 
Christmas  Fern,  96 
Cinnamon  Fern,  60 
Cliff  Brake,  Purple,  90 
Cliff  Brake,  Slender,  87 
Clinton's  Wood  Fern,  172 
Climbing  Fern,  75 
Common  Polypody,  184 
Creeping  Fern,  75 
Crested  Shield  Fern,  170 
Curly  Grass,  63 

Eagle  Fern,  105 
Ebony  Spleenwort,  134 
Evergreen  Wood  Fern,  67 

Flowering  Fern,  67 
Fragile  Bladder  Fern,  19S 
Fragrant  Shield  Fern,  178 

GoLDlE's  Fern,  174 


Grape  Fern,  Lance-leaved,  86 
Grape  P'ern,  Little,  82 
Grape  Fern,  Matricary,  86 
Grape  Fern,  Ternate,  81 
Giape  Fern,  Virginia,  80 
Green  Spleenwort,  138 

Hairy  Lip  Fern,  112 
Huily  Fern,  Braun's,  182 
Hartford  Fern,  75 
Hart 's  Tongue,  150 
Hay -scented  Fern,  114 

Interrupted  Fern,  72 

Lady  Fern,  120 
Lance-leaved  Grape  Fern,  86 
Little  Grape  Fern,  82 
Lip  Fern,  Hairy,  112 
Long  Beech  Fern,  187 

Maidenhair,  108 
Maidenhair  Spleenwort,  136 
Marginal  Shield  Fern,  176 
Marsh  Fern,  160 
Massachusetts  Fern,  164 
Matrica'y  Grape  Fern,  86 
Moonwjrt,  84 
Mountain  Spleenwort,  130 

Narrow-leaved  Spleenwort,  98 
Net-veined  Chain  Fern,  102 
New  York  Fern,  159 
Northern  Woodsia,  203 

Oak  I'ern,  190 
Ostrich  Fer.i,  56 


213 


;  ; 


INDEX   TO  ENGLISH   NAMES 


i?'i!; 


PiNNATlFiD  Sploenwort,  142 
Polypody,  Common,  184 
Prickly  Shield  Fern,  182 
Purple  Cliff  Brake,  90 

Rattlesnakk  Fern,  80 
Royal  Fern,  67 
Rue  Spleenwoit,  126 
Rusty  VVoodbia,  200 

Scott's  Sploenwort,  140 
Shield  l-'ern,  Roott's,  168 
Shield  l''orn,  Crested,  170 
Shield  Fern,  Fragrant,  178 
Shield  l-'ern.  Marginal,  176 
Shield  Fern,  Prickly,  182 
Seaweed  Fern,  156 
Sensitive  Fern,  54 
Silvery  Spleenwort,  124 
Slender  Cliff  Brake,  87 
Smooth  Woodsia,  206 
Snake  Fern,  184 
Spinulose  Wood  Fern,  166 
Spleenwort,  Bradley's,  144 
Spleenwort,  Ebony,  134 


Spleenwort,  Green,  138 
Spleenwort,  Maidenhair,  136 
Spleenwort,  Mountain,  130 
Spleenwort,  Narrow-leaved,  98 
Spleenwort,  Pinnatifid,  142 
Spleenwort,  Rue,  126 
Spleenwort,  Silvery,  124 
Spleenwort,  Scotts',  140 

Ternatk  Grape  Fern,  81 

Virginia  Chain  Fern,  156 
Virginia  Grape  Fern,  80 

Walking  Fern,  146 
Walking  Leaf,  146 
Wall  Rue,  126 
Wood  Fern,  Clinton's,  172 
Wood  Fern,  Evergreen,  176 
Wood  Fern,  Spinulose,  166 
Woodsia,  Alpine,  203 
Woodsia,  Blunt-lobed,  202 
Woodsia,  Northern,  203 
Woodsia,  Rusty,  200 
Woodsia,  Smooth,  206 


214 


INDEX  TO  TECHNICAL  TERMS 


Antheridia,  34 
Archegonia,  34 
Alternation  of  generations,  33 
Asexual  generation,  34 

Frond,  28 

Fertile  frond,  3 
Fertilization,  34 

lNDi;siuM,  31 

Onck-1'INNATk  frond,  30 

PiNN'ATiiin  frond,  29 
Pinnae,  30 


Finnides,  30 
Prothallium,  34 

Rachis,  30 
Rootstock,  23 

Sexual  generation,  2^ 
Simple  frond,  29 
Sori,  30 
Sporangia,  30 
Spore,  30 
Sterile  frond,  31 

Tvvicr.-PiNN'ATi.  Irond,  30 

Veins,  free,  30 


215 


til.' 


,   1 


ii' 


i 

I     1    • 

Other  Books 

by  the  Author  of 

How  to  Know  the  Ferns 

9 
CHARLES    SCRIBNER^S    SONS,  Publishers 

* 

How  to  Know 
The  Wild   Flowers 

A   Guide   to  the   Names,   Haunts,  and 
Habits  of  our  Common  Wild   Flowers 

By   Mrs.  William  Starr  Dana 

New  Edition,   Revised  and  Enlari^ed.     With  156  Illus- 
trations by  Marion  Satterlee.     Square  i2tno,  $1.75  net 

CONTENTS 


1 


Preface. 

How  TO  Use  the  Rook. 

1  NTRODUCTOK  Y  C 1 1 A  I'TE  K. 

Exi'i.ANATioN  OF  Terms. 
Notable   Plant    Fami- 
lies. 
Flower  Descrm'tions: 
I.  White. 
II.  Yellow. 


HI.   Pink. 
IV.  Red. 
V.   Blue  and  Purple. 
VI.  Miscellaneous. 
Index  to  Latin  Names. 
Index     to     English 

Names. 
Index     of     Technical 
Terms. 


MR.  lOHN  BURROUGHS  has  written:  "One  of 
these  days  someone  will  give  us  a  hand-book  of  our 
wild  flowers  by  the  aid  of  which  we  shall  be  able  to  name 
those  we  gather  in  our  walks  without  the  trouble  of  analyzing 
them.  In  this  book  we  shall  have  a  list  of  all  our  flowers 
arranged  according  to  color,  as  white  flowers,  blue  flowers. 


yellow  flowers,  pink  flowers,  etc.,  with  place  of  growth  and 
time  of  blooming." 

This  is  what  Mrs.  Dana  has  done,  and  much  more.  Her 
book  is  a  delightful  companion  for  the  country  rambler  and 
lover  of  nature. 


Hon.  Theodore   Roosevklt. 

"J  am  delighted  with  it.  .  .  .  It  is  so  exactly  the  kind 
of  book  needed  for  outdoor  folks  who  live  in  the  country  but 
know  little  of  systematic  botany,  that  it  is  a  wonder  no  one 
has  written  it  before.  To  me  it  appeals  particularly,  because 
you  have  combined  love  n^*  outdoor  life  with  what  gives  a 
tenfold  zest  to  this  love — the  trained  literary  appreciation  of 
the  writers  who  have  had  eyes  to  see  and  the  skill  to  write 
about  what  they  have  seen  in  the  woods  and  fields." 

l''ro)it  77ie  A^i'70  York  Tiuics. 
*♦  It  is  not  often  that  a  book  so  suggestive  of  pleasure  pure 
and  simple  comes  our  way.  So  far  as  we  recall  books  on 
flowers,  it  is  the  first  that  makes  country  walks  an  intelligent 
joy  for  those  who  know  nothing  of  botany  but  who  have  eyes 
to  see  and  minds  to  question.  It  is  a  very  superior  work, 
and  the  illustrations  correspond  with  the  text." 

From  'J'hc  A'ation. 
**  Everv  flower-lover  who  has  spent  weary  hours  puzzling 
over  a  botanical  key  in  the  effort  to  name  unknown  plants, 
will  welcome  this  satisfactory  book,  which  stands  ready  to 
lead  him  to  the  desired  knowledge  by  a  royal  road.  The 
book  is  well  fitted  to  the  need  of  many  who  have  no  botanical 
knowledge  and  yet  are  interested  in  wild  flowers." 

From    The  Critic. 
"  Mrs.  Dana  is  a  lover  of  outdoor  life  ;  her  heart  is  in 
what  she  describes.      She  has  done  well  a  piece  of  work 
which  was  well  worth  doing." 

From  Nature  Notes,   London. 
••  An  excellent  book,  and  cannot  fail   to  bring  about  its 
object.      Very  excellent  illustrations,  nearly  all  of  which  are 
original  drawings  from  nature." 


According  to  Season 

Talks    About    the    Flowers    in    the   Order    ot' 
their   Appearance    in   the    Woods  and    Fields 

By   Mrs.  William   Sta'T   Dana 

i6nio,  7j  cents 

CONTENl'S 


Introdi'ctory. 
April  and  Early  May. 
May  and  Early  June. 
Jink  and  I'"arly  July. 
Midsummer. 


Early  Aucu'st. 

Late  August  and  Early 

SeI'TEMBEK. 

Autumn. 

Index. 


From    The  New  York   Times. 

**Mrs.  Dana  writes  always  of  the  flowers  as  one  who 
sincerely  loves  them.  The  happy  phrases  that  escape  her 
are  those  which  love  alone  could  have  inspired.  The  charm 
of  this  book  is  pervading  and  enduring  as  is  the  charm  ot 
nature.  Here  are  new  colors  and  new  beauties  held  up  to 
those  who  see  well  already,  with  new  eyes  for  those  who 
cannot  see  at  all." 

From   The  Boston  Beacon. 
♦«  Avoiding  technicalities,  aiming  above  all  to  inculcate  a 
love  for  nature,  the  author  writes  accurately  and   gracefully 
of  her  favorite  pursuit,  and  is  sure  to  win  many  disciples." 

From    The  Hartford  Courant. 

**  Mrs.  Dana  is  a  good  student,  a  close  observer,  and  she 
has  the  literary  touch  and  sympathy,  so  that  her  treatment  ot 
the  subject  is  both  illuminating  and  pleasant." 


E"     t 


From  Ptti'lic  Opiniou. 
*'  Whoever  shall   start  out   fur  a  Cfnintry  v\alk  with  this 
little  book  will  adtl   greatlv  to  present  enjoyment,  ami  will 
be  lontinualK'  acijuiriiig  a  fund  of  uset'ul  and  agreeable  knowl- 
edge." 

/•';■('///    'I'lh'  lioston  Ad-i'ivtiscr. 

•*  Most  charming.  A  fitting  supplement  to  Mrs.  Dana's 
previous  book,  and  the  two  togethc  constitute  one  of  the 
most  truly  delightful  descriptive  studies  of  nature  which  has 
made  its  appearance  in  recent  years." 


A  Selection  of  Fifty  Plates 

from    ''  How    to    Know 

The  Wild  Flowers" 

From  the  Designs  by  Marion  Satterlee 

///  a  portfolio.     $i.oo  net 

The  plates  are  from  original  drawings  from  nature,  and 
the  aim  has  been  to  assist  in  identification  of  the  flowers 
represented.  The  flowers  chosen  for  illustration  are  those 
which  seem  best  entitled  to  prominence,  whether  on  account 
of  their  beauty,  their  interest,  or  their  frequent  occurrence. 
As  thp  plates  are  printed  on  special  paper  and  arc  suitable 
for  coloring  by  hand,  this  portfolio  cannot  fail  to  prove 
attractive. 


Charles  Scribner's  Sons,  Publishers 

153-1 5;7  Fifth  Avenue,  Nev  York 


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