,,how ,,to ,,know ,,the ,,ferns ,illustration3 ,the cheerful community of the polypody4 ,how to ,know the ,ferns ,a ,,guide ,,to ,,the ,,names1 ,,haunts1 ,,and ,,habits ,,of ,,our ,,common ,,ferns ,by ,frances ,theodora ,parsons ,author of ,how to ,know the ,wild ,flowers1 ,according to ,season1 etc4 ,illustrated by ,marion ,satterlee and ,alice ,josephine ,smith ,,new ,,york ,,charles ,,scribner',s ,,sons #aiae ,copyright1 #ahii1 by ,charles ,scribner's ,sons ,illustration ,,to ,j4 ,r4 ,p4 ,if it were required to know the position of the fruit-dots or the character of the indusium1 nothing could be easier than to ascertain it2 but if it is required that you be affected by ferns1 that they amount to anything1 signify anything to you1 that they be another sacred scripture and revelation to you1 helping to redeem your life1 this end is not so easily accomplished4 --,,thoreau ,,preface ,since the publication1 six years ago1 of ,how to ,know the ,wild ,flowers1 ,i have received such convincing testimony of the eagerness of nature-lovers of all ages and conditions to familiarize themselves with the inhabitants of our woods and fields1 and so many assurances of the joy which such a familiarity affords1 that ,i have prepared this companion volume on ,how to ,know the ,ferns4 ,it has been my experience that the world of delight which opens before us when we are admitted into some sort of intimacy with our companions other than human is enlarged with each new society into which we win our way4 ,it seems strange that the abundance of ferns everywhere has not aroused more curiosity as to their names1 haunts1 and habits4 ,add to this abundance 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 proportion of our native ferns during a single summer1 and it is still more surprising that so few efforts have been made to bring them within easy reach of the public4 ,i wish to acknowledge my indebtedness to the many books on our native ferns which ,i have consulted1 but more especially to ,gray's ,manual1 to ,eaton's ,ferns of ,north ,america1 to the ,illustrated ,flora of ,messrs4 ,britton and ,brown1 to ,mr4 ,underwood's ,our ,native ,ferns1 to ,mr4 ,williamson's ,ferns of ,kentucky1 to ,mr4 ,dodge's ,ferns and ,fern ,allies of ,new ,england1 and to that excellent little quarterly1 which ,i recommend heartily to all fern-lovers1 the ,fern ,bulletin1 edited by ,mr4 ,willard ,clute1 of ,binghamton1 ,n4 ,y4 ,to the ,state ,botanist1 ,dr4 ,charles ,h4 ,peck1 who has kindly read the proof-sheets of this book1 ,i am indebted for many suggestions2 also to ,mr4 ,arthur ,g4 ,clement1 of the ,university of the ,state of ,new ,york4 ,to ,miss ,marion ,satterlee thanks are due not only for many suggestions1 but also for the descriptions of the ,woodwardias4 ,the pen-and-ink illustrations are all from original drawings by ,miss ,satterlee and ,miss ,alice ,josephine ,smith4 ,the photographs have been furnished by ,miss ,murray ,ledyard1 ,miss ,madeline ,smith1 and ,mr4 ,augustus ,pruyn4 ,in almost all cases ,i have followed the nomenclature of ,gray's ,manual as being the one which would be familiar to the majority of my readers1 giving in parentheses that used in the ,illustrated ,flora of ,messrs4 ,britton and ,brown4 ,,frances ,,theodora ,,parsons ,,albany1 ,march #f1 #ahii ,the more thou learnest to know and to enjoy1 the more full and complete will be for thee the delight of living4 ,,contents ,page ,preface v ,ferns as a ,hobby #a ,when and ,where to ,find ,ferns #ae ,explanation of ,terms #bh ,fertilization1 ,development1 and ,fructification of ,ferns #cb ,notable ,fern ,families #cf ,how to ,use the ,book #ch ,guide #dj ,fern ,descriptions3 ,group ,i #ed ,group ,,ii #fg ,group ,,iii #hg ,group ,,iv #aje ,group ,v #abj ,group ,,vi #aei ,index to ,latin ,names #baa ,index to ,english ,names #bac ,index to ,technical ,terms #bae ,,list ,,of ,,plates ,the actual sizes of ferns are not given in the illustrations4 ,for this information see the corresponding description4 ,,plate ,,page ,i4 ,,sensitive ,,fern1 ,onoclea sensibilis1 #eg ,,ii4 ,,ostrich ,,fern1 ,onoclea ,struthiopteris1 #ei ,,iii4 ,,cinnamon ,,fern1 ,osmunda cinnamomea1 #fa ,,iv4 ,,curly ,,grass1 ,schiza pusilla1 #fe ,v4 ,,royal ,,fern1 ,osmunda regalis1 #fi ,,vi4 ,,interrupted ,,fern1 ,osmunda ,claytoniana1 #gc ,,vii4 ,,adder',s ,,tongue1 ,ophioglossum vulgatum1 #gi ,,viii4 ,,ternate ,,grape ,,fern1 ,botrychium ternatum1 #hc ,,ix4 ,,moonwort1 ,botrychium ,lunaria1 #he ,,lance-,,leaved ,,grape ,,fern1 ,botrychium lanceolatum1 #he ,x4 ,,purple ,,cliff ,,brake1 ,pella atropurpurea1 #ia ,,xi4 ,,narrow-,,leaved ,,spleenwort1 ,asplenium angustifolium1 #ii ,,xii4 ,,net-,,veined ,,chain ,,fern1 ,woodwardia angustifolia1 #ajc ,,xiii4 ,,hairy ,,lip ,,fern1 ,cheilanthes vestita1 #aac ,,xiv4 ,,hay-,,scented ,,fern1 ,dicksonia pilosiuscula1 #aae ,,xv4 ,,lady ,,fern1 ,asplenium ,filix-fmina1 #aba ,,xvi4 ,,silvery ,,spleenwort1 ,asplenium thelypteroides1 #abe ,,xvii4 ,,rue ,,spleenwort1 ,asplenium ,ruta-muraria #abg ,,xviii4 ,,mountain ,,spleenwort1 ,asplenium montanum1 #aca ,,xix4 ,,ebony ,,spleenwort1 ,asplenium ebeneum1 #ace ,,xx4 ,,green ,,spleenwort1 ,asplenium viride1 #aci ,,xxi4 ,,scott',s ,,spleenwort1 ,asplenium ebenoides1 #ada ,,xxii4 ,,pinnatifid ,,spleenwort1 ,asplenium pinnatifidum1 #adc ,,xxiii4 ,,bradley',s ,,spleenwort1 ,asplenium ,bradleyi1 #ade ,,xxiv4 ,,virginia ,,chain ,,fern1 ,woodwardia ,virginica1 #aeg ,,xxv4 ,,new ,,york ,,fern1 ,aspidium ,noveboracense1 #afa ,,xxvi4 ,,marsh ,,fern1 ,aspidium ,thelypteris1 #afc ,,xxvii4 ,,spinulose ,,wood ,,fern1 ,aspidium spinulosum1 var4 intermedium1 #afe ,,xxviii4 ,,boott',s ,,shield ,,fern1 ,aspidium ,boottii1 #afg ,,xxix4 ,,crested ,,shield ,,fern1 ,aspidium cristatum1 #afi ,,xxx4 ,,clinton',s ,,wood ,,fern1 ,aspidium cristatum1 var4 ,clintonianum1 #aga ,,xxxi4 ,,goldie',s ,,fern1 ,aspidium ,goldianum1 #agc ,,xxxii4 ,,evergreen ,,wood ,,fern1 ,aspidium marginale1 #age ,,xxxiii4 ,,fragrant ,,shield ,,fern1 ,aspidium fragrans1 #agi ,,xxxiv4 ,,braun',s ,,holly ,,fern1 ,aspidium aculeatum1 var4 ,braunii1 #ahc ,,xxxv4 ,,broad ,,beech ,,fern1 ,phegopteris hexagonoptera1 #ahi ,,xxxvi4 ,,oak ,,fern1 ,phegopteris ,dryopteris1 #aia ,,xxxvii4 ,,bulblet ,,bladder ,,fern1 ,cystopteris bulbifera1 #aie ,,xxxviii4 ,,fragile ,,bladder ,,fern1 ,cystopteris fragilis1 #aig ,,xxxix4 ,,rusty ,,woodsia1 ,woodsia ,ilvensis1 #aii ,,xl4 ,,blunt-,,lobed ,,woodsia1 ,woodsia obtusa1 #bja ,,xli4 ,,northern ,,woodsia1 ,woodsia hyperborea1 #bje ,,xlii4 ,,smooth ,,woodsia1 ,woodsia glabella1 #bjg ,,list ,,of ,,illustrations ,the cheerful community of the polypody ,frontispiece ,from a photograph by ,miss ,madeline ,smith4 ,page ,new ,york ,fern xvi ,the greatest charm the ferns possess is that of their surroundings #ab ,from a photograph by ,mr4 ,augustus ,pruyn4 ,fiddleheads #ah ,fragile ,bladder ,fern #ai ,crested ,shield ,fern #bj ,purple ,cliff ,brake #bb ,ternate ,grape ,fern #bd ,evergreen ,wood ,fern #bg ,sensitive ,fern #ee ,cinnamon ,fern #fj ,royal ,fern #fh ,interrupted ,fern #gd ,climbing ,fern #ge ,rattlesnake ,fern #hj ,slender ,cliff ,brake #hi ,the unpromising wall of rock which rose beside us #id ,from a photograph by ,miss ,ledyard4 ,more compound frond of ,purple ,cliff ,brake #ie ,christmas ,fern #ig ,narrow-leaved ,spleenwort #ih ,brake #ajf ,maidenhair #aaj ,mountain ,spleenwort #acj ,mountain ,spleenwort #acb ,in the shaded crevices of a cliff #acb ,from a photograph by ,miss ,madeline ,smith4 ,maidenhair ,spleenwort #acg ,walking ,leaf #adf ,we fairly gloated over the quaint little plants #adh ,from a photograph by ,miss ,ledyard4 ,hart's ,tongue #aea ,marsh ,fern #afb ,like the plumes of departing ,summer #agh ,from a photograph by ,miss ,madeline ,smith4 ,common ,polypody #ahd ,long ,beech ,fern #ahg ,oak ,fern #aia ,bulblet ,bladder ,fern #aid ,how to ,know the ,ferns ,illustration3 ,new ,york ,fern ,,ferns ,,as ,a ,,hobby ,i think it is ,charles ,lamb who says that every man should have a hobby1 if it be nothing better than collecting strings4 ,a man with a hobby turns to account the spare moments4 ,a holiday is a delight instead of a bore to a man with a hobby4 ,thrown out of his usual occupations on a holiday1 the average man is at a loss for employment4 ,provided his neighbors are in the same fix1 he can play cards4 ,but there are hobbies and hobbies4 ,as an occasional relaxation1 for example1 nothing can be said against card-playing4 ,but as a hobby it is not much better than collecting strings4 ,it is neither broadening mentally nor invigorating physically1 and it closes the door upon other interests which are both4 ,i remember that once1 on a long sea-voyage1 ,i envied certain of my fellow-passengers who found amusement in cards when the conditions were such as to make almost any other occupation out of the question4 ,but when finally the ship's course lay along a strange coast1 winding among unfamiliar islands1 by shores luxuriant with tropical vegetation and sprinkled with strange settlements1 all affording delight to the eye and interest to the mind1 these players who had come abroad solely for instruction and pleasure could not be enticed from their tables1 and ,i thanked my stars that ,i had not fallen under the stultifying sway of cards4 ,much the same gratitude is aroused when ,i see men and women spending precious summer days indoors over the card-table when they might be breathing the fragrant1 life-giving air1 and rejoicing in the beauty and interest of the woods and fields4 ,all things considered1 a hobby that takes us out of doors is the best4 ,the different open-air sports may be classed under this head4 ,the chief lack in the artificial sports1 such as polo1 golf1 baseball1 etc41 as opposed to the natural sports1 hunting and fishing1 is that while they are invaluable as a means of health and relaxation1 they do not lead to other and broader interests1 while many a boy-hunter has developed into a naturalist as a result of long days in the woods4 ,hunting and fishing would seem almost perfect recreations were it not for the life-taking element1 which may become brutalizing4 ,i wish that every mother who believes in the value of natural sport for her young boys would set her face sternly against any taking of life that cannot be justified on the ground of man's needs1 either in the way of protection or support4 ,the ideal hobby1 it seems to me1 is one that keeps us in the open air among inspiring surroundings1 with the knowledge of natural objects as the end in view4 ,the study of plants1 of animals1 of the earth itself1 botany1 zology1 or geology1 any one of these will answer the varied requirements of an ideal hobby4 ,potentially they possess all the elements of sport4 ,often they require not only perseverance and skill but courage and daring4 ,they are a means of health1 a relaxation to the mind from ordinary cares1 and an absorbing interest4 ,any one of them may be used as a doorway to the others4 ,if parents realized the value to their childrens' minds and bodies of a love for plants and animals1 of any such hobby as birds or butterflies or trees or flowers1 ,i am sure they would take more pains to encourage the interest which instinctively a child feels in these things4 ,it must be because such realization is lacking that we see parents apparently either too indolent or too ignorant to share the enthusiasm and to satisfy the curiosity awakened in the child's active mind by natural objects4 ,of course it is possible that owing to the strange reticence of many children1 parents may be unconscious of the existence of any enthusiasm or curiosity of this sort4 ,as a little child ,i was so eager to know the names of the wild flowers that ,i went through my grandfather's library1 examining book after book on flowers in the vain hope of acquiring the desired information4 ,always after more or less tedious reading1 for ,i was too young to master tables of contents and introductions1 ,i would discover that the volume under examination was devoted to garden flowers4 ,but ,i do not remember that it occurred to me to tell anyone what ,i wanted or to ask for help4 ,finally ,i learned that a book on the subject1 written for young people1 was in existence1 and ,i asked my mother to buy it for me4 ,the request was gratified promptly and ,i plodded through the preliminary matter of ,how ,plants ,grow to find that ,i was quite unable to master the key1 and that any knowledge of the flowers that could appeal to my child-mind was locked away from me as hopelessly as before4 ,even though my one expressed wish had been so gladly met1 ,i did not confide to others my perplexity1 but surrendered sadly a cherished dream4 ,owing largely1 ,i believe1 to the reaction from this disappointment1 it was many years before ,i attempted again to wrestle with a botanical key1 or to learn the names of the flowers4 ,how much was lost by yielding too easily to discouragement ,i not only realize now1 but ,i realized it partially during the long period when the plants were nameless4 ,among the flowers whose faces were familiar though their names were unknown1 ,i felt that ,i was not making the most of my opportunities4 ,and when ,i met plants which were both new and nameless1 ,i was a stranger indeed4 ,in the ,english woods and along the lovely ,english rivers1 by the rushing torrents and in the ,alpine meadows of ,switzerland1 on the mountains of ,brazil1 ,i should have felt myself less an alien had ,i been able then as now to detect the kinship between foreign and ,north ,american plants1 and to call the strangers by names that were at least partially familiar4 ,to the man or woman who is somewhat at home in the plant-world1 travel is quite a different thing from what it is to one who does not know a mint from a mustard4 ,the shortest journey to a new locality is full of interest to the traveller who is striving to lengthen his list of plant acquaintances4 ,the tedious waits around the railway station are welcomed as opportunities for fresh discoveries4 ,the slow local train receives blessings instead of anathemas because of the superiority of its windows as posts of observation4 ,the long stage ride is too short to satisfy the plant-lover who is keeping count of the different species by the roadside4 ,while crossing the continent on the ,canadian ,pacific ,railway a few years ago1 the days spent in traversing the vast plains east of the ,rockies were days of keen enjoyment on account of the new plants seen from my window and gathered breathlessly for identification during the brief stops4 ,but to most of my fellow-passengers they were days of unmitigated boredom4 ,they could not comprehend the reluctance with which ,i met each nightfall as an interruption to my watch4 ,when1 finally1 one cold ,june morning we climbed the glorious ,canadian ,rockies and were driven to the hotel at ,banff1 where we were to rest for twenty-four hours1 the enjoyment of the previous week was crowned by seeing the dining-room tables decorated with a flower which ,i had never succeeded in finding in the woods at home4 ,it was the lovely little orchid1 ,calypso borealis1 a shy1 wild creature which had been brought to me from the mountains of ,vermont4 ,it seemed almost desecration to force this little aristocrat to consort with the pepper-pots and pickles of a hotel dining-room4 ,in my eagerness to see ,calypso in her forest-home ,i could scarcely wait to eat the breakfast for which a few moments before ,i had been painfully hungry4 ,unfortunately the waiters at ,banff were proved as ruthless as vandals in other parts of the world4 ,among the pines that clothed the lower mountain-sides ,i found many plants of ,calypso1 but only one or two of the delicate blossoms had been left to gladden the eyes of those who love to see a flower in the wild beauty of its natural surroundings4 ,that same eventful day had in store for me another delight as the result of my love for plants4 ,for a long time ,i had wished to know the shooting-star1 a flower with whose general appearance from pictures or from descriptions ,i was familiar4 ,i knew that it grew in this part of the world1 but during a careful search of the woods and meadows and of the banks of the rushing streams the only shooting-star ,i discovered was a faded blossom which someone had picked and flung upon the mountain-path4 ,late in the afternoon1 having given up the hope of any fresh find1 ,i went for a swim in the warm sulphur pool4 ,while paddling about the clear water1 revelling in the beauty of the surroundings and the sheer physical joy of the moment1 my eyes fell suddenly on a cluster of pink1 cyclamen-like blossoms springing from the opposite rocks4 ,i recognized at once the pretty shooting-star4 ,two days later1 at ,glacier1 ,i had another pleasure from the same source in the discovery of great beds of nodding golden lilies1 the western species of adder's tongue1 growing close to white fields of snow4 ,ten thousand saw ,i at a glance1 ,tossing their heads in sprightly dance4 ,the enjoyment of the entire trip to the ,pacific coast1 of the voyage among the islands and glaciers of ,alaska1 and of the journey home through the ,yellowstone and across our ,western prairies1 was increased indescribably by the new plants ,i learned to know4 ,the pleasure we take in literature1 as in travel1 is enhanced by a knowledge of nature4 ,not only are we able better to appreciate writers on nature so original and inspiring as ,thoreau1 or so charming as ,john ,burroughs1 but such nature-loving poets as ,wordsworth1 ,lowell1 ,bryant1 and countless others1 mean infinitely more to the man or woman who with a love of poetry combines a knowledge of the plants and birds mentioned in the poems4 ,books of travel are usually far more interesting if we have some knowledge of botany and zology4 ,this is also true of biographies which deal with men or women who find either their work or their recreation--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 science4 ,one fascinating department of nature-study1 that of ferns1 has received but little attention in this country4 ,within the last few years we have been supplied with excellent and inexpensive hand-books to our birds1 butterflies1 trees1 and flowers4 ,but so far as ,i know1 with the exception of ,mr4 ,williamson's little volume on the ,ferns of ,kentucky1 we have no book with sufficient text and illustrations within the reach of the brains and purse of the average fern-lover4 ,in ,england one finds books of all sizes and prices on the ,english ferns1 while our beautiful ,american ferns are almost unknown1 owing probably to the lack of attractive and inexpensive fern literature4 ,eaton's finely illustrated work on the ,ferns of ,north ,america is entirely out of the question on account of its expense2 and the ,illustrated ,flora of ,britton ,brown is also beyond the reach of the ordinary plant-lover4 ,miss ,price's ,fern ,collectors' ,hand-book is helpful1 but it is without descriptive text4 ,our ,native ,ferns and their ,allies1 by ,mr4 ,underwood1 is exhaustive and authoritative1 but it is extremely technical and the different species are not illustrated4 ,mr4 ,dodge's pamphlet on the ,ferns and ,fern ,allies of ,new ,england is excellent so far as it goes1 the descriptions not being so technical as to confuse the beginner4 ,but this also is not illustrated1 while ,mr4 ,knobel's pamphlet1 ,the ,ferns and ,evergreens of ,new ,england1 has clear black-and-white illustrations of many species1 but it has no text of importance4 ,in view of the singular grace and charm of the fern tribe1 patent to the most careless observer1 this lack of fern literature is surprising4 ,it is possible that ,thoreau is right in claiming that we all feel the ferns to be farther from us essentially and sympathetically than the phenogamous plants1 the roses and weeds for instance4 ,this may be true in spite of the fact that to some of us the charm of ferns is as great1 their beauty more subtle1 than that of the flowering plants1 and to learn to know them by name1 to trace them to their homes1 and to observe their habits is attended with an interest as keen1 perhaps keener1 than that which attends the study of the names1 haunts1 and habits of the flowers4 ,that ferns possess a peculiar power of blinding their votaries to the actual position they occupy in the minds of people in general seems to me evidenced by the following quotations1 taken respectively from ,mr4 ,underwood's and ,mr4 ,williamson's introductions4 ,so competent and coldly scientific an authority as ,mr4 ,underwood opens his book with these words3 ,in the entire vegetable world there are probably no forms of growth that attract more general notice than the ,ferns4 ,the lack of fern literature1 it seems to me1 proves the fallacy of this statement4 ,if ferns had been more generally noticed than other forms of growth in the vegetable world1 surely more would have been written on the subject1 and occasionally someone besides a botanist would be found who could name correctly more than three or four of our common wayside ferns4 ,in his introduction to the ,ferns of ,kentucky1 ,mr4 ,williamson asks3 ,who would now think of going to the country to spend a few days1 or even one day1 without first inquiring whether ferns are to be found in the locality8 ,though for some years ,i have been interested in ferns and have made many all-day country expeditions with various friends1 ,i do not remember ever to have heard this question asked4 ,yet that two such writers as ,mr4 ,underwood and ,mr4 ,williamson could imagine the existence of a state of things so contrary to fact1 goes far to prove the fascination of the study4 ,to the practical mind one of the great advantages of ferns as a hobby lies in the fact that the number of our native1 that is1 of our northeastern1 ferns is so 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 them4 ,on an ordinary walk of an hour or two through the fields and woods1 the would-be fern student can familiarize himself with anywhere from ten to fifteen of the ferns described in this book4 ,during a summer holiday in an average locality he should learn to know by sight and by name from twenty-five to thirty ferns1 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 wildest ravines may hope to extend his list into the forties4 ,during the past year several lists of the ferns found on a single walk or within a certain radius have been published in the ,fern ,bulletin1 leading to some rivalry between fern students who claim precedence for their pet localities4 ,mr4 ,underwood has found twenty-seven species within the immediate vicinity of ,green ,lake1 ,onondaga ,county1 ,n4 ,y41 and thirty-four species within a circle whose diameter is not over three miles4 ,mrs4 ,e4 ,h4 ,terry1 on a two-hours' walk near ,dorset1 ,vt41 did still better4 ,she found thirty-three species and four varieties1 while ,miss ,margaret ,slosson has broken the record by finding thirty-nine species and eight varieties1 near ,pittsford1 ,rutland ,county1 ,vt41 within a triangle formed by the end of a tamarack swamp1 a field less than a mile away1 and some limestone cliffs three miles from both the field and the end of the swamp4 ,apart from the interest of extending one's list of fern acquaintances is that of discovering new stations for the rarer species4 ,it was my good fortune last summer to make one of a party which found a previously unknown station for the rare ,hart's ,tongue1 and ,i felt the thrill of excitement which attends such an experience4 ,the other day1 in looking over ,torrey's ,flora of ,new ,york1 ,i noticed the absence of several ferns now known to be natives of this ,state4 ,when the fern student realizes the possibility which is always before him of finding a new station for a rare fern1 and thus adding an item of value to the natural history of the ,state1 he should be stimulated to fresh zeal4 ,other interesting possibilities are those of discovering a new variety and of chancing upon those forked or crested fronds which appear occasionally in many species4 ,these unusual forms not only possess the charm of rarity and sometimes of intrinsic beauty1 but they are interesting because of the light it is believed they may throw on problems of fern ancestry4 ,to this department of fern study1 the discovery and development of abnormal forms1 much attention is paid in ,england4 ,in ,lowe's ,british ,ferns ,i find described between thirty and forty varieties of ,polypodium vulgare1 while the varieties of ,scolopendrium vulgare1 our rare ,hart's ,tongue1 extend into the hundreds4 ,the majority of ferns mature late in the summer1 giving the student the advantage of several weeks or months in which to observe their growth4 ,many of our most interesting flowers bloom and perish before we realize that the spring is really over4 ,there are few flower lovers who have not had the sense of being outwitted by the rush of the season4 ,every year ,i make appointments with the different plants to visit them at their flowering time1 and nearly every year ,i miss some such appointments through failure to appreciate the short lives of these fragile blossoms4 ,a few of the ferns share the early habits common to so many flowers4 ,but usually we can hope to find them in their prime when most of the flowers have disappeared4 ,illustration3 ,the greatest charm the ferns possess is that of their surroundings4 ,to me the greatest charm the ferns possess is that of their surroundings4 ,no other plants know so well how to choose their haunts4 ,if you wish to know the ferns you must follow them to ,nature's most sacred retreats4 ,in remote1 tangled swamps1 overhanging the swift1 noiseless brook in the heart of the forest1 close to the rush of the foaming waterfall1 in the depths of some dark ravine1 or perhaps high up on mountain-ledges1 where the air is purer and the world wider and life more beautiful than we had fancied1 these wild1 graceful things are most at home4 ,you will never learn to know the ferns if you expect to make their acquaintance from a carriage1 along the highway1 or in the interval between two meals4 ,for their sakes you must renounce indolent habits4 ,you must be willing to tramp tirelessly through woods and across fields1 to climb mountains and to scramble down gorges4 ,you must be content with what luncheon you can carry in your pocket4 ,and let me tell you this4 ,when at last you fling yourself upon some bed of springing moss1 and add to your sandwich cresses fresh and dripping from the neighboring brook1 you will eat your simple meal with a relish that never attends the most elaborate luncheon within four walls4 ,and when later you surrender yourself to the delicious sense of fatigue and drowsy relaxation which steals over you1 mind and body1 listening half-unconsciously to the plaintive1 long-drawn notes of the wood-birds and the sharp tsing of the locusts1 breathing the mingled fragrance of the mint at your feet and the pines and hemlocks overhead1 you will wonder vaguely why on summer days you ever drive along the dusty high-road or eat indoors or do any of the flavorless conventional things that consume so large a portion of our lives4 ,of course what is true of other out-door studies is true of the study of ferns4 ,constantly your curiosity is aroused by some bird-note1 some tree1 some gorgeously colored butterfly1 and1 in the case of ferns especially1 by some outcropping rock1 which make you eager to follow up other branches of nature-study1 and to know by name each tree and bird and butterfly and rock you meet4 ,the immediate result of these long happy days is that golden doze of mind which follows upon much exercise in the open air1 the ecstatic stupor which ,stevenson supposes to be the nearly chronic condition of open-air laborers4 ,surely there is no such preventive of insomnia1 no such cure for nervousness or morbid introspection as an absorbing out-door interest4 ,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 nature4 ,,when ,,and ,,where ,,to ,,find ,,ferns ,it is no use to direct our steps to the woods if they do not carry us thither4 ,i am alarmed when it happens that ,i have walked a mile into the woods bodily1 without getting there in spirit4--,thoreau ,,when ,,and ,,where ,,to ,,find ,,ferns ,it is in early spring that one likes to take up for the first time an out-door study4 ,but if you begin your search for ferns in ,march1 when the woods are yielding a few timid blossoms1 and the air1 still pungent with a suggestion of winter1 vibrates to the lisping notes of newly arrived birds1 you will hardly be rewarded by finding any but the evergreen species1 and even these are not likely to be especially conspicuous at this season4 ,usually it is the latter part of ,april before the pioneers among the ferns1 the great ,osmundas1 push up the big1 woolly croziers1 or fiddleheads1 which will soon develop into the most luxuriant and tropical-looking plants of our low wet woods and roadsides4 ,at about the same time1 down among last year's ,christmas ,ferns1 you find the rolled-up fronds of this year1 covered with brown or whitish scales4 ,and now every day for many weeks will appear fresh batches of young ferns4 ,someone has said that there is nothing more aggressively new-born than a young fern1 and this thought will recur constantly as you chance upon the little wrinkled crozier-like fronds1 whether they are bundled up in wrappings of soft wool or protected by a garment of overlapping scales1 or whether1 like many of the later arrivals1 they come into the world as naked and puny as a human baby4 ,illustration3 ,fiddleheads ,once uncurled1 the ferns lose quickly this look of infancy1 and embody1 quite as effectively1 even the hardiest and coarsest among them1 the slender grace of youth4 ,early in ,may we find the ,osmundas in this stage of their development4 ,the ,royal ,fern1 smooth and delicate1 is now flushing the wet meadows with its tender red4 ,in the open woods and along the roadside the ,interrupted and the ,cinnamon ,ferns wear a green equally delicate4 ,these three plants soon reach maturity and are conspicuous by reason of their unusual size and their flower-like fruit-clusters4 ,on the rocky banks of the brook1 or perhaps among the spreading roots of some forest-tree1 the ,fragile ,bladder ,fern unrolls its tremulous little fronds1 on which the fruit-dots soon appear4 ,where there is less moisture and more exposure we may find the ,rusty ,woodsia1 now belying its name by its silvery aspect4 ,at this same season in the bogs and thickets we should look for the curious little ,adder's ,tongue4 ,illustration3 ,fragile ,bladder ,fern ,by the first of ,june many of the ferns are well advanced4 ,on the hill-sides and along the wood-path the ,brake spreads its single umbrella-like frond1 now pale green and delicate1 quite unlike the umbrageous-looking plant of a month later4 ,withdrawing into the recesses formed by the pasture-rails the ,lady ,fern is in its first freshness1 without any sign of the disfigurements it develops so often by the close of the summer4 ,great patches of yellowish green in the wet meadows draw attention to the ,sensitive ,fern1 which only at this season seems to have any claim to its title4 ,the ,virginia ,chain ,fern is another plant to be looked for in the wet ,june meadows4 ,it is one of the few ferns which grows occasionally in deep water4 ,the ,maidenhair1 though immature1 is lovely in its fragility4 ,thoreau met with it on ,june #acth and describes it in his diary for that day3 ,the delicate maiden-hair fern forms a cup or dish1 very delicate and graceful4 ,beautiful1 too1 its glossy black stem and its wave-edged1 fruited leaflets4 ,in the crevices of lofty cliffs the ,mountain ,spleenwort approaches maturity4 ,and now we should search the moist1 mossy crannies of the rocks for the ,slender ,cliff ,brake1 for in some localities this plant disappears early in the summer4 ,illustration3 ,crested ,shield ,fern ,we may hope to find most of the ferns in full foliage1 if not in fruit1 by the middle of ,july4 ,dark green1 tall and vigorous stand the ,brakes4 ,the ,crested ,shield ,fern is fruiting in the swamps1 and in the deeper woods ,clinton's and ,goldie's ,ferns are in full fruitage4 ,magnificent vase-like clusters of the ,ostrich ,fern spread above our heads in the thicket along the river-shore4 ,the ,spinulose ,shield ,fern and the ,evergreen ,wood ,fern meet us at every turn of the shaded path beside the brook1 and on the rocky wooded hill-side the ,christmas ,fern is almost as abundant4 ,where the stream plunges from above1 the ,bulblet ,bladder ,fern drapes the steep banks with its long feathery fronds4 ,in the wet meadows and thickets the ,new ,york ,fern and the ,marsh ,shield ,fern are noticeable on account of their light green color and delicate texture4 ,on mountain-ledges we look for the little ,woodsias1 and in rocky places1 often in the shadow of red cedars1 for the slim erect fronds of the ,ebony ,spleenwort4 ,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 cliff4 ,almost surely1 if we search the moist1 shaded rocks and ravines in the neighborhood1 we shall greet with unfailing pleasure the lovely little ,maidenhair ,spleenwort4 ,in somewhat southern localities the tapering1 yellow-green fronds of the ,dicksonia or ,hay-scented ,fern are even more abundant and conspicuous than the darker foliage of the ,spinulose ,shield ,fern4 ,they abound along the roadsides and in partially shaded or open pastures1 the spores ripening not earlier than ,august4 ,in the same month we find in full maturity three interesting wood ferns1 all belonging to the same group4 ,the first of these is the ,long ,beech ,fern4 ,it is abundant in many of our northern woods and on the rocky banks of streams4 ,its shape is noticeably triangular1 the triangle being longer than broad4 ,its texture is rather soft and downy4 ,the lowest pair of pinn stand forward and are conspicuously deflexed1 giving an easy clew to the plant's identity4 ,illustration3 ,purple ,cliff ,brake ,the most attractive member of the group to my mind is the ,oak ,fern4 ,i find it growing abundantly in the cedar swamps and wet woods of somewhat northern localities4 ,its delicate1 spreading1 three-branched frond suggests that of a young ,brake4 ,this plant is peculiarly dainty in the early summer1 as frequently later in the year it becomes blotched and disfigured4 ,the ,broad ,beech ,fern seeks drier neighborhoods1 and often a more southern locality than its two kinsmen4 ,its triangular fronds1 broader than they are long1 are conspicuous on account of the unusual size of the lowest pair of pinn4 ,a common plant in the rich ,august woods is the ,virginia ,grape ,fern1 with its spreading leaf and branching fruit-cluster4 ,the rather coarsely cut fronds of the ,silvery ,spleenwort are also frequently met with in the same neighborhood4 ,occasionally in their companionship we find the delicate and attractive ,narrow-leaved ,spleenwort4 ,august is the month that should be chosen for expeditions in search of some of our rarest ferns4 ,in certain wild ravines of ,central ,new ,york1 at the foot of shaded limestone cliffs1 the glossy leaves of the ,hart's ,tongue are actually weighed down by the brown1 velvety rows of sporangia which emboss their lower surfaces4 ,over the rocks near-by1 the quaint1 though less unusual1 ,walking ,leaf runs riot4 ,perhaps in the crevices of the overhanging cliff the little ,rue ,spleenwort has secured a foothold for its tiny fronds1 their backs nearly covered with confluent fruit-dots4 ,on the mountain-ledges of ,northern ,new ,england we should look for the ,green ,spleenwort1 and for the ,fragrant ,shield ,fern4 ,along rocky mountain-streams ,braun's ,holly ,fern may be found4 ,in wet woods1 usually near the coast1 the ,net-veined ,chain ,fern is occasionally conspicuous4 ,more southern localities must be visited if we wish to see in its home the ,hairy ,lip ,fern1 whose most northern stations were on the ,hudson ,river 7for ,i do not know if this plant can be found there at present71 and such rare ,spleenworts as the ,pinnatifid1 ,scott's and ,bradley's4 ,illustration3 ,ternate ,grape ,fern ,in ,september the fruit-clusters of the little ,curly ,grass ripen in the low pine barrens of ,new ,jersey4 ,over moist thickets1 in rarely favored retreats from ,massachusetts southward1 clamber the slender strands of the ,climbing ,fern4 ,thoreau's diary of ,september #bfth evidently refers to this plant3 ,the tree-fern is in fruit now1 with its delicate1 tendril-like fruit1 climbing three or four feet over the asters1 golden-rod1 etc41 on the edge of the swamp4 ,in moist places now we find the triangular much dissected leaf and branching fruit-cluster of the ,ternate ,grape ,fern4 ,when ,october sets in1 many of the ferns take their color-note from the surroundings4 ,vying with the maples along the roadside the ,osmundas wear deep orange4 ,many of the fronds of the ,dicksonia are bleached almost white1 while others look fresh and green despite their delicate texture4 ,on ,october #dth ,thoreau writes of this plant3 ,how interesting now1 by wall-sides and on open springy hill-sides1 the large straggling tufts of the ,dicksonia fern above the leaf-strewn green sward1 the cold1 fall-green sward6 ,they are unusually preserved about the ,corner ,spring1 considering the earliness of this year4 ,long1 handsome1 lanceolate green fronds pointing in every direction1 recurved and full of fruit1 intermixed with yellowish and sere brown and shrivelled ones1 the whole clump perchance strewn with fallen and withered maple leaves1 and overtopped by now withered and unnoticed osmundas4 ,their lingering greenness is so much the more noticeable now that the leaves generally have changed4 ,they affect us as if they were evergreen1 such persistent life and greenness in the midst of decay4 ,no matter how much they are strewn with withered leaves1 moist and green they spire above them1 not fearing the frosts1 fragile as they are4 ,their greenness is so much the more interesting1 because so many have already fallen1 and we know that the first severe frost will cut off them too4 ,in the summer greenness is cheap1 now it is a thing comparatively rare1 and is the emblem of life to us4 ,oddly enough1 with the first approach of winter the vigorous-looking ,brake turns brown and quickly withers1 usually without passing through any intermediate gradations of yellow4 ,in ,november we notice chiefly the evergreen ferns4 ,the great round fruit-dots of the ,polypody show distinctly through the fronds as they stand erect in the sunlight4 ,a sober green1 looking as though it were warranted fast1 is the winter dress of the ,evergreen ,wood ,fern4 ,the ,christmas ,fern1 bright and glossy1 reminds one that the holiday season is not distant4 ,these three plants are especially conspicuous in our late autumn woods4 ,their brave and cheerful endurance is always a delight4 ,later in the season the curled pinn of the ,polypody seem to be making the best of cold weather4 ,the fronds of the ,christmas ,fern and the ,evergreen ,wood ,fern1 still fresh and green1 lie prostrate on the ground1 their weakened stems apparently unable to support them erect1 but undoubtedly in this position they are the better protected from the storm and stress of winter4 ,many other ferns are more or less evergreen1 but perhaps none are so important to our fall rambles as this sturdy group4 ,several of the ,rock ,spleenworts are evergreen1 but their ordinarily diminutive stature dwindles with the increasing cold1 and we seldom encounter them on our winter walks4 ,the sterile fronds of a number of the ,shield ,ferns endure till spring4 ,the ,purple ,cliff ,brake and the ,walking ,leaf are also proof against ice and snow4 ,even in the middle of ,january the keen-eyed fern hunter may hope to make some discovery of interest regarding the haunts and habits of his favorites4 ,illustration3 ,evergreen ,wood ,fern ,,explanation ,,of ,,terms ,a ,,fern is a flowerless plant growing from a rootstock 7a71 with leaves or fronds usually raised on a stalk1 rolled up 7b7 in the bud1,a and bearing on their lower surfaces 7c7 the spores1 by means of which the plant reproduces4 ,illustration3 ,polypody ,a rootstock is an underground1 rooting stem4 ,ferns are propagated by the growth and budding of the rootstock as well as by the ordinary method of reproduction4 ,the fronds spring from the rootstock in the manner peculiar to the species to which they belong4 ,the ,osmundas1 the ,evergreen ,wood ,fern1 and others grow in a crown or circle1 the younger fronds always inside4 ,the ,mountain ,spleenwort is one of a class which has irregularly clustered fronds4 ,the fronds of the ,brake are more or less solitary1 rising from distinct and somewhat distant portions of the rootstock4 ,the ,botrychiums usually give birth to a single frond each season1 the base of the stalk containing the bud for the succeeding year4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #a1 ,fig4 #b1 ,fig4 #c ,a frond is simple when it consists of an undivided leaf such as that of the ,hart's ,tongue or of the ,walking ,leaf 7,fig4 #a74 ,a frond is pinnatifid when cut so as to form lobes extending half-way or more to the midvein 7,fig4 #b74 ,a frond is once-pinnate when the incisions extend to the midvein 7,fig4 #c74 ,under these conditions the midvein is called the rachis 7a71 and the divisions are called the pinn 7b74 ,a frond is twice-pinnate when the pinn are cut into divisions which extend to their midveins 7,fig4 #d74 ,these divisions of the pinn are called pinnules 7a74 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #d ,illustration3 ,fig4 #e ,illustration3 ,fig4 #f ,a frond that is only once-pinnate may seem at first glance twice-pinnate1 as its pinn may be so deeply lobed or pinnatifid as to require a close examination to convince us that the lobes come short of the midvein of the pinn4 ,in a popular hand-book it is not thought necessary to explain further modifications4 ,the veins of a fern are free when1 branching from the midvein1 they do not unite with other veins 7,fig4 #e74 ,ferns produce spores 7,fig4 #f7 instead of seeds4 ,these spores are collected in spore-cases or sporangia 7,fig4 #g74 ,usually the sporangia are clustered in dots or lines on the back of a frond or along its margins4 ,these patches of sporangia are called sori or fruit-dots4 ,they take various shapes in the different species4 ,they may be round or linear or oblong or kidney-shaped or curved4 ,at times they are naked1 but more frequently they are covered by a minute outgrowth of the frond or by its reflexed margin4 ,this covering is called the indusium4 ,in systematic botanies the indusia play an important part in determining genera4 ,but as often they are so minute as to be almost invisible to the naked eye1 and1 as frequently they wither away early in the season1 ,i place little dependence upon them as a means of popular identification4 ,a fertile frond is one which bears spores4 ,a sterile frond is one without spores4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #g ,,footnote3 ,footnote ,a3 ,ophioglossum and the ,botrychiums1 not being true ferns1 are exceptions4 ,,fertilization1 ,,development1 ,,and ,,fructification ,,of ,,ferns ,until very recently the development of ferns1 their methods of fertilization and fructification have been shrouded in mystery4 ,at one period it was believed that fern-seed1 as the fern-spores were called1 possessed various miraculous powers4 ,these were touched upon frequently by the early poets4 ,in ,shakespeare's ,henry ,,iv ,gadshill exclaims3 ,we have the receipt of fern-seed1 we walk invisible4 ,he is met with the rejoinder3 ,nay1 ,i think rather you are more beholden to the night than to fern-seed1 for your walking invisible4 ,one of ,ben ,jonson's characters expresses the same idea in much the same words3 ,i had no medicine1 sir1 to walk invisible1 ,no fern-seed in my pocket4 ,in ,butler's ,hudibras reference is made to the anxieties we needlessly create for ourselves3 ,that spring like fern1 that infant weed1 ,equivocally without seed1 ,and have no possible foundation ,but merely in th' imagination4 ,in view of the fact that many ferns bear their spores or fern-seed somewhat conspicuously on the lower surfaces of their fronds1 it seems probable that the fern of early writers was our common ,brake1 the fructification of which is more than usually obscure1 its sporangia or fern-seed being concealed till full maturity by the reflexed margin of its frond4 ,this plant is1 perhaps1 the most abundant and conspicuous of ,english ferns4 ,miss ,pratt believes it to be the fearn of the ,anglo-,saxons1 and says that to its profusion in their neighborhood many towns and hamlets1 such as ,fearnborough or ,farnborough1 ,farningham1 ,farnhow1 and others owe their titles4 ,the plant is a noticeable and common one also on the ,continent4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #h ,in #ahdh the development of the fern was first satisfactorily explained4 ,it was then shown that these plants pass through what has been called1 not altogether happily the modern botanist thinks1 an alternation of generations4 ,one generation1 the sexual1 consists of a tiny1 green1 plate-like object1 termed the prothallium 7,fig4 #h74 ,this is connected with the soil by hair-like roots4 ,on its lower surface are borne usually both the reproductive organs of the fern1 the antheridia1 corresponding to the stamens or fertilizing organs of the flower1 and the archegonia1 performing the office of the flower's pistils1 inasmuch as their germ-cells receive the fertilizing substance produced by the antheridia4 ,but no seeds are formed as the result of this fertilization4 ,instead of this seed-formation which we note in the flowering plant1 the germ-cell in the fern develops into a fern-plant1 which forms the asexual generation4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #i1 ,fig4 #aj1 ,fig4 #aa ,first fronds of ,maidenhair ,the first fronds of this little plant are very small and simple1 quite unlike the later ones4 ,for a time the plant is nourished by the prothallium1 but as soon as it is sufficiently developed and vigorous enough to shift for itself1 the prothallium dies away1 and the fern maintains an independent existence4 ,eventually it produces fronds which bear on their lower surfaces the sporangia containing the minute spores from which spring the prothallia4 ,for our present purpose it is enough to say that spores differ from seeds in that they are not the immediate result of the interaction of reproductive organs4 ,they resemble seeds in that they are expelled from the parent-plant on attaining maturity1 and germinate on contact with the moist earth4 ,thus it is seen that the life-cycle of a fern consists of two stages3 ,first1 the prothallium1 bearing the reproductive organs2 second1 the fern-plant proper1 developing the spores which produce the prothallium4 ,along the moist1 shaded banks of the wood road1 or on decaying stumps1 keen eyes will discern frequently the tiny green prothallia1 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 plants1 or on the moist surfaces of flower-pots1 where the spores have fallen accidentally and have germinated4 ,as the fertilization of the germ-cell in the archegonium cannot take place except under water1 perhaps the fact is accounted for that ferns are found chiefly in moist places4 ,this water may be only a sufficient amount of rain or dew to permit the antherozoids or fertilizing cells of the antheridium to swim to the archegonium1 which they enter for the purpose of fertilizing the germ-cell4 ,it is interesting to examine with a good magnifying glass the sporangia borne on the lower surface of a mature fertile frond4 ,in many species each sporangium or spore-case is surrounded with an elastic ring1 which at maturity contracts so suddenly as to rupture the spore-case1 and cause the expulsion of the numberless spores 7,fig4 #g74 ,,notable ,,fern ,,families ,,osmunda 7,flowering ,ferns7 ,tall swamp ferns1 growing in large crowns1 with the fertile fronds or portions conspicuously unlike the sterile2 sporangia opening by a longitudinal cleft into two valves4 ,,onoclea ,coarse ferns1 with the fertile fronds rolled up into necklace-like or berry-like segments1 and entirely unlike the broad1 pinnatifid sterile ones4 ,fertile fronds unrolling at maturity1 allowing the spores to escape1 and remaining long after the sterile fronds have perished2 sporangia stalked1 ringed1 bursting transversely4 ,,woodsia ,small or medium-sized ferns1 growing among rocks1 with #a-b pinnate or pinnatifid fronds and round fruit-dots2 indusium thin and often evanescent1 attached by its base under the sporangia1 either small and open1 or else early bursting at the top into irregular pieces or lobes2 sporangia stalked1 ringed1 bursting transversely4 ,,cystopteris 7,bladder ,ferns7 ,delicate rock or wood ferns1 with #b-c pinnate fronds and round fruit-dots2 indusium hood-like1 attached by a broad base to the inner side1 soon thrown back or withering away2 sporangia as above4 ,,aspidium 7,shield ,ferns7 ,ferns with #a-c pinnate fronds and round fruit-dots2 indusium more or less flat1 fixed by its depressed centre2 sporangia as above4 ,,phegopteris 7,beech ,ferns7 ,medium-sized or small ferns1 with #b-c pinnatifid or ternate leaves1 and small1 round1 uncovered fruit-dots2 sporangia as above4 ,,woodwardia 7,chain ,ferns7 ,large and rather coarse ferns of swamps or wet woods1 fronds pinnate or nearly twice-pinnate2 fruit-dots oblong or linear1 sunk in cavities of the leaf and arranged in chain-like rows2 indusium lid-like1 somewhat leathery1 fixed by its outer margin to a veinlet2 veins more or less reticulated2 sporangia as above4 ,,asplenium 7,spleenworts7 ,large or small ferns1 with varying fronds and linear or oblong fruit-dots2 indusium straight or curved2 sporangia as above4 ,,pell,a 7,cliff ,brakes7 ,small or medium-sized rock ferns1 with pinnate fronds and sporangia borne beneath the reflexed margins of the pinn2 sporangia as above4 ,,botrychium 7,moonworts7 7,belonging to the ,fern ,allies7 ,fleshy plants1 with fronds 7usually solitary7 divided into a sterile and a fertile portion1 the bud for the succeeding year embedded in the base of the stem4 ,,how ,,to ,,use ,,the ,,book ,before attempting to identify the ferns by means of the following ,guide it would be well to turn to the ,explanation of ,terms1 and with as many species as you can conveniently collect1 on the table before you1 to master the few necessary technical terms1 that you may be able to distinguish a frond that is pinnatifid from one that is pinnate1 a pinna from a pinnule1 a fertile from a sterile frond4 ,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 all4 ,the fertile fronds of the ,onocleas1 for example1 are so contracted as to conceal any resemblance to the sterile ones4 ,they appear to be mere clusters of fruit4 ,the fertile fronds of the ,cinnamon ,fern are equally unleaf-like1 as are the fertile portions of the other ,osmundas and of several other species4 ,in your rambles through the fields and woods your eyes will soon learn to detect hitherto unnoticed species4 ,in gathering specimens you will take heed to break off the fern as near the ground as possible1 and you will not be satisfied till you have secured both a fertile and a sterile frond4 ,in carrying them home you will remember the necessity of keeping together the fronds which belong to the same plant4 ,when sorting your finds you will group them according to the ,guide4 ,the broad-leaved ,sensitive ,fern1 with its separate1 dark-green fruit cluster1 makes its way necessarily to ,group ,i4 ,to ,group ,,ii goes your pale-fronded ,royal ,fern1 tipped with brown sporangia4 ,as a matter of course you lay in ,group ,,iii the leaf-like but dissimilar sterile and fertile fronds of the ,slender ,cliff ,brake4 ,the spreading ,brake1 its reflexed margin covering the sporangia1 identifies itself with ,group ,,iv4 ,the oblong fruit-dots of the little ,mountain ,spleenwort carry it to ,group ,v1 while the round ones1 like pin-heads1 of the ,evergreen ,wood ,fern announce it a member of ,group ,,vi4 ,the different ferns sorted1 it will be a simple matter to run quickly through the brief descriptions under the different ,groups till you are referred to the descriptions in the body of the book of the species under investigation4 ,,guide ,for the purpose of identification the ferns described are arranged in six groups1 according to their manner of fruiting4 ,,group ,i ,,sterile ,,and ,,fertile ,,fronds ,,totally ,,unlike2 ,,fertile ,,fronds ,,not ,,leaf-,,like ,,in ,,appearance #a4 ,,sensitive ,,fern ,onoclea sensibilis ,sterile fronds usually large2 broadly triangular1 deeply pinnatifid4 ,fertile fronds much contracted1 with berry-like pinnules4 ,in wet meadows4 ,p4 #ed4 #b4 ,,ostrich ,,fern ,onoclea ,struthiopteris ,large4 ,sterile fronds once-pinnate1 pinn pinnatifid4 ,fertile fronds contracted1 with necklace-like pinn4 ,along streams and in moist woods4 ,p4 #ef4 #c4 ,,cinnamon ,,fern ,osmunda cinnamomea ,large4 ,sterile fronds once-pinnate1 pinn pinnatifid4 ,fertile fronds composed of cinnamon-brown fruit-clusters4 ,in wet places4 ,p4 #fj4 #d4 ,,curly ,,grass ,schiza pusilla ,very small4 ,sterile fronds linear1 grass-like4 ,fertile fronds taller1 with a terminal fruit-cluster4 ,in pine barrens of ,new ,jersey4 ,p4 #fc4 ,,group ,,ii ,,fertile ,,fronds ,,partially ,,leaf-,,like1 ,,the ,,fertile ,,portion ,,unlike ,,the ,,rest ,,of ,,the ,,frond ,the species coming under the genera ,botrychium and ,ophioglossum may appear to belong to ,group ,i1 as the fertile and the sterile portions of their fronds may seem to the uninitiated like separate fronds1 but in reality they belong to the one frond4 #e4 ,,royal ,,fern ,osmunda regalis ,large4 ,sterile fronds twice-pinnate1 pinnules oblong4 ,fertile fronds leaf-like below1 sporangia in clusters at their summits4 ,in wet places4 ,p4 #fg4 #f4 ,,interrupted ,,fern ,osmunda ,claytoniana ,large4 ,sterile fronds once-pinnate1 pinn pinnatifid4 ,fertile fronds leaf-like above and below1 contracted in the middle with brown fruit-clusters4 ,in wet places4 ,p4 #gb4 #g4 ,,climbing ,,fern ,lygodium palmatum ,climbing1 with lobed1 palmate pinn and terminal fruit-clusters4 ,moist thickets and open woods4 ,rare4 ,p4 #ge4 #h4 ,,adder',s ,,tongue ,ophioglossum vulgatum ,small4 ,sterile portion an ovate leaf4 ,fertile portion a slender spike4 ,in moist meadows4 ,p4 #gg4 #i4 ,,rattlesnake ,,fern ,botrychium ,virginianum ,rather large4 ,sterile portion a thin1 spreading1 ternately divided leaf with three primary divisions2 #a-b pinnate4 ,fertile portion a branching fruit-cluster4 ,in rich woods4 ,p4 #hj4 #aj4 ,,ternate ,,grape ,,fern ,botrychium ternatum or dissectum ,of varying size1 very fleshy4 ,sterile portion a broadly triangular1 ternate1 finely dissected leaf1 long-stalked from near the base of the stem4 ,fertile portion a branching fruit-cluster4 ,in moist meadows4 ,p4 #ha4 #aa4 ,,little ,,grape ,,fern ,botrychium simplex ,a very small fleshy plant4 ,sterile portion an oblong leaf more or less lobed4 ,fertile portion a simple or slightly branching spike4 ,in moist woods and in fields4 ,p4 #hb4 #ab4 ,,moonwort ,botrychium ,lunaria ,usually small1 very fleshy4 ,sterile portion divided into several fan-shaped lobes4 ,fertile portion a branching fruit-cluster4 ,mostly in fields4 ,p4 #hd4 #ac4 ,,matricary ,,grape ,,fern ,botrychium matricarifolium ,small1 more or less fleshy4 ,sterile portion ovate or oblong1 once or twice pinnatifid4 ,fertile portion a branching fruit-cluster4 ,in grassy woods and wet meadows4 ,p4 #hf4 #ad4 ,,lance-,,leaved ,,grape ,,fern ,botrychium lanceolatum ,small1 scarcely fleshy4 ,sterile portion triangular1 twice-pinnatifid4 ,fertile portion a branching fruit-cluster4 ,in woods and meadows4 ,p4 #hf4 ,,group ,,iii ,,fertile ,,fronds ,,uniformly ,,somewhat ,,leaf-,,like ,,in ,,appearance1 ,,yet ,,differing ,,noticeably ,,from ,,sterile ,,fronds #ae4 ,,slender ,,cliff ,,brake ,pella gracilis ,a small fern1 #a-c pinnate4 ,very delicate4 ,fertile fronds taller1 more contracted and simpler than the sterile1 sporangia bordering the pinn4 ,usually on sheltered rocks1 preferring limestone4 ,p4 #hg4 #af4 ,,purple ,,cliff ,,brake ,pella atropurpurea ,medium sized1 #a-b pinnate1 leathery4 ,fertile fronds taller and more contracted than the sterile1 sporangia bordering the pinn4 ,usually on exposed rocks1 preferring limestone4 ,p4 #ij4 #ag4 ,,christmas ,,fern ,aspidium acrostichoides ,rather large1 smooth and glossy1 once-pinnate4 ,fertile fronds contracted at the summit where the fruit appears4 ,in rocky woods4 ,p4 #if4 #ah4 ,,narrow-,,leaved ,,spleenwort ,asplenium angustifolium ,tall and delicate1 once-pinnate4 ,fertile fronds taller and narrower than the sterile4 ,in moist woods in late summer4 ,p4 #ih4 #ai4 ,,net-,,veined ,,chain ,,fern ,woodwardia angustifolia ,large1 fronds deeply pinnatifid1 the fertile taller and more contracted than the sterile4 ,in wet woods near the coast4 ,p4 #ajb4 ,,group ,,iv ,,fertile ,,and ,,sterile ,,fronds ,,leaf-,,like ,,and ,,similar2 ,,sporangia ,,on ,,or ,,beneath ,a ,,reflexed ,,portion ,,of ,,the ,,margin ,the first clause bars out ,p4 gracilis and ,p4 atropurpurea1 which otherwise would belong to ,group ,,iv as well as to ,group ,,iii4 #bj4 ,,brake ,pteris aquilina ,large and coarse1 frond #c-;branched1 spreading1 each branch #b-pinnate1 sporangia in a continuous line beneath the reflexed margin of the frond4 ,in dry1 somewhat open places4 ,p4 #aje4 #ba4 ,,maidenhair ,adiantum pedatum ,graceful and delicate1 frond forked at the summit of the stem1 #b-pinnate1 the pinn springing from the upper sides of the branches1 pinnules one-sided1 their upper margins lobed1 bearing on their undersides the short fruit-dots4 ,in rich woods4 ,p4 #ajh4 #bb4 ,,hairy ,,lip ,,fern ,cheilanthes vestita ,rather small1 fronds #b-pinnate1 hairy1 fruit-dots covered by the infolded ends of the rounded or oblong lobes4 ,on rocks4 ,p4 #aab4 #bc4 ,,hay-,,scented ,,fern ,dicksonia pilosiuscula ,rather large1 pale1 delicate and sweet-scented1 fronds usually #b-pinnate1 fruit-dots small1 each on a recurved toothlet of the pinnule1 borne on an elevated1 globular receptacle4 ,in moist thickets and in upland pastures4 ,p4 #aad4 ,,group ,v ,,fertile ,,and ,,sterile ,,fronds ,,leaf-,,like ,,and ,,similar2 ,,sporangia ,,in ,,linear ,,or ,,oblong ,,fruit-,,dots #bd4 ,,lady ,,fern ,asplenium ,filix-fmina ,rather large1 fronds #b-pinnate1 fruit-dots curved1 often horseshoe shaped1 finally confluent4 ,in moist woods and along roadsides4 ,p4 #abj4 #be4 ,,silvery ,,spleenwort ,asplenium thelypteroides ,large1 fronds once-pinnate1 pinn deeply pinnatifid1 lobes oblong and obtuse1 fruit-dots oblong1 silvery when young4 ,in rich woods4 ,p4 #abd4 #bf4 ,,rue ,,spleenwort ,asplenium ,ruta-muraria ,very small1 fronds loosely #b-c pinnate at base1 pinnatifid above1 fruit-dots linear-oblong1 confluent when mature4 ,on limestone cliffs4 ,rare4 ,p4 #abf4 #bg4 ,,mountain ,,spleenwort ,asplenium montanum ,small1 fronds #a-b pinnate1 fruit-dots linear-oblong1 often confluent4 ,on rocks4 ,p4 #acj4 #bh4 ,,ebony ,,spleenwort ,asplenium ebeneum ,fronds slender and erect1 once-pinnate1 pinn eared on the upper or on both sides1 stalk and rachis blackish and shining1 fruit-dots oblong4 ,on rocks and hill-sides4 ,p4 #acd4 #bi4 ,,maidenhair ,,spleenwort ,asplenium ,trichomanes ,small1 fronds once-pinnate1 pinn roundish1 stalk and rachis purplish-brown and shining1 fruit-dots short4 ,in crevices of rocks4 ,p4 #acf4 #cj4 ,,green ,,spleenwort ,asplenium viride ,small1 fronds linear1 once-pinnate1 brownish stalk passing into a green rachis4 ,on shaded cliffs northward4 ,p4 #ach4 #ca4 ,,scott',s ,,spleenwort ,asplenium ebenoides ,small1 fronds pinnate below1 pinnatifid above1 apex slender and prolonged1 stalk and rachis blackish1 fruit-dots straight or slightly curved4 ,on limestone4 ,very rare4 ,p4 #adj4 #cb4 ,,pinnatifid ,,spleenwort ,asplenium pinnatifidum ,small1 fronds pinnatifid1 or the lower part pinnate1 tapering above into a slender prolongation1 stalk blackish1 passing into a green rachis1 fruit-dots straight or slightly curved4 ,on rocks4 ,rare4 ,p4 #adb4 #cc4 ,,bradley',s ,,spleenwort ,asplenium ,bradleyi ,small1 once-pinnate1 pinn lobed or toothed1 stalk and rachis chestnut-brown1 fruit-dots short4 ,on rocks1 preferring limestone4 ,very rare4 ,p4 #add4 #cd4 ,,walking ,,fern ,camptosorus rhizophyllus ,small1 fronds undivided1 heart-shaped at the base or sometimes with prolonged basal ears1 tapering above to a prolonged point which roots1 forming a new plant1 fruit-dots oblong or linear1 irregularly scattered4 ,on shaded rocks1 preferring limestone4 ,p4 #adf4 #ce4 ,,hart',s ,,tongue ,scolopendrium vulgare ,fronds a few inches to nearly two feet long1 undivided1 oblong-lanceolate1 heart-shaped at base1 fruit-dots linear1 elongated4 ,growing among the fragments of limestone cliffs4 ,very rare4 ,p4 #aej4 #cf4 ,,virginia ,,chain ,,fern ,woodwardia ,virginica ,large1 fronds once-pinnate1 pinn pinnatifid1 fruit-dots oblong1 in chain-like rows parallel and near to the midrib1 confluent when ripe4 ,in swamps4 ,p4 #aef4 ,,group ,,vi ,,fertile ,,and ,,sterile ,,fronds ,,leaf-,,like ,,and ,,usually ,,similar1 ,,fruit-,,dots ,,round #cg4 ,,new ,,york ,,fern ,aspidium ,noveboracense ,usually rather tall1 fronds once-pinnate1 with deeply pinnatifid pinn1 tapering both ways from the middle1 margins of fertile fronds not revolute4 ,in woods and open meadows4 ,p4 #aei4 #ch4 ,,marsh ,,fern ,aspidium ,thelypteris ,usually rather tall1 fronds once-pinnate1 with pinn deeply pinnatifid1 scarcely narrower at the base than at the middle1 veins forked1 fertile fronds noticeable from their strongly revolute margins4 ,in wet woods and open swamps4 ,p4 #afj4 #ci4 ,,massachusetts ,,fern ,aspidium simulatum ,close to preceding species1 rather tall1 fronds once-pinnate1 with pinnatifid pinn little or not at all narrowed at base1 veins not forked1 margin of fertile frond slightly revolute4 ,in wooded swamps4 ,p4 #afd4 ,,christmas ,,fern ,aspidium acrostichoides ,see ,no4 #ag #dj4 ,,spinulose ,,wood ,,fern ,aspidium spinulosum var4 intermedium ,very common1 usually but not always large1 fronds oblong-ovate1 #b-c pinnate1 lowest pinn unequally triangular-ovate1 lobes of pinn thorny-toothed4 ,in woods everywhere4 ,p4 #aff4 #da4 ,,boott',s ,,shield ,,fern ,aspidium ,boottii ,from one and a half to more than three feet high4 ,sterile fronds smaller and simpler than the fertile1 nearly or quite twice-pinnate1 the lowest pinn triangular-ovate1 upper longer and narrower1 pinnules oblong-ovate1 sharply thorny-toothed4 ,in moist woods4 ,p4 #afh4 #db4 ,,crested ,,shield ,,fern ,aspidium cristatum ,usually rather large1 fronds linear-oblong or lanceolate1 once pinnate with pinnatifid pinn1 linear-oblong1 fruit-dots between midvein and margin4 ,in swamps4 ,p4 #agj4 #dc4 ,,clinton',s ,,wood ,,fern ,aspidium cristatum1 var4 ,clintonianum ,in every way larger than preceding species1 fronds usually twice-pinnate1 pinn broadest at base1 fruit-dots near the midvein4 ,in swampy woods4 ,p4 #agb4 #dd4 ,,goldie',s ,,fern ,aspidium ,goldianum ,large1 fronds broadly ovate or the fertile ovate-oblong1 once-pinnate with pinnatifid pinn1 pinn broadest in the middle1 fruit-dots very near the midvein4 ,in rich woods4 ,p4 #age4 #de4 ,,evergreen ,,wood ,,fern ,aspidium marginale ,very common1 usually rather large1 smooth1 somewhat leathery1 fronds ovate oblong1 #a-b pinnate1 fruit-dots large1 distinct1 close to the margin4 ,in rocky woods4 ,p4 #agf4 #df4 ,,fragrant ,,shield ,,fern ,aspidium fragrans ,small1 fragrant1 fronds once-pinnate1 with pinnatifid pinn1 stalk and rachis chaffy1 fruit-dots large4 ,on rocks northward1 especially near waterfalls4 ,p4 #agh4 #dg4 ,,braun',s ,,holly ,,fern ,aspidium aculeatum var4 ,braunii ,rather large1 fronds oblong-lanceolate1 twice-pinnate1 pinnules sharply toothed1 covered with long1 soft hairs1 fruit-dots small4 ,in deep1 rocky woods4 ,p4 #ahb4 #dh4 ,,common ,,polypody ,polypodium vulgare ,usually small1 fronds somewhat leathery1 narrowly oblong1 fruit-dots large1 round1 uncovered1 half-way between midvein and margin4 ,on rocks4 ,p4 #ahd4 ,,hay-,,scented ,,fern ,dicksonia pilosiuscula ,see ,no4 #bc #di4 ,,long ,,beech ,,fern ,phegopteris polypodioides ,medium-sized1 fronds downy1 triangular1 longer than broad1 once-pinnate1 pinn pinnatifid2 lowest pair deflexed and standing forward4 ,in moist woods and on the banks of streams4 ,p4 #ahg4 #ej4 ,,broad ,,beech ,,fern ,phegopteris hexagonoptera ,larger than the preceding species1 fronds triangular1 as broad or broader than long1 once-pinnate1 pinn pinnatifid1 lowest pair very large1 basal segments of pinn forming a continuous1 many-angled wing along the rachis4 ,in dry woods and on hill-sides4 ,p4 #ahh4 #ea4 ,,oak ,,fern ,phegopteris ,dryopteris ,medium-sized1 fronds thin and delicate1 broadly triangular1 spreading1 ternate1 the three divisions stalked1 each division pinnate1 pinn pinnatifid4 ,in moist woods4 ,p4 #aij4 #eb4 ,,bulblet ,,bladder ,,fern ,cystopteris bulbifera ,fronds delicate1 elongated1 tapering above from a broad base1 #b-c pinnate or pinnatifid1 bearing fleshy bulblets beneath4 ,on wet rocks1 preferring limestone4 ,p4 #aid4 #ec4 ,,common ,,bladder ,,fern ,cystopteris fragilis ,medium-sized1 fronds thin1 oblong-lanceolate1 #b-c pinnate or pinnatifid4 ,on rocks and in moist woods4 ,p4 #aih4 #ed4 ,,rusty ,,woodsia ,woodsia ,ilvensis ,small1 more or less covered with rusty hairs1 fronds lanceolate1 once-pinnate1 pinn pinnatifid4 ,on exposed rocks4 ,p4 #bjj4 #ee4 ,,blunt-,,lobed ,,woodsia ,woodsia obtusa ,small1 slightly downy1 fronds broadly lanceolate1 nearly twice-pinnate4 ,on rocks4 ,p4 #bjb4 #ef4 ,,northern ,,woodsia ,woodsia hyperborea ,very small1 smooth or nearly so1 fronds narrowly oblong-lanceolate1 once-pinnate1 pinn cordate-ovate or triangular-ovate1 #e-g lobed4 ,on moist rocks4 ,p4 #bjc4 #eg4 ,,smooth ,,woodsia ,woodsia glabella ,very small1 smooth throughout and delicate1 fronds linear1 once-pinnate1 pinn roundish ovate1 lobed4 ,on moist rocks4 ,p4 #bjf4 ,,fern ,,descriptions ,nature made a fern for pure leaves4--,thoreau ,,group ,i ,,sterile ,,and ,,fertile ,,fronds ,,totally ,,unlike2 ,,fertile ,,fronds ,,not ,,leaf-,,like ,,in ,,appearance #a4 ,,sensitive ,,fern ,onoclea sensibilis ,newfoundland to ,florida1 in wet meadows4 ,sterile fronds4--,one or two inches to three feet high1 broadly triangular1 deeply cut into somewhat oblong1 wavy-toothed divisions1 the lower ones almost reaching the midrib1 the upper ones less deeply cut2 stalk long4 ,fertile fronds4--,quite unlike the sterile fronds and shorter1 erect1 rigid1 contracted2 pinnules rolled up into dark-green1 berry-like bodies which hold the spore-cases2 appearing in ,june or ,july4 ,this is one of our commonest ferns1 growing in masses along the roadside and in wet meadows4 ,perfectly formed sterile fronds are found of the tiniest dimensions4 ,again the plant holds its own among the largest and most effective ferns4 ,from its creeping rootstock rise the scattered fronds which at times wear very light and delicate shades of green4 ,there is nothing1 however1 specially fragile in the plant's appearance1 and one is struck by the inappropriateness of its title4 ,it is probable that this arose from its sensitiveness to early frosts4 ,illustration3 ,sensitive ,fern ,though one hesitates to differ from ,dr4 ,eaton1 who described the fertile fronds as nearly black in color and said that they were not very common1 and that a young botanist might search in vain for them for a long time1 my own experience has been that the fresh ones are very evidently green and neither scarce nor specially inconspicuous4 ,i have found these fertile fronds apparently full-grown in ,june1 though usually they are assigned to a much later date4 ,they remain standing1 brown and dry1 long after they have sown their spores1 side by side with the fresh fronds of the following summer4 ,detail a in ,plate ,i represents the so-called var4 obtusilobata4 ,this is a form midway between the fruiting and the non-fruiting fronds4 ,it may be looked for in situations where the fern has suffered some injury or deprivation4 #b4 ,,ostrich ,,fern ,onoclea ,struthiopteris ,nova ,scotia to ,new ,jersey1 along streams and in moist woods4 ,growing in a crown1 two to ten feet high4 ,sterile fronds4--,broadly lance-shaped1 once-pinnate2 pinn divided into narrowly oblong segments which do not reach the midvein2 stalk short1 deeply channelled in front4 ,fertile fronds4--,quite unlike the sterile fronds1 growing in the centre of the crown formed by the sterile fronds1 shorter1 erect1 rigid1 with green1 necklace-like pinn which hold the spore-cases2 appearing in ,july4 ,i first found this plant at its best on the shore of the ,hoosick ,river in ,rensselaer ,county1 ,n4 ,y4 ,we had crossed a field dotted with fragrant heaps of hay and blazing in the midsummer sun1 and had entered the cool shade of the trees which border the river1 when suddenly ,i saw before me a group of ferns of tropical beauty and luxuriance4 ,great plume-like fronds of a rich green arched above my head4 ,from the midst of the circle which they formed sprang the shorter1 dark1 rigid fruit-clusters4 ,i was fairly startled by the unexpected beauty and regal bearing of the ,ostrich ,fern4 ,illustration3 ,,plate ,i ,,sensitive ,,fern a4 ,var4 obtusilobata ,this magnificent plant luxuriates especially in the low1 rich soil which is subject to an annual overflow from our northern rivers4 ,its vase-like masses of foliage somewhat suggest the ,cinnamon ,fern1 but the fertile fronds of the ,ostrich ,fern mature in ,july1 some weeks later than those of its rival4 ,they are dark-green1 while those of the ,cinnamon ,fern are golden-brown4 ,should there be no fruiting fronds upon the plant1 the ,ostrich ,fern can be distinguished by the free veins with simple veinlets 7,plate ,,ii1 a7 of its pinn1 the veins of the ,cinnamon ,fern being free and its veinlets forking 7,pl4 ,,iii1 a71 and by the absence of the tuft of rusty wool at the base of the pinn on the under side of the frond4 ,the ,ostrich ,fern does so well under cultivation that there is danger lest it crowd out its less aggressive neighbors4 ,it propagates chiefly by means of underground runners4 ,mr4 ,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 neighbor1 who was greatly astonished and equally delighted so unexpectedly to become the owner of the superb plant4 ,illustration3 ,,plate ,,ii ,,ostrich ,,fern a ,portion of sterile frond b ,fertile frond c ,detail1 showing free veins with simple veinlets ,the ,ostrich ,fern1 like its kinsman the ,sensitive ,fern1 occasionally gives birth to fronds which are midway between its fruiting and its non-fruiting forms4 ,this is specially liable to occur when some injury has befallen the plant4 #c4 ,,cinnamon ,,fern ,osmunda cinnamomea ,nova ,scotia to ,florida1 in swampy places4 ,growing in a crown1 one to five feet high4 ,sterile fronds4--,broadly lance-shaped1 once-pinnate2 pinn cut into broadly oblong divisions that do not reach the midvein1 each pinna with a tuft of rusty wool at its base beneath4 ,fertile fronds4--,quite unlike the sterile fronds1 growing in the centre of the crown formed by the sterile fronds and usually about the same height2 erect1 with cinnamon-colored spore-cases4 ,illustration3 ,cinnamon ,fern ,in the form of little croziers1 protected from the cold by wrappings of rusty wool1 the fertile fronds of the ,cinnamon ,fern appear everywhere in our swamps and wet woods during the month of ,may4 ,these fertile fronds1 first dark-green1 later cinnamon-brown1 are quickly followed and encircled by the sterile ones1 which grow in a tall1 graceful crown4 ,the fertile fronds soon wither1 and1 during the summer1 may be found either clinging to the stalks of the sterile fronds or lying on the ground4 ,illustration3 ,,plate ,,iii ,,cinnamon ,,fern a ,showing tuft of wool at base of pinna1 also free veins with forking veinlets ,the ,cinnamon ,fern is often confused with the ,ostrich ,fern4 ,when either plant is in fruit there is no excuse for this mistake1 as the cinnamon-colored spore-cases of the former appear in ,may1 while the dark-green fertile fronds of the latter do not ripen till ,july4 ,when the fruiting fronds are absent the forked veinlets 7,plate ,,iii1 a7 of the ,cinnamon ,fern contrast with the simple veinlets of the other plant 7,plate ,,ii1 a74 ,then1 too1 the pinn of the ,cinnamon ,fern bear tufts of rusty wool at the base beneath1 the remnants of the woolly garments worn by the young fronds4 ,the plant is a superb one when seen at its best4 ,its tall sterile fronds curve gracefully outward1 while the slender fruit-clusters erect themselves in the centre of the rich crown4 ,in unfavorable conditions1 when growing in dry meadows1 for instance1 like all the ,osmundas1 and indeed like most growing things1 it is quite a different plant4 ,its green fronds become stiff and stunted1 losing all their graceful curves1 and its fruit-clusters huddle among them as if anxious to keep out of sight4 ,var4 frondosa is an occasional form in which some of the fruiting fronds have green1 leaf-like pinn below4 ,these abnormal fronds are most abundant on land which has been burned over4 ,the ,cinnamon ,fern is a member of the group of ,osmundas1 or flowering ferns1 as they are sometimes called1 not of course because they really flower1 but because their fruiting fronds are somewhat flower-like in appearance4 ,there are three species of ,osmunda3 the ,cinnamon ,fern1 ,o4 cinnamomea2 the ,royal ,fern1 ,o4 regalis2 and the ,interrupted ,fern1 ,o4 ,claytoniana4 ,all three are beautiful and striking plants1 producing their spores in ,may or ,june1 and conspicuous by reason of their luxuriant growth and flower-like fruit clusters4 ,the ,osmundas are easily cultivated1 and group themselves effectively in shaded corners of the garden4 ,they need plenty of water1 and thrive best in a mixture of swamp-muck and fine loam4 #d4 ,,curly ,,grass ,schiza pusilia ,pine barrens of ,new ,jersey4 ,sterile fronds4--,hardly an inch long1 linear1 slender1 flattened1 curly4 ,fertile fronds4--,taller than the sterile fronds 7three or four inches in height71 slender1 with from four to six pairs of fruit-bearing pinn in ,september4 ,save in the herbarium ,i have never seen this very local little plant1 which is found in certain parts of ,new ,jersey4 ,gray assigns it to low grounds1 pine barrens1 while ,dr4 ,eaton attributes it to the drier parts of sphagnous swamps among white cedars4 ,illustration3 ,,plate ,,iv ,,curly ,,grass ,in my lack of personal knowledge of ,schiza1 ,i venture to quote from that excellent little quarterly1 the ,fern ,bulletin1 the following passage from an article by ,mr4 ,c4 ,f4 ,saunders on ,schiza pusilla at home3 ,s4 pusilla was first collected early in this century at ,quaker ,bridge1 ,n4 ,j41 about thirty-five miles east of ,philadelphia4 ,the spot is a desolate-looking place in the wildest of the 'pine barrens1' where a branch of the ,atsion ,river flows through marshy lowlands and cedar swamps4 ,here1 amid sedge-grasses1 mosses1 ,lycopodiums1 ,droseras1 and wild cranberry vines1 the little treasure has been collected2 but1 though ,i have hunted for it more than once1 my eyes have never been sharp enough to detect its fronds in that locality4 ,in ,october of last year1 however1 a friend guided me to another place in ,new ,jersey where he knew it to be growing1 and there we found it4 ,it was a small open spot in the pine barrens1 low and damp4 ,in the white sand grew patches of low grasses1 mosses1 ,lycopodium ,carolinianum1 ,l4 inundatum1 and ,pyxidanthera barbulata1 besides several smaller ericaceous plants and some larger shrubs1 such as scrub-oaks1 sumacs1 etc4 ,close by was a little stream1 and just beyond that a bog4 ,although we knew that the ,schiza grew within a few feet of the path in which we stood1 it required the closest sort of a search1 with eyes at the level of our knees1 before a specimen was detected4 ,the sterile fronds 7curled like corkscrews7 grew in little tufts1 and were more readily visible than the fertile spikes1 which were less numerous1 and1 together with the slender stipes1 were of a brown color1 hardly distinguishable from the capsules of the mosses1 and the maturing stems of the grasses which grew all about4 ,lying flat on the earth1 with face within a few inches of the ground1 was found the most satisfactory plan of search4 ,down there all the individual plants looked bigger1 and a sidelong glance brought the fertile clusters more prominently into view4 ,when the sight got accustomed to the miniature jungle quite a number of specimens were found1 but the fern could hardly be said to be plentiful1 and all that we gathered were within a radius of a couple of yards4 ,this seems1 indeed1 to be one of those plants whose whereabouts is oftenest revealed by what we are wont to term a 'happy accident1' as1 for instance1 when we are lying stretched on the ground resting1 or as we stoop at lunch to crack an egg on the toe of our shoe4 ,i know of one excellent collector who spent a whole day looking for it diligently in what he thought to be a likely spot1 but without success1 when finally1 just before the time for return came1 as he was half crouching on the ground1 scarcely thinking now of ,schiza1 its fronds suddenly flashed upon his sight1 right at his feet4 ,the sterile fronds of ,schiza pusilla are evergreen1 so that the collector may1 perhaps1 most readily detect it in winter1 selecting days for his search when the earth is pretty clear of snow4 ,the surrounding vegetation being at that time dead1 the little corkscrew-like fronds stand out more prominently4 ,,group ,,ii ,,fertile ,,fronds ,,partially ,,leaf-,,like1 ,,the ,,fertile ,,portion ,,unlike ,,the ,,rest ,,of ,,the ,,frond #e4 ,,royal ,,fern4 ,,flowering ,,fern ,osmunda regalis ,new ,brunswick to ,florida1 in swampy places4 ,two to five feet high1 occasionally taller4 ,sterile fronds4--,twice-pinnate1 pinn cut into oblong pinnules4 ,fertile fronds4--,leaf-like below1 sporangia forming bright-brown clusters at their summits4 ,perhaps this ,royal or ,flowering ,fern is the most beautiful member of a singularly beautiful group4 ,when its smooth1 pale-green sterile fronds1 grown to their full height1 form a graceful crown which encircles the fertile fronds1 it is truly a regal-looking plant4 ,these fertile fronds are leaf-like below1 and are tipped above with their flower-like fruit-clusters4 ,illustration3 ,royal ,fern ,like its kinsmen1 the ,royal ,fern appears in ,may in our wet woods and fields4 ,the delicate little croziers uncurl with dainty grace1 the plants which grow in the open among the yellow stars of the early crow-foot1 and the white clusters of the spring cress being so tinged with red that they suffuse the meadows with warm color4 ,though one of our tallest ferns1 with us it never reaches the ten or eleven feet with which it is credited in ,great ,britain4 ,the tallest plants ,i have found fall short of six feet4 ,occasionally we see large tracts of land covered with mature plants that lack a foot or more of the two feet given as the minimum height4 ,this tendency to depauperization one notices especially in dry marshes near the sea4 ,illustration3 ,,plate ,v ,,royal ,,fern a ,pinnule of ,royal ,fern b ,showing veining ,to the ,royal ,fern the old herbalists attributed many valuable qualities4 ,one old writer1 who calls it the ,water ,fern1 says3 ,this hath all the virtues mentioned in other ferns1 and is much more effective than they both for inward and outward griefs1 and is accounted good for wounds1 bruises1 and the like4 ,the title flowering fern sometimes misleads those who are so unfamiliar with the habits of ferns as to imagine that they ever flower4 ,that it really is descriptive was proved to me only a few weeks ago when ,i received a pressed specimen of a fertile frond accompanied by the request to inform the writer as to the name of the flower inclosed1 which seemed to him to belong to the ,sumach family4 ,the origin of the generic name ,osmunda seems somewhat obscure4 ,it is said to be derived from ,osmunder1 the ,saxon ,thor4 ,in his ,herbal ,gerarde tells us that ,osmunda regalis was formerly called ,osmund1 the ,waterman1 in allusion1 perhaps1 to its liking for a home in the marshes4 ,one legend claims that a certain ,osmund1 living at ,loch ,tyne1 saved his wife and child from the inimical ,danes by hiding them upon an island among masses of flowering ferns1 and that in after years the child so shielded named the stately plants after her father4 ,the following lines from ,wordsworth point to still another origin of the generic name3 --often1 trifling with a privilege ,alike indulged to all1 we paused1 one now1 ,and now the other1 to point out1 perchance ,to pluck1 some flower1 or water-weed1 too fair ,either to be divided from the place ,on which it grew1 or to be left alone ,to its own beauty4 ,many such there are1 ,fair ferns and flowers1 and chiefly that tall fern1 ,so stately1 of the ,queen ,osmunda named3 ,plant lovelier1 in its own retired abode ,on ,grasmere's beach1 than ,naiad by the side ,of ,grecian brook1 or ,lady of the ,mere1 ,sole-sitting by the shores of old romance4 ,the ,royal ,fern may be cultivated easily in deep mounds of rich soil shielded somewhat from the sun4 #f4 ,,interrupted ,,fern ,osmunda ,claytoniana ,newfoundland to ,north ,carolina1 in swampy places4 ,two to four feet high4 ,sterile fronds4--,oblong-lanceolate1 once-pinnate1 pinn cut into oblong1 obtuse divisions1 without a tuft of wool at the base of each pinna4 ,fertile fronds4--,taller than the sterile1 leaf-like above and below1 some of the middle pinn fruit-bearing4 ,the ,interrupted ,fern makes its appearance in the woods and meadows and along the roadsides in ,may4 ,it fruits as it unfolds4 ,at first the fruiting pinn are almost black4 ,later they become golden-green1 and after the spores are discharged they turn brown4 ,they are noticeable all summer1 and serve to identify the plant at once4 ,in the absence of the fertile fronds it is often difficult to distinguish between the ,cinnamon ,fern and the ,interrupted ,fern4 ,the sterile fronds of the ,interrupted ,fern are usually less erect1 curving outward much more noticeably than those of the ,cinnamon ,fern4 ,then1 too1 its pinn are cut into segments that are more obtuse1 and the whole effect of the frond is more stubby4 ,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 ,fern4 ,these tufts we do not find in the ,interrupted ,fern1 though both plants come into the world warmly wrapped in wool4 ,illustration3 ,,plate ,,vi ,,interrupted ,,fern a ,clusters of sporangia b ,showing veining ,the ,interrupted ,fern is a peculiarly graceful plant4 ,its fertile fronds1 standing quite erect below but curving outward above the fruiting pinn1 are set in a somewhat shallow vase formed by the sterile fronds1 which fall away in every direction4 ,in the fall the fronds turn yellow1 and at times are so brilliant that they flood the woods with golden light4 ,like the other ,osmundas1 the ,interrupted ,fern is easily cultivated4 ,illustration3 ,interrupted ,fern ,illustration3 ,climbing ,fern #g4 ,,climbing ,,fern4 ,,creeping ,,fern4 ,,hartford ,,fern ,lygodium palmatum ,massachusetts and southward1 in moist thickets and open woods4 ,stalks slender and twining4 ,fronds4--,climbing and twining1 one to three feet long1 divided into lobed1 rounded1 heart-shaped1 short-stalked segments2 fruit-clusters1 growing at the summit of the frond1 ripening in ,september4 ,the ,climbing ,fern is still found occasionally in moist thickets and open woods from ,massachusetts southward1 but at one time it was picked so recklessly for decorative purposes that it was almost exterminated4 ,in #ahfi the legislature of ,connecticut passed for its protection a special law which was embodied in the revision of the statutes of #ahge1 perhaps the only instance in statute law1 ,dr4 ,eaton remarks1 where a plant has received special legal protection solely on account of its beauty4 ,i have never seen the plant growing1 but remember that when a child my home in ,new ,york was abundantly decorated with the pressed fronds which had been brought from ,hartford for the purpose4 ,even in that lifeless condition their grace and beauty made a deep impression on my mind4 ,illustration3 ,part of fertile pinnule ,mr4 ,saunders has described it as he found it growing in company with ,schiza1 in the ,new ,jersey pine barrens3 ,lygodium palmatum 444 is one of the loveliest of ,american plants1 with twining stem adorned with palmate leaflets1 bearing small resemblance to the popular idea of a fern4 ,it loves the shaded1 mossy banks of the quiet streams whose cool1 clear1 amber waters1 murmuring over beds of pure white sand1 are so characteristic of the pine country4 ,there the graceful fronds are to be found1 sometimes clambering a yard high over the bushes and cat-briers2 sometimes trailing down the bank until their tips touch the surface of the water4 ,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 rarer4 ,many of the localities which knew it once now know it no more1 both because of the depredations of ruthless collectors1 and1 to some extent1 probably1 the ravages of fire4 ,the plant is in its prime in early fall1 but may be looked for up to the time of killing frosts4 #h4 ,,adder',s ,,tongue ,ophioglossum vulgatum ,canada to ,new ,jersey and ,kentucky1 in moist meadows4 ,two inches to one foot high4 ,sterile portion4--,an ovate1 fleshy leaf4 ,fertile portion4--,a simple spike1 usually long-stalked4 ,the unprofessional fern collector is likely to agree with ,gray in considering the ,adder's ,tongue not common4 ,many botanists1 however1 believe the plant to be overlooked rather than rare4 ,in an article on ,o4 vulgatum1 which appeared some years ago in the ,fern ,bulletin1 ,mr4 ,a4 ,a4 ,eaton writes3 ,previous to #ahie ,ophioglossum vulgatum was unknown to me1 and was considered very rare1 only two localities being known in ,essex ,county1 ,mass4 ,early in the year a friend gave me two specimens4 ,from these ,i got an idea of how the thing looked4 ,on the #aath of last ,july1 while collecting ,habenaria lacera in a 'bound-out' mowing field1 ,i was delighted to notice a spike of fruit in the grass4 ,a search revealed about sixty1 just right to collect1 with many unfruitful specimens4 ,a few days later1 while raking in a similar locality1 ,i found several1 within a stone's throw of the house1 demonstrating again the well-known fact that a thing once seen is easily discovered again4 ,on the #bc;d of last ,august1 while riding on my bicycle1 ,i noticed a field that appeared to be the right locality1 and an investigation showed an abundance of them4 ,i subsequently found it in another place4 ,this year1 on ,may #bhth1 ,i found it in another locality just as it was coming up1 and ,i have since found three others4 ,i consider it abundant here1 only appearing rare because growing hidden in fine grass in old mowing fields1 after the red top and timothy have died out1 and the finer species of ,carex are coming in4 ,a good index plant is the ,habenaria quoted4 ,i have never found it except when associated with this plant1 on a cold1 heavy soil4 ,the leaf is usually hidden1 or1 if not1 is easily passed by for ,maianthemum or ,pogonia4 ,in the ,grete ,herbal of ,gerarde we read that the leaves of ,adder's ,tongue stamped in a stone mortar1 and boiled in oyle olive unto the consumption of the juice1 and until the herbs be dried and parched and then strained1 will yeelde most excellent greene oyle or rather a balsame for greene wounds comparable to oyle of ,st4 ,john's-wort if it do not farre surpasse it4 ,it is said that ,adder's ,spear ,ointment1 made from the fresh fronds of this plant is still used for wounds in ,english villages4 ,illustration3 ,,plate ,,vii ,,adder',s ,,tongue ,the ,adder's ,tongue was believed formerly to have poisonous qualities1 which not only injured the cattle that fed upon it1 but destroyed the grass in which it grew4 #i4 ,,rattlesnake ,,fern4 ,,virginia ,,grape ,,fern ,botrychium ,virginianum ,nova ,scotia to ,florida1 in rich woods4 ,one or two feet high1 at times much smaller1 when it becomes ,b4 gracile4 ,sterile portion4--,usually broader than long1 spreading1 with three main divisions which are cut into many smaller segments1 thin1 set close to the stem about half way up4 ,fertile portion4--,long-stalked1 more than once-pinnate4 ,illustration3 ,rattlesnake ,fern ,on our rambles through the woods we are more likely to encounter the ,rattlesnake ,fern than any other member of the ,botrychium group4 ,it fruits in early summer1 but the withered fertile portion may be found upon the plant much later in the year4 ,its frequent companions are the ,spinulose ,shield ,fern1 the ,christmas ,fern1 the ,silvery ,spleenwort1 and the ,maidenhair4 #aj4 ,,ternate ,,grape ,,fern ,botrychium ternatum or dissectum ,nova ,scotia to ,florida1 in moist meadows4 ,a few inches to more than a foot high4 ,sterile portion4--,broadly triangular1 the three main divisions cut again into many segments1 on a separate stalk from near the base of the plant1 fleshy4 ,fertile portion4--,erect1 usually considerably taller than non-fruiting segment1 more than once-pinnate4 ,illustration3 ,sporangia of ,botrychium ,of late some doubt has existed as to whether ,b4 ternatum has been actually found in this country1 although the standard ,floras give no evidence of this uncertainty4 ,dr4 ,underwood is convinced that the true ,b4 ternatum is found only in ,japan and ,china1 and that our species is really ,b4 dissectum1 a species1 not a variety4 ,he says that this species is very common in the vicinity of ,new ,york ,city1 and thence southward and westward2 that it is also found in various parts of ,new ,england2 that it reaches its fullest development in moist1 shady woods2 that in mossy meadows of ,new ,england and ,central ,new ,york the plant assumes a more contracted habit4 ,he believes its segments are more apt to be divided in shady situations than in open1 sunny ground4 ,the ,ternate ,grape ,fern fruits in the fall4 ,illustration3 ,part of sterile portion of ,b4 dissectum ,illustration3 ,,plate ,,viii ,,ternate ,,grape ,,fern #aa4 ,,little ,,grape ,,fern ,botrychium simplex ,canada to ,maryland1 in moist woods and in fields4 ,two to four inches high1 rarely a little taller4 ,sterile portion4--,somewhat oblong1 more or less lobed1 occasionally #c-g divided1 usually short-stalked from near the middle of the plant1 thick and fleshy4 ,fertile portion4--,either simple or once or twice-pinnate1 taller than the sterile portion4 ,this little plant is sufficiently rare to rejoice the heart of the fern hunter who is so fortunate as to stumble upon it by chance or to trace it to its chosen haunts4 ,it is generally considered an inhabitant of moist woods and meadows1 though ,mr4 ,pringle describes it as abundantly scattered over ,vermont1 its habitat usually poor soil1 especially knolls of hill pastures1 and ,mr4 ,dodge assigns it to dry fields4 ,it fruits in ,may or ,june4 #ab4 ,,moonwort ,botrychium ,lunaria ,newfoundland to ,connecticut and ,central ,new ,york1 in dry pastures4 ,three inches to nearly one foot high4 ,a very fleshy plant4 ,sterile portion4--,oblong1 cut into several fan-shaped fleshy divisions1 growing close to the stem about the middle of the plant4 ,fertile portion4--,branching1 long-stalked1 usually the same height as or taller than the sterile portion4 ,the ,moonwort is another of our rare little plants4 ,it grows usually in dry pastures1 fruiting in ,july4 ,formerly it was accredited with various magic powers4 ,gathered by moonlight1 it was said to do wonders4 ,the ,english poet ,drayton refers to the ,moonwort as ,lunary3 ,then sprinkled she the juice of rue ,with nine drops of the midnight dew ,from ,lunary distilling4 ,illustration3 ,,plate ,,ix ,,moonwort ,,lance ,,leaved ,,grape ,,fern ,gerarde mentions its use by alchemists1 who called it ,martagon4 ,in the work of ,coles1 an early writer on plants1 we read3 ,it is said1 yea1 and believed by many that ,moonwort will open the locks wherewith dwelling-houses are made fast1 if it be put into the keyhole2 as also that it will loosen 444 shoes from those horses' feet that go on the places where it grows4 ,it is to the ,moonwort that ,withers alludes in the following lines3 ,there is an herb1 some say1 whose vertue's such ,it in the pasture1 only with a touch ,unshoes the new-shod steed4 #ac4 ,,matricary ,,grape ,,fern ,botrychium matricarifolium ,nova ,scotia to ,new ,jersey1 in woods and wet meadows4 ,two inches to one foot high4 ,sterile portion4--,once or twice divided1 sometimes very fleshy1 growing high up on the stem4 ,fertile portion4--,with several branched pinn4 ,this plant is found1 often in the companionship of ,b4 ,virginianum1 in woods and wet meadows1 not farther south than ,new ,jersey4 ,it fruits in summer4 #ad4 ,,lance-,,leaved ,,grape ,,fern ,botrychium lanceolatum ,nova ,scotia to ,new ,jersey1 in woods and meadows4 ,two to nine inches high4 ,sterile portion4--,triangular1 twice-pinnatifid1 with somewhat lance-shaped segments1 hardly fleshy1 set close to the top of the common stalk4 ,fertile portion4--,branching4 ,like the ,matricary ,grape ,fern1 this plant is found in the woods and wet meadows from ,nova ,scotia to ,new ,jersey4 ,it fruits also in summer4 ,,group ,,iii ,,fertile ,,fronds ,,uniformly ,,somewhat ,,leaf-,,like ,,in ,,appearance1 ,,yet ,,differing ,,noticeably ,,from ,,sterile ,,fronds #ae4 ,,slender ,,cliff ,,brake ,pella gracilis 7,p4 ,stelleri7 ,labrador to ,pennsylvania1 usually on sheltered rocks1 preferring limestone4 ,two to five inches long1 with straw-colored or pale-brown stalks1 slightly chaffy below4 ,fronds4--,delicate1 with few pinn2 pinn1 the lower ones once or twice parted into #c-e divisions1 those of the fertile frond oblong or linear-oblong1 sparingly incised1 of the sterile frond ovate or obovate1 toothed or incised2 sporangia bordering the pinn of the fertile frond1 covered by a broad and usually continuous general indusium1 formed by the reflexed margin of the pinnule4 ,the first time ,i found the ,slender ,cliff ,brake was one ,july day in ,central ,new ,york1 under the kind guidance of an enthusiastic fern collector4 ,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 trees1 which1 like ourselves1 had obtained doubtful standing-room4 ,in a pocket in the limestone just above us ,i was shown a very brown and withered little plant which only the closest scrutiny in combination with a certain amount of foreknowledge could identify as the ,slender ,cliff ,brake4 ,the season had been a dry one and the plant had perished1 ,i fancy1 for lack of water1 in spite of the stream which plunged from the top of the cliffs close by1 almost near enough1 it seemed to me1 to moisten with its spray our hot cheeks4 ,illustration3 ,portion of fertile frond ,later in the season ,i found more promising though not altogether satisfactory specimens of this plant growing in other rocky crevices of the same deep glen1 in the neighborhood of the ,maidenhair ,spleenwort1 the ,walking ,leaf1 and the ,bulblet ,bladder ,fern4 ,my sister tells me that late in ,august on the cliffs which border the ,st4 ,lawrence ,river1 refreshed by the myriad streams which leap or trickle down their sides1 under the hanging roots of trees1 close to clusters of quivering harebells and pale tufts of the ,brittle ,bladder ,fern1 the ,slender ,cliff ,brake grows in profusion1 its delicate fronds rippling over one another so closely that at times they give the effect of a long1 luxuriant moss4 ,on most occasions1 in these soft beds of foliage1 she found the fertile fronds1 which are far more slender and unusual looking than the sterile1 largely predominating1 though at times a patch would be made up chiefly of the sterile fronds4 ,these somewhat resemble the ,brittle ,bladder ,fern in whose company they are seen so often4 ,illustration3 ,slender ,cliff ,brake #af4 ,,purple ,,cliff ,,brake ,pella atropurpurea ,canada to ,georgia and westward1 usually on limestone cliffs2 with wiry purplish stalks4 ,fertile fronds4--,six to twenty inches high1 leathery1 bluish-green1 pale underneath1 once1 or below twice1 pinnate2 pinn1 upper ones long and narrow1 lower ones usually with one to four pairs of broadly linear pinnules2 sporangia bordering the pinn1 bright brown at maturity2 indusium formed by the reflexed margin of the frond4 ,sterile fronds4--,usually much smaller than the fertile and less abundant2 pinn oblong1 entire1 or slightly toothed4 ,the ,purple ,cliff ,brake is one of the plants that rejoice in un-get-at-able and perilous situations4 ,although its range is wider than that of many ferns1 this choice of inconvenient localities1 joined to the fact that it is not a common plant1 renders it likely that unless you pay it the compliment of a special expedition in its honor you will never add it to the list of your fern acquaintances4 ,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 theirs4 ,not only do they draw us away from our books1 out of our houses1 but off the well-known road and the trodden path into unfamiliar woods which stand ready to reveal fresh treasures1 across distant pastures where the fragrant wind blows away the memory of small anxieties1 up into the hills from whose summits we get new views4 ,illustration3 ,,plate ,x ,,purple ,,cliff ,,brake a ,portion of fertile frond ,although the ,purple ,cliff ,brake grows1 ,i believe within fifteen miles of my home in ,albany1 ,i never saw the plant until this summer some hundred miles nearer the centre of the ,state4 ,during a morning call ,i chanced to mention that ,i was anxious to find two or three ferns which were said to grow in the neighborhood4 ,my hostess told me that twenty-five years before1 on some limestone cliffs about eight miles away1 she had found two unknown ferns which had been classified and labelled by a botanical friend4 ,excusing herself she left me and soon returned with carefully pressed specimens of the ,purple ,cliff ,brake and the little ,rue ,spleenwort1 the two ferns ,i was most eager to find4 ,such moments as ,i experienced then of long-deferred but peculiar satisfaction go far toward making one an apostle of hobbies4 ,my pleasure was increased by the kind offer to guide me to the spot which had yielded the specimens4 ,one morning soon after we were set down at the little railway station from which we purposed to walk to the already-mentioned cliffs4 ,we were not without misgivings as we followed an indefinite path across some limestone quarries1 for a plant may easily disappear from a given station in the course of twenty-five years4 ,in a few moments the so-called path disappeared in a fringe of bushes which evidently marked the beginning of a precipitous descent4 ,cautiously clinging to whatever we could lay hold of1 bushes1 roots of trees or imbedded rocks1 we climbed over the cliff's side1 still following the semblance of a path4 ,on our left a stream plunged nearly two hundred feet into the ravine below4 ,for some distance the eye could follow its silver course1 then it disappeared beneath the arching trees4 ,on our right1 many miles beyond1 through the blue haze which hung over the distant valley1 we could see the lake to which the stream was hurrying4 ,we could not surrender ourselves with comfort to the beauty of the outlook1 as our surroundings were not such as to put us altogether at ease4 ,overhead hung great rocks1 so cracked and seamed and shattered as to threaten a complete downfall1 while beneath our feet the path which led along the face of the cliff crumbled away1 so that it was difficult in places to obtain any foothold4 ,having passed the more perilous spots1 however1 we became accustomed to the situation and turned our attention to the unpromising wall of rock which rose beside us4 ,from its crevices hung graceful festoons of ,bulblet ,bladder ,fern1 and apparently nothing but ,bulblet ,bladder ,fern4 ,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 overhead4 ,even though one had not seen the plant before1 there was no mistaking the wiry purplish stalks1 the leathery1 pinnately parted1 blue-green fronds1 and1 above all1 the marginal rows of bright brown sporangia peculiar to the ,purple ,cliff ,brake4 ,soon after we found several other plants1 all of them decidedly scraggly in appearance1 with but few green fronds and many leafless stalks4 ,occasionally a small sterile frond1 with broader1 more oblong pinn1 could be seen1 but these were in the minority4 ,a number of very young plants1 with little1 heart-shaped leaves altogether unlike the mature fronds1 were wedged in neighboring crannies4 ,as our eyes grew more accustomed to the contour and coloring of the cliffs1 the success of the day was completed by the discovery of several specimens of the little ,rue ,spleenwort with tiny fronds flattened against the rock4 ,when next ,i saw the ,purple ,cliff ,brake it seemed to me quite a different fern from the rather awkward plant1 the mere sight of which ,i had welcomed so eagerly that any unfavorable criticism of its appearance seems ungrateful4 ,illustration3 ,the unpromising wall of rock which rose beside us4 ,again it sprang from limestone cliffs1 even more remote and inaccessible though less dangerous than those where ,i saw it first4 ,these cliffs were so shattered in places that the broken fragments lay in heaps at their base and on the projecting ledges4 ,here and there a great shaft of rock had broken away and stood like the turret of a castle or the bastion of a fort4 ,among the shattered fragments high up on the cliff's side the ,purple ,cliff ,brake grew in a luxuriant profusion that was amazing in view of the surroundings4 ,the rigid1 erect fronds formed large tufts of greenish-gray foliage that1 at a little distance1 so blended with their rocky background as to be almost indistinguishable4 ,the fronds usually were much more compound than those ,i had seen a few weeks before4 ,the separate plants had a vigorous1 bushy appearance that did not suggest the same species4 ,many of the pinn were so turned as to display the ripe sporangia1 which formed a bright-brown border to the pale1 slender divisions4 ,here1 too1 the small sterile fronds were very rare4 ,illustration3 ,more compound frond of ,purple ,cliff ,brake ,sterile frond ,growing from the broken rocks in among the ,purple ,cliff ,brake were thrifty little tufts of the ,maidenhair ,spleenwort4 ,this tiny plant seemed to have forgotten its shyness and to have forsworn its love for moist1 shaded1 mossy rocks4 ,it ventured boldly out upon these barren cliffs1 exposing itself to the fierce glare of the sun and to every blast of wind1 and holding itself upright with a saucy self-assurance that seemed strangely at variance with its nature4 ,near by a single patch of the ,walking ,leaf climbed up the face of the cliff while1 perhaps strangest of all1 from the decaying trunk of a tree1 which lay prostrate among the rocks1 sprang a single small but perfect plant of the ,ebony ,spleenwort1 a fern which was a complete stranger in this locality1 so far as ,i could learn4 #ag4 ,,christmas ,,fern ,aspidium acrostichoides 7,dryopteris acrostichoides7 ,new ,brunswick to ,florida1 in rocky woods4 ,one to two and a half feet high1 with very chaffy stalks4 ,fronds4--,lance-shaped1 once-pinnate1 fertile fronds contracted toward the summit2 pinn narrowly lance-shaped1 half halberd-shaped at the slightly stalked base1 bristly-toothed1 the upper ones on the fertile fronds contracted and smaller2 fruit-dots round1 close1 confluent with age1 nearly covering the under surface of the fertile pinn2 indusium orbicular1 fixed by the depressed centre4 ,of our evergreen ferns this is the best fitted to serve as a decoration in winter4 ,no other fern has such deep-green1 highly polished fronds4 ,they need only a mixture of red berries to become a close rival to the holly at ,christmas-time4 ,illustration3 ,portion of fertile frond ,wrapped in a garment of brown scales1 the young fronds of the ,christmas ,fern are sent into the world early in the spring4 ,when we go to the woods in ,april to look for arbutus1 or to listen to the first songs of the robin and the bluebird1 we notice that last year's fronds are still fresh and green4 ,low down among them1 curled up like tawny caterpillars1 are the young fronds4 ,the arbutus will have made way for pink and blue and white hepaticas1 for starry bloodroot1 and for tremulous anemones2 thrushes and orioles will have joined the robins and the bluebirds before these new-comers present much of an appearance4 ,when the tender1 delicately green fronds are first unrolled they contrast strongly with their polished1 dark-green1 leathery companions4 ,illustration3 ,christmas ,fern ,in this plant the difference is quite conspicuous between the fertile and the sterile fronds4 ,the sterile ones are shorter and apparently broader1 while the fertile are tall1 slender1 and noticeably contracted by the abundantly fruiting pinn near the apex4 ,illustration3 ,narrow-leaved ,spleenwort #ah4 ,,narrow-,,leaved ,,spleenwort ,asplenium angustifolium ,canada to ,kentucky1 in moist woods4 ,two to four feet high4 ,sterile fronds4--,thin1 smooth1 lance-shaped1 perishable1 once-pinnate4 ,fertile fronds4--,taller1 narrower1 longer-stalked2 pinn more narrowly lance-shaped than on sterile fronds2 fruit-dots linear1 a row on each side the midvein2 indusium slightly convex4 ,if we make an expedition to the woods early in ,july we may1 perhaps1 find some plants of the ,narrow-leaved ,spleenwort4 ,at this season they are specially attractive1 with smooth1 delicate1 pale-green fronds1 so recently unfolded as to be full of little undulations1 which they lose more or less at maturity1 and which are as indicative of youth as the curves and dimples of a baby4 ,illustration3 ,,plate ,,xi ,,narrow-,,leaved ,,spleenwort a ,magnified pinna of fertile frond ,late in ,august the plant has reached a stately height1 perhaps of three or four feet4 ,the fronds are still smooth and delicate to a degree unusual even in ferns4 ,but they wear a deeper green1 and their texture seems a trifle more substantial4 ,occasionally1 though rarely in the deeper woods1 we find a frond which is conspicuously longer-stalked1 taller1 narrower than the others1 with pinn more distant and more contracted4 ,a glance at its lower surface discovers double rows of brown1 linear fruit-dots4 ,though one of the largest of its tribe1 the ,narrow-leaved ,spleenwort suggests greater fragility1 a keener sensitiveness to uncongenial conditions1 than any other of our native ferns4 ,a storm which leaves the other inhabitants of the forest almost untouched beats down its fronds1 tender and perishable even in maturity4 ,this very fragility1 accompanied as it is with beauty of form and color1 in the midst of the somewhat coarse and hardy growth of the ,august woods1 lends the plant a peculiar charm4 ,i find it growing beneath great basswoods1 lichen-spotted beeches1 and sugar maples with trunks branchless for fifty feet1 soaring like huge shipmasts into the blue above4 ,almost the only flowers in its neighborhood1 for in midsummer wood-flowers are rare1 are the tiny pink blossoms of the herb ,robert1 that invincible little plant which never wearies in well-doing1 but persists in flowering from ,june till ,october1 the violet-blue heads of the almost equally untiring self-heal and the yellow pitchers of the pale touch-me-not or jewel-weed4 ,this plant1 a close relative of the more southern and better known spotted touch-me-not1 grows in great patches almost in the heart of the woods4 ,the lack of flowers is somewhat atoned for by the coral clusters of the red baneberry and the black-spotted1 china-like fruit of the white baneberry4 ,but ferns chiefly abound in these woods4 ,everywhere ,i notice the thin1 spreading frond and withered fruit-cluster of the ,rattlesnake ,fern1 in my experience the most ubiquitous member of the ,botrychium group4 ,more or less frequent are graceful crowns of the ,spinulose ,shield ,fern1 slender shining fronds of ,christmas ,fern1 dull-green groups of ,silvery ,spleenwort and stately plumes of ,goldie's ,fern4 ,as we draw near the wood's border1 where the yellow sunlit fields of grain shine between the tall maple shafts1 we push aside umbrella-like ,brakes4 ,at the very limits of the woods1 close against the rails1 grows the sweet-scented ,dicksonia4 #ai4 ,,net-,,veined ,,chain ,,fern ,woodwardia angustifolia ,swampy places from ,maine to ,florida1 in wet woods near the coast4 ,sterile fronds4--,twelve to eighteen inches high1 pinnatifid with minutely toothed divisions united by a broad wing4 ,fertile fronds4--,taller than the sterile1 once-pinnate2 pinn much contracted2 fruit-dots in a single row each side of the secondary midribs2 indusium fixed by its outer margin1 opening on the side next the midrib4 ,illustration3 a ,the ,woodwardias are associated in my mind with sea-air1 pine-trees1 and the flat1 sandy country near ,buzzard's ,bay1 ,mass4 ,both species were met with in one walk not far from the shore4 ,illustration3 b ,a little stream1 scarcely more than a ditch1 divided an open1 sunny meadow from a bit of evergreen wood1 and on the steep banks of this runlet grew the bright fronds of ,woodwardia angustifolia1 giving at first glance somewhat the impression of ,onoclea sensibilis4 ,the fronds of both are described as pinnatifid1 and in this ,woodwardia we find the divisions minutely toothed 7a71 giving them a rough outline which is wanting in ,onoclea sensibilis4 ,these are the sterile fronds4 ,among them and taller than they are the fertile fronds with very narrow divisions1 covered on the lower side with the chains of fruit-dots 7b74 ,illustration3 ,,plate ,,xii ,,net-,,veined ,,chain ,,fern ,it is a handsome fern and very satisfactory to the novice in fern hunting1 because1 taking fertile and sterile fronds together1 it cannot be confused with any other species4 ,crossing the tiny stream1 a path dim with the shade of low1 dense evergreens and soft and elastic underfoot from their fallen leaves1 leads through the woods4 ,here among the partridge-vine that runs over the rocks1 growing from the soft1 spongy soil1 are groups of the sterile fronds only of this ,woodwardia1 charming little clumps of fresh green that invite one to dig them up and plant them in boxes or baskets for decorative purposes4 ,,group ,,iv ,,fertile ,,and ,,sterile ,,fronds ,,leaf-,,like ,,and ,,similar2 ,,sporangia ,,on ,,or ,,beneath ,a ,,reflexed ,,portion ,,of ,,the ,,margin #bj4 ,,brake4 ,,bracken4 ,,eagle ,,fern ,pteris aquilina ,almost throughout ,north ,america1 in dry1 somewhat open places4 ,one to two feet high ordinarily1 occasionally much higher4 ,fronds4--,solitary1 one to two feet wide1 cut into three primary divisions which are twice-pinnate1 widely spreading at the summit of an erect1 stout stalk2 sporangia borne in a continuous line along the lower margin of the frond2 indusium formed by the reflexed edge of the frond4 ,of all ferns the ,brake is the most widely distributed4 ,it occurs in one form or another in all parts of the world4 ,with us it grows commonly from one to two feet high1 occasionally higher4 ,in ,oregon it attains a height of six or seven feet1 in the ,andes of fourteen feet4 ,it is a vigorous and often a beautiful and striking plant1 growing abundantly on sunny hill-sides and in open woods4 ,in the spring or early summer its solitary spreading frond1 light-green and delicate in color1 might almost be confused with the ,oak ,fern4 ,later its green takes on a dark1 dull shade1 and its general aspect becomes more hardy than that of any other fern4 ,illustration3 ,brake ,the ,brake is believed to be the fearn of the early ,saxons and to have given this prefix to many ,english towns and villages1 such as ,fearnhow or ,farnhow1 ,farningham1 etc4 ,it is one of the few ferns mentioned by name in general literature4 ,in the ,lady of the ,lake it is alluded to in the song of the heir of ,armandave3 ,the heath this night must be my bed1 ,the ,bracken curtain for my head4 ,pteris esculenta1 a variety of our ,brake1 is said to have been one of the chief articles of food in ,new ,zealand4 ,it was called fern-root1 and in ,dr4 ,thompson's ,story of ,new ,zealand is spoken of as follows3 ,this food is celebrated in song1 and the young women1 in laying before travellers baskets of cooked fern-root1 chant3 ',what shall be our food8 ,shall shellfish and fern-root8 ,that is the root of the earth2 that is the food to satisfy a man2 the tongues grow by reason of the licking1 as if it were the tongue of a dog4' ,illustration3 ,pinnule of ,brake showing reflexed edges ,the titles ,brake and ,bracken are not always confined to their lawful owner4 ,frequently they are applied to any large ferns1 such as the ,osmundas1 or even to such superficially fern-like plants as ,myrica asplenifolia1 the so-called sweet fern4 ,there is a difference of opinion as to the origin of the plant's scientific name1 which signifies eagle wing4 ,some suppose it to be derived from the outline of the heraldic eagle which has been seen by the imaginative in a cross-section of the young stalk4 ,it seems more likely that a resemblance has been fancied between the spreading frond and the plumage of an eagle4 ,the ,brake turns brown in autumn1 but does not wither away till the following year4 #ba4 ,,maidenhair ,adiantum pedatum ,nova ,scotia to ,british ,columbia1 south to ,georgia and ,arkansas1 in moist woods4 ,ten to eighteen inches high4 ,fronds4--,forked at the summit of the slender black and polished stalk1 the recurved branches bearing on one side several slender1 spreading pinnate divisions2 pinnules obliquely triangular-oblong2 sporangia in short fruit-dots on the under margin of a lobe of the frond2 indusium formed by the reflexed lobe or tooth of the frond4 ,for purposes of identification it would seem almost superfluous to describe the ,maidenhair1 a plant which probably is more generally appreciated than all the rest of the ferns together4 ,yet1 strangely enough1 it is confused constantly with other plants and with plants which are not ferns4 ,illustration3 ,a pinna of ,maidenhair ,perhaps the early meadow rue is the plant most commonly mistaken for the ,maidenhair4 ,while it does not suggest strikingly our eastern fern1 its lobed and rounded leaflets bear a likeness to certain species native to other parts of the country1 notably to ,a4 ,capillus-,veneris1 the ,venus-hair ,fern of the southern ,states4 ,illustration3 ,a pinnule of ,maidenhair ,but it is not easy to convince a friend that he has made a mistake in this regard4 ,you chance to be driving by a bank overgrown with the early meadow rue when he calls your attention to the unusual abundance of ,maidenhair in the neighborhood4 ,to his rather indignant surprise you suggest that the plant he saw was not ,maidenhair1 but the early meadow rue4 ,if he have the least reverence for your botanical attainments he grudgingly admits that possibly it was not the ordinary ,maidenhair1 but maintains stoutly that it was a more uncommon species which abounds in his especial neighborhood4 ,if truly diplomatic you hold your peace and change the subject1 but if possessed by a tormenting love of truth which is always getting you into trouble1 you state sadly but firmly that our northeastern ,states have but one species of ,maidenhair1 and that it is more than improbable that the favored neighborhood of his home 7for it is always an unusually rich locality7 offers another4 ,the result of this discussion is that mentally you are pronounced both conceited and pig-headed4 ,for a few weeks the plants in question are passed without comment1 but by another summer the rich growth of ,maidenhair is again proudly exhibited4 ,only in one way can you save your reputation and possibly convince your friend4 ,when correcting him1 if you glibly remark that ,adiantum pedatum1 our northeastern ,maidenhair1 is the only species which has been found in this part of the country1 that ,a4 ,capillus-,veneris1 the ,maidenhair which somewhat resembles the early meadow rue1 can hardly be found north of ,virginia1 while ,a4 tenerum is found only in ,florida1 and ,a4 emarginatum is confined to the ,pacific coast1 you will have redeemed yourself1 not from the stigma of conceit1 far from it1 but from that of error4 ,the glib utterance of ,latin names is attended with a strange power of silencing your opponent and filling him with a sort of grudging belief in your scientific attainments4 ,the truth is that the average layman who takes an interest in plants is as sensitive regarding the ,maidenhair as he is about his recognition of an orchid4 ,by way of warning what more need be said8 ,though the ,maidenhair has a wide range and grows abundantly in many localities1 it possesses a quality of aloofness which adds to its charm4 ,even in neighborhoods where it grows profusely1 it rarely crowds to the roadside or becomes the companion of your daily walks4 ,its chosen haunts are dim1 moist hollows in the woods or shaded hill-sides sloping to the river4 ,in such retreats you find the feathery fronds tremulous on their black1 glistening stalks1 and in their neighborhood you find also the very spirit of the woods4 ,despite its apparent fragility1 the ,maidenhair is not difficult to cultivate if provided with sufficient shade and moisture4 ,illustration3 ,maidenhair #bb4 ,,hairy ,,lip ,,fern ,cheilanthes vestita 7,c4 lanosa7 ,growing on rocks1 ,southern ,new ,york to ,georgia4 ,six to fifteen inches high1 with brown and shining stalks4 ,fronds4--,oblong-lance-shaped1 rough with rusty hairs1 twice-pinnate2 pinn rather distant1 triangular-ovate1 cut into oblong1 more or less incised pinnules2 fruit-dots roundish2 indusium formed by the reflexed margins of the lobes which are pushed back by the matured sporangia4 ,till a few years ago the most northern station for the ,hairy ,lip ,fern was supposed to be within the limits of ,new ,york ,city4 ,the plant was discovered1 in #ahff or #ahfg1 on ,manhattan ,island1 near ,fort ,tryon1 growing on rocks with an eastern exposure4 ,if one should visit this station to-day he would find himself at #aifth ,street1 in the city of ,new ,york1 some two hundred and thirty-three yards west of the ,kingsbridge road1 and ,i fear there would be no trace of this to us rare fern4 ,since then the plant has been discovered close to the ,hudson ,river at ,poughkeepsie4 ,its narrowly oblong1 dull-green fronds1 more or less covered with red-brown hairs1 which give it a somewhat rusty appearance1 spring from the clefts and ledges of rocks4 ,illustration3 ,,plate ,,xiii ,,hairy ,,lip ,,fern a ,a fruiting pinnule #bc4 ,,hay-,,scented ,,fern ,dicksonia pilosiuscula 7,d4 punctilobula7 ,two to three feet high2 hill-sides1 meadows1 and thickets from ,canada to ,tennessee4 ,fronds4--,ovate-lance-shaped1 long-tapering1 pale-green1 thin and very delicate in texture1 slightly glandular and hairy1 usually thrice-pinnatifid2 pinn lance-shaped1 pointed1 repeating in miniature outline of frond2 pinnules cut again into short and obtuse lobes or segments2 fruit-dots each on an elevated globular receptacle on a recurved toothlet2 indusium cup-shaped1 open at the top4 ,in parts of the country1 especially from ,connecticut southward1 the ,hay-scented ,fern is one of the abundant plants4 ,though not essentially a rock-loving plant1 it rejoices in such rocky1 upland pastures as crown many of our lower mountain ranges1 great stretches of grayish or sage-green fields in which every bowlder and outcrop of rock is marked by masses of the bright-green fronds of ,dicksonia1 over which the air moves lazily1 heavy with the peculiar fragrance of this interesting fern4 ,its singularly delicate1 tapering1 pale-green fronds1 curving gracefully in every direction1 rank it among our most beautiful and noticeable ferns4 ,often along the roadsides it forms great masses of feathery foliage1 tempting the weary pedestrian or bicycler to fling himself upon a couch sufficiently soft and luxurious in appearance to satisfy a sybarite4 ,but ,i can testify that the ,hay-scented ,fern does not make so good a bed as it promises4 ,illustration3 ,,plate ,,xiv ,,hay-,,scented ,,fern a ,early stage of fruiting pinnule ,two years ago1 during a memorably hot ,august1 an afternoon drive over an unused mountain road brought us to a picturesque spot where the clear stream tumbled into a rock-paved basin1 suggesting so vividly the joy of ---- the cool silver shock ,of the plunge in a pool's living water1 that then and there we resolved soon to pitch our tent upon its banks4 ,in all respects it was not a suitable camp site4 ,there were no balsams or evergreens of any kind available for bedding in the neighborhood1 so when1 a few days later1 we had taken up our quarters just above the rock-paved pool1 we went into our temporary back-yard where the ,dicksonia grew abundantly with its usual soft and seductive appearance1 and gathered great armfuls for the night's rest4 ,i must frankly own that ,i never slept on so hard a bed4 ,since then ,i have been more than ever inclined to believe that ferns inhabit the earth chiefly for decorative ends4 ,in the present age they do not lend themselves as once they did to medicinal purposes4 ,usually they are without culinary value4 ,so far as ,i know animals refuse to eat them on account of their acrid juices4 ,and experience proves that when used as a bed they do not ---- medicine thee to that sweet sleep ,which thou owedst yesterday4 ,the ,hay-scented ,fern is very sensitive1 withering with the early frosts4 ,sometimes in the fall it bleaches almost white4 ,then its slender fronds seem like beautiful wraiths of their former selves4 ,the ,dicksonia1 as he always calls it1 is ,thoreau's favorite among the ferns4 ,its fronds are sweet-scented when crushed or in drying1 and to their fragrance he was peculiarly sensitive3 ,going along this old ,carlisle road 444 road where all wild things and fruits abound1 where there are countless rocks to jar those who venture in wagons2 road which leads to and through a great but not famous garden1 zological and botanical1 at whose gate you never arrive--as ,i was going along there1 ,i perceived the grateful scent of the ,dicksonia fern now partly decayed4 ,it reminds me of all up country1 with its springy mountain-sides and unexhausted vigor4 ,is there any essence of ,dicksonia fern1 ,i wonder8 ,surely that giant1 who my neighbor expects is to bound up the ,alleghenies1 will have his handkerchief scented with that4 ,the sweet fragrance of decay6 ,when ,i wade through by narrow cow-paths1 it is as if ,i had strayed into an ancient and decayed herb garden4 ,nature perfumes her garments with this essence now especially4 ,she gives it to those who go a-barberrying and on dark autumnal walks4 ,the very scent of it1 if you have a decayed frond in your chamber1 will take you far up country in a twinkling4 ,you would think you had gone after the cows there1 or were lost on the mountains4 ,again3 ,why can we not oftener refresh one another with original thoughts8 ,if the fragrance of the ,dicksonia fern is so grateful and suggestive to us1 how much more refreshing and encouraging1 recreating1 would be fresh and fragrant thoughts communicated to us from a man's experience8 ,i want none of his pity nor sympathy in the common sense1 but that he should emit and communicate to me his essential fragrance 444 going a-huckleberrying in the fields of thought1 and enriching all the world with his vision and his joys4 ,in connection with this fern ,thoreau indulges in one of those whimsical1 enchanting disquisitions with the spirit of which you are in complete accord1 even though you may seem to contradict the letter3 ,it is only when we forget all our learning that we begin to know4 ,i do not get nearer by a hair's-breadth to any natural object1 so long as ,i presume that ,i have an introduction to it from some learned man4 ,to conceive of it with a total apprehension1 ,i must for the thousandth time approach it as something totally strange4 ,if you would make acquaintance with the ferns1 you must forget your botany4 ,not a single scientific term or distinction is the least to the purpose4 ,you would fain perceive something1 and you must approach the object totally unprejudiced4 ,you must be aware that nothing is what you have taken it to be4 ,in what book is this world and its beauty described8 ,who has plotted the steps toward the discovery of beauty8 ,you must be in a different state from common4 ,your greatest success will be simply to perceive that such things are1 and you will have no communication to make to the ,royal ,society4 ,if it were required to know the position of the fruit-dots or the character of the indusium1 nothing could be easier than to ascertain it2 but if it is required that you be affected by ferns1 that they amount to anything1 signify anything to you1 that they be another sacred scripture and revelation to you1 helping to redeem your life1 this end is not so easily accomplished4 ,,group ,v ,,fertile ,,and ,,sterile ,,fronds ,,leaf-,,like ,,and ,,similar2 ,,sporangia ,,in ,,linear ,,or ,,oblong ,,fruit-,,dots #bd4 ,,lady ,,fern ,asplenium ,filix-fmina ,a wood and roadside fern1 growing in all parts of the country and presenting many varying forms4 ,one to three feet high1 with tufted1 straw-colored1 reddish1 or brownish stalks4 ,fronds4--,broadly lance-shaped1 tapering toward the apex1 twice-pinnate2 pinn lance-shaped2 pinnules oblong-lanceolate1 toothed or incised2 fruit-dots short1 curved2 indusium delicate1 curved1 sometimes shaped like a horseshoe4 ,the ,lady ,fern is found in all parts of the country4 ,sometimes it forms a part of the tangle of wild1 graceful things which grow close to the roadside fence4 ,again1 in company with the ,silvery ,spleenwort1 the ,evergreen ,wood ,fern and the ,spinulose ,shield ,fern1 forming perhaps a background for the brilliant scarlet clusters of the wild bergamot1 it fringes the banks of some amber-colored brook which surprises us with its swift1 noiseless flow as we stroll through the woods4 ,illustration3 ,,plate ,,xv ,,lady ,,fern a ,fruiting pinnule b ,portion of same ,the earliest fronds uncurl in ,may4 ,in ,june the plant is very graceful and pleasing4 ,when growing in shaded places it is often conspicuous by reason of its bright pink or reddish stalks1 which contrast effectively with the delicate green of the foliage4 ,but in later summer1 judging by my own experience1 the ,lady ,fern loses much of its delicacy4 ,many of its fronds become disfigured and present a rather blotched and coarse appearance4 ,this seems strange in view of the fact that the plant is called by ,lowe1 a well-known ,english writer1 the ,queen of ,ferns1 and that it is one of the few ferns to which we find reference in literature4 ,scott pays it the compliment1 rarely bestowed upon ferns1 of mentioning it by name3 ,where the copse wood is the greenest1 ,where the fountain glistens sheenest1 ,where the morning dew lies longest1 ,there the ,lady ,fern grows strongest4 ,in ,english works devoted to ferns ,i find at least two poems1 more remarkable for enthusiasm than for poetic inspiration1 in its honor4 ,i quote a portion of the one which occurs in ,miss ,pratt's ,ferns of ,great ,britain and ,their ,allies3 ,but seek her not in early ,may1 ,for a ,sibyl then she looks1 ,with wrinkled fronds that seem to say1 ',shut up are my wizard books6' ,then search for her in the summer woods1 ,where rills keep moist the ground1 ,where ,foxgloves from their spotted hoods1 ,shake pilfering insects round2 ,when up and clambering all about1 ,the ,traveller's ,joy flings forth ,its snowy awns1 that in and out ,like feathers strew the earth3 ,fair are the tufts of meadow-sweet ,that haply blossom nigh2 ,fair are the whirls of violet ,prunella shows hard by2 ,but nor by burn in wood1 or vale1 ,grows anything so fair ,as the plumy crest of emerald pale1 ,that waves in the wind1 and soughs in the gale1 ,of the ,lady ,fern1 when the sunbeams turn ,to gold her delicate hair4 ,the other1 which ,i give in full1 on account of its quaintness1 appeared in the ,botanical ,looker-out of ,edwin ,lees3 ,when in splendor and beauty all nature is crown'd1 ,the ,fern is seen curling half hid in the ground1 ,but of all the green brackens that rise by the burn1 ,commend me alone to the sweet ,lady ,fern4 ,polypodium indented stands stiff on the rock1 ,with his sori exposed to the tempest's rough shock2 ,on the wide1 chilly heath ,aquilina stands stern1 ,not once to be named with the sweet ,lady ,fern4 ,filix-mas in a circle lifts up his green fronds ,and the ,heath ,fern delights by the bogs and the ponds2 ,through their shadowy tufts though with pleasure ,i turn1 ,the palm must still rest with the fair ,lady ,fern4 ,by the fountain ,i see her just spring into sight1 ,her texture as frail as though shivering with fright2 ,to the water she shrinks--,i can scarcely discern ,in the deep humid shadows the soft ,lady ,fern4 ,where the water is pouring forever she sits1 ,and beside her the ,ouzel1 the ,kingfisher flits2 ,there1 supreme in her beauty1 beside the full urn1 ,in the shade of the rock stands the tall ,lady ,fern4 ,noon burns up the mountain2 but here by the fall ,the ,lady ,fern flourishes graceful and tall4 ,hours speed as thoughts rise1 without any concern1 ,and float like the spray gliding past the green ,fern4 #be4 ,,silvery ,,spleenwort ,asplenium thelypteroides 7,a4 acrostichoides7 ,canada to ,alabama and westward1 in rich woods4 ,one to three feet high4 ,fronds4--,lance-shaped1 tapering both ways from the middle1 once-pinnate2 pinn linear-lanceolate1 deeply cut into obtuse segments2 fruit-dots oblong2 indusium silvery when young4 ,illustration3 ,entire frond ,the ,silvery ,spleenwort grows in company with its kinsman1 the ,narrow-leaved ,spleenwort1 and also with many of the ,aspidiums1 such as the ,spinulose ,shield ,fern1 the ,evergreen ,wood ,fern1 the ,christmas and ,goldie's ,fern4 ,i find it growing in large patches in the rich woods1 often near water1 either in boggy ground or on the very edge of the clear1 brown brook4 ,sometimes it is difficult to detect a single fertile frond in a group of plants covering many square feet of ground4 ,this is probably owing to the deeply shaded situations which it favors1 as in sunny exposures ,i have noticed an abundance of fertile fronds4 ,illustration3 ,,plate ,,xvi a ,upper part of fertile frond of ,silvery ,spleenwort b ,portion of fruiting pinna c ,portion of pinna showing double fruit-dots ,its color is a dull green1 the silvery indusia on the lower surfaces of the pinn giving the plant its ,english title4 ,although usually its fronds are larger1 their outline1 tapering as it does both ways from the middle1 somewhat suggests that of the ,new ,york ,fern4 ,it is readily identified1 as the oblong or linear fruit-dots at once proclaim it a ,spleenwort1 and no other member of this tribe has fronds of the same shape4 ,although it cannot be classed among the rare ferns1 it is absent from many promising localities1 and is associated in my mind with especially successful expeditions4 #bf4 ,,rue ,,spleenwort4 ,,wall ,,rue ,asplenium ,ruta-muraria ,a small rock fern1 growing on limestone1 ,vermont to ,michigan and southward4 ,four to seven inches long1 with green1 slender1 tufted stalks4 ,fronds4--,triangular-ovate1 smooth1 evergreen1 twice or thrice-pinnate below2 pinn cut into stalked pinnules2 fruit-dots confluent at maturity1 covering nearly the whole lower surface of pinnules2 indusium delicate4 ,my first acquaintance with the little ,rue ,spleenwort in its own home dates back to the memorable day when we discovered the new station for the ,hart's ,tongue4 ,illustration3 ,,plate ,,xvii ,,rue ,,spleenwort ,as ,i have already mentioned in my description of the ,purple ,cliff ,brake1 on a chance morning call ,i learned that twenty-five years before the ,rue ,spleenwort and the ,purple ,cliff ,brake had been found on certain cliffs which overhung some neighboring falls4 ,on these very cliffs a quarter of a century later we found a few specimens of each plant4 ,the tiny fronds of the ,rue ,spleenwort grew from small fissures in the cliffs1 flattening themselves against their rocky background4 ,about a month later we returned to the spot for the purpose of securing photographs of the natural gallery where the plants grew4 ,the seamed1 overhanging rocks1 the neighboring stream plunging nearly two hundred feet to the ravine below1 the bold opposite cliffs showing here and there through their cloak of trees1 and above and beyond the smiling upland pastures1 the wood-crowned hills1 and the haze-softened valley1 had left a picture in the mind that we hoped to reproduce1 however inadequately1 by means of the camera4 ,this morning we had approached the cliffs from an opposite direction4 ,in climbing a gradual ascent from the bed of the stream1 we found a plant of the ,rue ,spleenwort which was more vigorous and thrifty than any we had previously seen4 ,in the single tuft1 about as large as the palm of one's hand1 we counted forty-five green fronds4 ,their lower surfaces1 in many cases1 were covered with confluent fruit-dots4 ,the plant had much the effect of a rather small specimen of the ,mountain ,spleenwort4 ,the short1 broad fronds were somewhat leathery1 with only a few pinn4 ,considering its lack of size1 the little cluster1 springing from the bare rock1 made so definite and interesting a picture that we tried to photograph it as it grew4 ,but after some time spent in striving to secure a foothold for the tripod1 and at the same time for the photographer1 we gave up the attempt as hopeless4 ,in ,england the ,rue ,spleenwort is found growing on old walls1 specially on their northern sides1 also on church-towers1 bridges1 and ruins4 ,it is said to be difficult to cultivate4 ,formerly this fern yielded a decoction which was supposed to be beneficial in attacks of pleurisy and of jaundice4 ,illustration3 ,mountain ,spleenwort #bg4 ,,mountain ,,spleenwort ,asplenium montanum ,connecticut and ,new ,york to ,georgia4 ,a small rock fern from two to eight inches long1 with stalks brown at base4 ,fronds4--,ovate-lanceolate in outline1 somewhat leathery1 cut into oblong pinn1 the lower ones of which are cut again into more or less oblong1 toothed divisions1 the upper ones less and less divided2 rachis green1 broad1 flat2 fruit-dots linear1 short2 indusium thin1 hidden at length by the sporangia1 which mature in ,july4 ,with us this plant is decidedly rare4 ,new ,york and ,connecticut are given as its northern limits4 ,i have found it only in one locality1 in the neighborhood of a mountain lake in ,ulster ,county1 ,n4 ,y4 ,though growing here somewhat abundantly1 the fern is so small that1 unless your eyes are trained to search every cranny in the hope of some new find1 you are not likely to notice it4 ,even with trained eyes you may readily fancy that the narrow chinks in the cliffs which rise sheerly from the lake are merely patched with moss4 ,but when you have pulled your boat close under the shelving rocks1 and have secured a hold that enables you to stand up and examine at leisure the suspicious patches1 your heart bounds with delight as you get a near view of the fringe of blue-green1 leathery fronds which flatten themselves against the gray cliffs4 ,apparently only the plants that grow under specially favorable conditions are able to develop fronds that attain a length of five or six inches4 ,only in what must have been almost constant shadow1 under the shelving rocks1 directly above the lake and refreshed always by its moisture1 did ,i find these really attractive1 thrifty-looking plants4 ,the specimens1 which were located at some distance from the lake1 growing in one instance on top of a mountain1 again in the shaded crevices of a cliff1 were tiny1 indefinite-looking plants with nothing to recommend them to any eyes save those of the fern collector4 ,in every instance they grew from fissures in the rocks1 rooting apparently in a mere pinch of earth1 yet with such tenacity that it would have been very difficult to extract a plant unharmed4 ,in almost every case they were shielded much of the time from exposure to the sun4 ,illustration3 ,,plate ,,xviii ,,mountain ,,spleenwort a ,a fertile frond b ,a pinna of fertile frond ,illustration3 ,mountain ,spleenwort ,the large plants in the immediate vicinity of the lake were noticeably bluish-green in color4 ,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 preserved4 ,illustration3 ,in the shaded crevices of a cliff #bh4 ,,ebony ,,spleenwort ,asplenium ebeneum 7,a4 platyneuron7 ,maine to ,florida and westward1 on rocks and hill-sides4 ,nine to eighteen inches high1 with blackish and shining stalks4 ,fronds4--,upright1 narrowly oblanceolate1 fertile fronds much the taller1 once-pinnate2 pinn usually alternate1 oblong1 finely toothed1 the base auricled on the upper or on both sides2 fruit-dots many1 oblong1 nearer midvein than margin2 indusium silvery till maturity4 ,the slender fronds of the ,ebony ,spleenwort hold themselves with a sort of rigid grace which suggests a combination of delicacy and endurance4 ,illustration3 ,portion of fertile frond ,illustration3 ,fertile pinna magnified ,it is an attractive plant with an elusiveness of habit which serves1 perhaps1 to increase its charm4 ,its range is from ,maine to ,florida and westward2 it is said to prefer limestone soil1 and my past experience has proved it a fairly common plant1 yet so far this summer1 in many expeditions in a part of the country rich in limestone1 ,i have found only one specimen1 while last year along the roadsides of ,long ,island ,i found its black-stemmed fronds standing erect and slim in crowded ranks under groups of red cedars4 ,in other years it has abounded in localities of a different character1 sometimes following its little relative1 the ,maidenhair ,spleenwort1 into moist ravines or along the shelves of shaded rocks1 again climbing exposed hill-sides1 where its fresh beauty is always a surprise4 ,illustration3 ,,plate ,,xix ,,ebony ,,spleenwort ,the fronds of the ,ebony ,spleenwort usually face the sun1 even if so doing necessitates the twisting of its stalk4 #bi4 ,,maidenhair ,,spleenwort ,asplenium ,trichomanes ,almost throughout ,north ,america4 ,a small rock fern1 four to twelve inches long1 with purplish-brown and shining1 thread-like stalks4 ,fronds4--,linear in outline1 somewhat rigid1 once-pinnate2 pinn roundish or oval1 unequal-sided1 attached to rachis by a narrow point1 entire or toothed2 fruit-dots short1 oblong1 narrowed at the ends1 three to six on each side of the midrib2 sporangia dark-brown when ripe2 indusium delicate4 ,illustration3 ,fertile pinn ,in childhood the delicate little fronds and dark1 glistening1 thread-like stalks of the ,maidenhair ,spleenwort seemed to me a token of the mysterious1 ecstatic presence of the deeper woods1 of woods where dark hemlocks arched across the rock-broken stream1 where the spongy ground was carpeted with low1 nameless plants with white-veined or shining leaves and coral-like berries1 where precious red-cupped mosses covered the fallen tree-trunks and strange birds sang unknown songs4 ,perhaps because in those days it was a rare plant to be met with on rare occasions1 in a spirit of breathless exultation1 ,i almost begrudge finding it now on shaded cliffs close to the highway4 ,illustration3 ,maidenhair ,spleenwort ,certainly it seems lovelier when it holds itself somewhat aloof from the beaten paths4 ,one of its favorite haunts is a mossy cliff which forms part of a ravine of singular beauty4 ,along the base of this cliff foams a rushing stream on its way to the valley4 ,overhead stretch branches of hemlock1 cedar1 and basswood4 ,on the broader shelves the mountain maple1 the silver birch1 and the hobble-bush secure a precarious foothold4 ,below rare sunbeams bring out rich patches of color on the smooth1 muscular trunks of the beeches4 ,close to the water1 perhaps1 wheel a pair of spotted sand-pipers1 now lighting on the rocks in order to secure some insect1 now tilting backward and forward with the comical motion peculiar to them1 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 shore1 rock1 and water4 ,illustration3 ,lower pinn ,in such a retreat as this ravine the ,maidenhair ,spleenwort seems peculiarly at home4 ,its tufted fronds have a fresh greenness that is a delight to the eye as they spring from little pockets or crannies too shallow1 we would suppose1 for the necessary moisture and nourishment4 ,its near companions are the ,walking ,fern1 whose tapering1 leaf-like1 blue-green fronds leap along the shelving ledge above1 and the ,bulblet ,bladder ,fern1 which seems to gush from every crevice of the cliff4 ,illustration3 ,upper pinn #cj4 ,,green ,,spleenwort ,asplenium viride ,northern ,new ,england1 west and northward1 on shaded rocks4 ,a few inches to nearly a foot long1 with tufted stalks1 brownish below1 green above4 ,fronds4--,linear-lanceolate1 once-pinnate1 pale green2 pinn ovate1 toothed1 midvein indistinct and forking2 fruit-dots oblong2 indusium straight or curved4 ,illustration3 ,,plate ,,xx ,,green ,,spleenwort ,the ,green ,spleenwort in general appearance resembles the ,maidenhair ,spleenwort4 ,perhaps its most distinguishing feature is its stalk1 which1 though brown below1 becomes green above1 while that of its little relative is dark and shining throughout4 ,its discovery on ,mt4 ,mansfield1 ,vt41 by ,mr4 ,pringle gave it a place in the flora of the ,united ,states1 as is shown in the following passage from ,mr4 ,pringle's address before the ,vermont ,botanical ,club3 ,on this first visit to ,mt4 ,mansfield my work was restricted to the crest of the great mountain4 ,about the cool and shaded cliffs in front of the ,summit ,house were then first brought to my view ,aspidium fragrans 444 and ,asplenium viride1 444 for ,i was still on my fern hunt4 ,the finding of the former added a species to the ,vermont catalogue2 the latter was an addition to the flora of the ,united ,states4 ,such little discoveries gave joy to the young collector4 ,illustration3 ,fertile pinn #ca4 ,,scott',s ,,spleenwort ,asplenium ebenoides ,connecticut to the ,mississippi and southward to ,alabama1 on limestone4 ,four to twelve inches long1 with blackish and shining stalks4 ,fronds4--,lanceolate1 tapering to a long1 narrow apex1 generally pinnate below1 pinnatifid above2 fruit-dots straight or slightly curved2 indusium narrow4 ,illustration3 ,,plate ,,xxi ,,scott',s ,,spleenwort ,the known stations of this curious little plant are usually in the immediate neighborhood of the ,walking ,leaf and the ,ebony ,spleenwort1 of which ferns it is supposed to be a hybrid4 ,the long1 narrow apex occasionally forming a new plant1 and the irregular fruit-dots remind one of the ,walking ,leaf1 while the lustrous black stalk1 the free veins1 and the pinnate portions of the fronds suggest the ,ebony ,spleenwort4 ,scott's ,spleenwort matures in ,august4 ,it is rare and local1 except in ,alabama4 ,the fact1 however1 that it has been discovered in widely distant localities east of the ,mississippi should lend excitement to fern expeditions in any of our limestone neighborhoods where we see its chosen associates1 the ,walking ,leaf and the ,ebony ,spleenwort4 ,to find a new station for this interesting little fern1 even if it consisted of one or two plants only1 as is said to have been the case at ,canaan1 ,conn41 would well repay the fatigue of the longest tramp4 #cb4 ,,pinnatifid ,,spleenwort ,asplenium pinnatifidum ,new ,jersey and ,pennsylvania to ,illinois1 and southward to ,alabama and ,arkansas1 on rocks4 ,four to fourteen inches long1 with polished stalks1 blackish below1 green above1 when young somewhat chaffy below4 ,fronds4--,broadly lance-shaped1 tapering to a long1 slender point1 pinnatifid or pinnate below2 pinn rounded or the lowest tapering to a point1 fruit-dots straight or somewhat curved2 indusium straight or curved4 ,illustration3 ,,plate ,,xxii ,,pinnatifid ,,spleenwort ,this plant resembles the ,walking ,leaf to such an extent that formerly it was not considered a separate species4 ,the long1 slender apex of its frond1 which1 it is said1 sometimes takes root1 as in the ,walking ,leaf1 gave ground for its confusion with that fern4 ,but the tapering apex of the frond of the ,pinnatifid ,spleenwort is not so long and the veins of the frond are free4 ,the ,pinnatifid ,spleenwort grows on rocks4 ,its usual companions are the ,mountain ,spleenwort and the ,maidenhair ,spleenwort4 ,williamson tells us that1 though it is quite common in ,kentucky1 he has never found a frond which rooted at the apex4 ,eaton1 however1 speaks of one or two instances of a slight enlargement of the apex1 as if there were an attempt to form a proliferous bud4 #cc4 ,,bradley',s ,,spleenwort ,asplenium ,bradleyi ,new ,york to ,georgia and ,alabama1 westward to ,arkansas1 on rocks preferring limestone4 ,six to ten inches long1 with slender1 chestnut-brown stalks4 ,fronds4--,oblong-lanceolate or oblong1 tapering to a point1 pinnate2 pinn oblong-ovate1 lobed or pinnatifid2 fruit-dots short1 near the midrib2 indusium delicate4 ,to my knowledge the only place in the northeastern ,states where this rare and local species has been collected is near ,newburg1 ,n4 ,y41 where ,dr4 ,eaton found a plant growing on lime rock in #ahfd4 ,illustration3 ,,plate ,,xxiii ,,bradley',s ,,spleenwort a ,fertile pinna #cd4 ,,walking ,,fern4 ,,walking ,,leaf ,camptosorus rhizophyllus ,canada to ,north ,carolina and westward1 on shaded rocks1 preferring limestone4 ,four to eighteen inches long1 with light-green stalks4 ,fronds4--,simple1 lanceolate1 long-tapering toward the apex1 usually heart-shaped at base1 the apex often rooting and forming a new plant2 fruit-dots oblong or linear1 irregularly scattered on the lower surface of the frond2 indusium thin4 ,illustration3 ,walking ,leaf ,to its unusual and suggestive title this plant undoubtedly owes much of the interest which it seems to arouse in the minds of those who do not profess to be fern-lovers4 ,a friend tells me that as a child1 eagerly on the lookout for this apparently active little plant1 he was so much influenced by its title that he thought it might be advantageous to secure a butterfly-net as an aid in its capture4 ,i find that older people as well are tempted to unwonted energy if promised a glimpse of the ,walking ,fern4 ,then1 too1 the scarcity of the plant in many localities1 or1 indeed1 its entire absence from certain parts of the country1 gives it a reputation for rarity which is one of the most certain roads to fame4 ,illustration3 ,portion of fertile frond ,for many years ,i was unable to track it to any of its haunts4 ,during a summer spent in ,rensselaer ,county1 ,n4 ,y41 the ,walking ,leaf was the object of various expeditions4 ,i recall one drive of twenty-five miles devoted to hunting up a rumored station4 ,at the end of the day1 which turned out cold and rainy1 and fruitless so far as its special object was concerned1 ,i felt inclined to believe that the plant had justified its title and had walked out of the neighborhood4 ,yet1 after all1 no such expedition1 even with wind and weather against one1 as in this case1 is really fruitless4 ,the sharp watch along the roadside1 the many little expeditions into inviting pastures1 up promising cliffs1 over moss-grown bowlders1 down to the rocky border of the brook1 are sure to result in discoveries of value or in moments of delight4 ,a flower yet unnamed1 a butterfly beautiful as a gem1 an unfamiliar bird-song traced to its source1 a new1 suggestive outlook over the well-known valley1 and1 later1 a sleep pleasant with all the influences of long hours in the open air--any or all of these results may be ours1 and go to make the day count4 ,finally1 one ,september afternoon1 shortly before leaving the neighborhood1 we resolved upon a last search1 in quite a new direction4 ,several miles from home1 at a fork in the road1 standing in a partially wooded pasture1 we noticed just such a large1 shaded rock1 with mossy ledges1 as had filled us with vain hopes many times4 ,j4 suggested a closer examination1 which ,i discouraged1 remembering previous disappointments4 ,but something in the look of the great bowlder provoked his curiosity1 so over the fence and up the ledges he scrambled4 ,almost his first resting-place was a projecting shelf which was carpeted with a mat of bluish-green foliage4 ,it needed only a moment's investigation to identify the leathery1 tapering fronds of the ,walking ,fern4 ,no one who has not spent hours in some such search as this can sympathize with the delight of those moments4 ,we fairly gloated over the quaint little plants1 following with our fingers the slender tips of the fronds till they rooted in the moss1 starting another generation on its life journey1 and earning for itself the title of ,walking ,leaf or ,walking ,fern4 ,although since then ,i have found the ,walking ,leaf frequently1 and in great abundance1 ,i do not remember ever to have seen it make so fine a display4 ,the plants were unusually large and vigorous1 and the aspect of the matted tufts was uncommonly luxuriant4 ,to be sure1 some allowance must be made for the glamour of a first meeting4 ,illustration3 ,we fairly gloated over the quaint little plants4 ,the ,walking ,leaf grows usually on limestone rocks1 though it has been found on sandstone1 shale1 and conglomerate as well4 ,i have also seen it on the stumps of decaying trees near limestone cliffs in ,central ,new ,york1 where it is a common plant1 creeping along the shaded1 mossy ledges above star-like tufts of the ,maidenhair ,spleenwort and fragile clusters of the ,slender ,cliff ,brake1 venturing to the brook's edge with sprays of the ,bulblet ,bladder ,fern1 and climbing the turreted summits of the hills close to the ,purple ,cliff ,brake4 ,although without the grace of the ,maidenhair1 the delicacy of certain of the ,spleenworts1 or the stately beauty of the ,shield ,ferns1 the oddity and sturdiness of this little plant are bound to make it a favorite everywhere4 ,occasionally a plant is found which will keep up its connection with two or three generations2 that is1 a frond will root at the apex1 forming a new plant 7the second generation74 ,this will also send out a rooting frond which gives birth to a new plant 7the third generation7 before the two first fronds have decayed at their tips so as to sever the connection4 ,at times forking fronds are found1 these forks also rooting occasionally at their tips4 #ce4 ,,hart',s ,,tongue ,scolopendrium vulgare 7,s4 scolopendrium7 ,shaded ravines under limestone cliffs in ,central ,new ,york and near ,south ,pittsburg1 ,tenn4 ,a few inches to nearly two feet long1 with stalks which are chaffy below and sometimes to the base of the leaf4 ,fronds4--,narrowly oblong1 undivided1 from a somewhat heart-shaped base1 bright-green2 fruit-dots linear1 elongated1 a row on either side of the midrib and at right angles to it2 indusium appearing to be double4 ,when ,gray describes a fern as very rare and ,dr4 ,britton limits it to two small stations in neighboring counties in the whole northern ,united ,states1 the fern lover looks forward with a sense of eager anticipation to seeing it for the first time4 ,illustration3 ,tip of fertile frond ,during a week spent at ,cazenovia1 ,n4 ,y41 a few years ago1 ,i learned that the rare ,hart's ,tongue grew at ,chittenango ,falls1 only four miles away4 ,but my time was limited1 and on a single brief visit to the picturesque spot where the broad ,chittenango stream dashes over cliffs one hundred and fifty feet high1 losing itself in the wild1 wooded glen below on its journey to the distant valley1 ,i did little more than revel in the beauty of the foaming mass which for many days haunted me like a passion4 ,i saw no signs of the plant which has done almost as much as the sounding cataract to make the spot famous4 ,illustration3 ,hart's ,tongue ,the combined recollection of the beautiful falls and the for me undiscovered fern1 joined to the fact that ,madison and the adjoining ,onondaga ,county are favorite hunting grounds for the fern lover on account of the many species which they harbor1 drew us to ,cazenovia for the summer two years later4 ,guided by the explicit directions of ,mr4 ,j4 ,h4 ,ten ,eyck ,burr1 a fern enthusiast who is always ready to share with others1 of whose good faith he is assured1 his enjoyment of the hiding-places of his favorites1 we found at last the ,hart's ,tongue in its own home4 ,if ,mr4 ,burr's kindness in sending me some fine pressed specimens1 and the illustrations ,i had seen in various books1 had not already made me familiar with the general look of the plant1 the long1 undivided1 tongue-like fronds1 so different from one's preconceived notion of a fern1 would have been a great surprise4 ,even now1 although ,i have visited many times its hidden retreats1 and have noted with delight every detail of its glossy1 vigorous growth1 it seems to me always as rare and unusual as it did the first day ,i found it4 ,at ,chittenango ,falls the ,hart's ,tongue grows a few yards from the base of bold1 overhanging limestone cliffs1 the tops of which are fringed by pendent roots of the red cedar4 ,nearly always it is caught beneath moss-grown fragments of the fallen limestone1 the bright-green1 undulating1 glossy leaves either standing almost erect 7curving outward slightly above7 or else falling over toward the slope of the land so as to present a nearly prostrate appearance4 ,at times these fronds are very numerous1 as many as fifty to a plant1 forming great clumps of foliage4 ,again we find a plant with only half a dozen or even fewer green fronds4 ,at maturity the linear1 bright-brown fruit-dots1 a row on either side the midrib1 are conspicuous on the lower surfaces of the fronds4 ,this haunt of the ,hart's ,tongue is shaded by a growth of tall basswoods and maples1 of sturdy oaks and hemlocks4 ,the neighboring cliffs are draped with the slender fronds of the ,bulblet ,bladder ,fern4 ,on every side rise the tall crowns of the omnipresent ,evergreen ,wood ,fern4 ,lower down1 close to the rushing stream which we see mistily through the green branches1 its roar always in our ears1 grow the ,walking ,leaf and the ,maidenhair4 ,the little ,polypody climbs over the rocks and perches contentedly on the spreading roots of trees1 while a few fragile plants of the ,slender ,cliff ,brake1 something of a rarity in these parts1 are fastened to the mossy ledges4 ,the other published northern station of the ,hart's ,tongue is at ,jamesville1 some fifteen miles from ,chittenango ,falls1 near a small sheet of water known commonly as ,green ,pond1 christened botanically ,scolopendrium ,lake4 ,here also it grows among the talus at the foot of limestone cliffs4 ,the plants which ,i found in this locality were less luxuriant than those at ,chittenango ,falls4 ,they grow in more exposed1 less shaded spots4 ,scolopendrium ,lake has become somewhat famous in the world of fern students by reason of ,mr4 ,underwood's claim that in its immediate vicinity1 within a radius of fifty rods from the water's edge 7the lake being a mere pond71 grow twenty-seven different kinds of ferns1 while within a circle whose diameter is not over three miles thirty-four species have been found4 ,during this one day we gave to the neighborhood1 we could not hope to find so great a number1 the result1 perhaps1 of many days' investigation1 and were forced to content ourselves with the twenty-one species we did find4 ,in his list ,mr4 ,underwood marks the ,purple ,cliff ,brake as found but once1 so ,i judge he did not discover the station on the turreted cliffs close by where it grows in extravagant profusion1 producing fronds not only much longer and finer than ,i had seen elsewhere1 but superior to those pictured in the illustrated books4 ,during the same summer1 on an expedition to ,perryville ,falls1 which we had planned for the express purpose of finding the ,rue ,spleenwort and the ,purple ,cliff ,brake1 a new station was discovered for the ,hart's ,tongue4 ,to ,miss ,murray ,ledyard1 of ,cazenovia1 belongs the honor of finding the first plants in this locality4 ,we had been successful in the original object of our journey1 and had crossed the stream in order to examine the opposite cliffs4 ,j4 and ,i1 curious to study the wet wall of rock close to the sheer white veil of water1 which fell more than one hundred feet1 finally secured an unsubstantial foothold among graceful tufts of the greenish1 lily-like flowers1 which ought to receive a more homely and appropriate title than ,zygadenus elegans4 ,having satisfied ourselves that the mossy crevices harbored no plants of the ,slender ,cliff ,brake1 now the immediate object of our search1 we followed the natural path beneath the overhanging rock and above the sheer descent to the ravine1 examining the cliffs as we cautiously picked our way4 ,miss ,ledyard had remained below1 and suddenly we heard her give a triumphant shout1 followed by the joyful announcement that she had found the ,hart's ,tongue4 ,the station being previously quite unknown1 this was a most interesting discovery4 ,on entering the ravine we had discussed its possibility1 but ,i had fancied that any hope of it would be unfounded1 as ,i supposed the ground had been thoroughly canvassed by the many botanists who had visited the neighborhood4 ,the plants were still young1 but large and vigorous1 growing in a partial opening among the basswoods1 maples1 and beeches1 on a steep slope covered with fragments of limestone1 some thirty or forty feet from the base of the cliffs4 ,we must have found from twenty to thirty plants within a radius of as many feet4 ,unfortunately1 as it turned out1 the discovery found its way to the columns of the local paper1 and on our return to the station1 some weeks later our eager expectation of seeing the young plants in the splendor of maturity was crushed by finding that the spot had been ruthlessly invaded and a number of the finest plants had disappeared4 ,before long it will be necessary for botanists to form a secret society1 with vows of silence as to fern localities and some sort of lynch law for the punishment of vandals4 ,this fern1 so rare with us1 is a common plant in ,europe1 its fronds attaining at times a length of two or three feet4 ,in ,ireland and the ,channel ,islands it is especially abundant4 ,in ,devonshire1 ,england1 it is described as growing on the tops and at the sides of walls2 hanging from old ruins 444 dropping down its long1 green fronds into the cool and limpid water of roadside wells hewn out of the rock2 often exposed to the full blaze of the sun1 but always in such cases dwindled down to a tiny size 7,the ,fern ,paradise74 ,the ,hart's ,tongue has been known as the ,caterpillar ,fern and the ,seaweed ,fern4 #cf4 ,,virginia ,,chain ,,fern ,woodwardia ,virginica ,swampy places1 often in deep water1 from ,maine to ,florida4 ,two to more than three feet high4 ,fronds4--,once-pinnate2 pinn pinnatifid1 with oblong segments2 fruit-dots oblong1 in chain-like rows along the midrib both of the pinn and of the lobes1 confluent when ripe2 indusium fixed by its outer margin1 opening on the side next the midrib4 ,emerging from the shade and silence of a little wood upon the rolling downs where one has glimpses of the blue bay1 our attention is attracted by a tall fern beside the path1 growing among a tangle of shrubs and vines4 ,it does not grow in symmetrical crowns or tufts like an ,osmunda1 but its fronds are almost as handsome1 the divisions being wider apart and more scattered4 ,turning over two or three of the rather glossy fronds1 we find a rusty-backed1 fertile frond1 covered on one side with the regular chain-like rows of fruit-dots which make its name of ,chain ,fern seem very appropriate and descriptive4 ,illustration3 ,,plate ,,xxiv ,,upper ,,part ,,of ,,frond ,,of ,,virginia ,,chain ,,fern a ,portion of fertile pinna b ,tip of fertile pinna ,in the low1 damp ground near the coast one may expect to find this fern2 its haunts1 where the narrow path winds between tall masses of sweet-pepper bush and wet meadows where pogonia and calopogon delight us in ,july1 and the white-fringed orchids may be found in later summer1 are among the most beautiful of the many beautiful kinds of country that the fern and flower lover knows1 to which his feet stray inevitably in the season of green things1 and which are the solace of his inward eye when that season is past4 ,,group ,,vi ,,fertile ,,and ,,sterile ,,fronds ,,leaf-,,like ,,and ,,usually ,,similar1 ,,fruit-,,dots ,,round #cg4 ,,new ,,york ,,fern ,aspidium ,noveboracense 7,dryopteris ,noveboracensis7 ,newfoundland to ,south ,carolina1 in woods and open meadows4 ,one to more than two feet high1 with stalks shorter than the fronds4 ,fronds4--,lance-shaped1 tapering both ways from the middle pinnate2 pinn lance-shaped1 the lowest pairs shorter and deflexed1 divided into flat1 oblong lobes which are not reflexed over the fruit-dots2 fruit-dots round1 distinct1 near the margin2 indusium minute4 ,at times the pale-green fronds of the ,new ,york ,fern throng to the roadside1 which is flanked by a tangled thicket of ,osmundas1 wild roses1 and elder bushes4 ,again1 they stay quietly at home in the open marsh or in the shadow of the hemlocks and cedars1 where they have fragrant pyrola and pipsissewa for company1 and where the long1 melancholy note of the peewee breaks the silence4 ,this plant is easily distinguished from the ,marsh ,fern by the noticeable tapering at both ends of its frond1 and by the flat instead of reflexed margins to the lobes of the fertile pinn4 ,illustration3 ,,plate ,,xxv ,,new ,,york ,,fern a ,portion of fertile pinna b ,tip of pinna showing veining #ch4 ,,marsh ,,fern ,aspidium ,thelypteris 7,dryopteris ,thelypteris7 ,new ,brunswick to ,florida1 in wet woods and swamps4 ,one to nearly three feet high4 ,fronds4--,lance-shaped1 slightly downy1 once-pinnate1 fertile fronds longer-stalked than the sterile2 pinn1 the lower ones hardly smaller than the others1 cut into oblong1 entire lobes1 which are obtuse in the sterile fronds1 but appear acute in the fertile ones from the strongly revolute margins2 veins once or twice forked2 fruit-dots small1 round1 half-way between midvein and margin1 or nearer margin1 soon confluent2 indusium small4 ,in our wet woods and open swamps1 and occasionally in dry pastures1 the erect1 fresh-green fronds of the ,marsh ,fern grow abundantly4 ,the lowest pinn are set so high on the long slender stem as to give the fern the appearance of trying to keep dry1 daintily holding its skirts out of the mud as it were4 ,the plant's range is wide4 ,as ,i pick my way through marshy inland woods1 using as bridges the fallen trunks and interlacing roots of trees1 its bright fronds standing nearly three feet high1 crowd about me4 ,close by1 securing1 like myself1 a firmer foothold by the aid of the trees' roots1 ,i notice the flat1 mottled green and white rosettes and the slender wands of flowers of the rattlesnake orchid4 ,in the open swamps beyond the fern's companion is another orchid1 the ladies' tresses1 with braided spikes of white1 and in this case deliciously fragrant flowers4 ,illustration3 ,marsh ,fern ,in open marshes near the sea ,i find this plant associating itself with the violet-scented adder's mouth1 with glistening sundew1 and with gaudy ,turk's-cap lilies4 ,from the ,new ,york ,fern it may be distinguished easily by the somewhat abrupt instead of tapering base of the frond1 by the strongly revolute margins of the fertile frond1 and by its long stalk4 ,illustration3 ,,plate ,,xxvi ,,marsh ,,fern ,fertile frond ,sterile frond ,from the ,massachusetts ,fern it may be distinguished by its forked veins1 the less revolute margins of the fertile frond1 and by its thicker texture and deeper green4 #ci4 ,,massachusetts ,,fern ,aspidium simulatum 7,dryopteris simulata7 ,new ,hampshire to the ,indian ,territory1 in wooded swamps4 ,one to more than three feet high4 ,fronds4--,oblong-lance-shaped1 little or not at all narrowed at the base1 rather thin1 pinnate2 pinn lance-shaped1 cut into oblong1 obtuse segments1 which are slightly reflexed in the fertile fronds1 veins not forked2 fruit-dots rather large1 somewhat distant2 indusium withering-persistent4 ,this species closely resembles the ,marsh ,fern4 ,the less revolute margins of the fertile frond1 the simple veins1 its thinner texture1 and its more distant fruit-dots aid in its identification4 ,it is found in woodland swamps from ,new ,hampshire to the ,indian ,territory4 ,illustration3 ,,plate ,,xxvii ,,spinulose ,,wood ,,fern ,aspidium spinulosum1 var4 intermedium a ,portion of fertile pinnule #dj4 ,,spinulose ,,wood ,,fern ,aspidium spinulosum 7,dryopteris spinulosa7 ,newfoundland to ,kentucky4 ,the common ,european type1 rare in ,north ,america4 ,one to two and a half feet high1 with stalks having a few pale-brown deciduous scales4 ,fronds4--,lance-ovate1 twice-pinnate2 pinn oblique to the rachis1 elongated-triangular1 the lower ones broadly triangular2 pinnules oblique to the midrib1 connected by a narrow wing1 cut into thorny-toothed segments2 fruit-dots round2 indusium smooth1 without marginal glands1 soon withering4 ,to my knowledge ,i have only seen this fern in the herbarium1 it being rare in this country4 ,it is found1 ,i have been told1 chiefly toward the tops of mountains4 ,its pinn are noticeably ascending4 ,var4 intermedium 7,d4 spinulosa intermedia7 ,labrador to ,north ,carolina1 in woods almost everywhere4 ,usually large1 with somewhat chaffy stalks1 having brown1 dark-centred scales4 ,fronds4--,oblong-ovate1 #b-c pinnate2 pinn oblong-lance-shaped1 spreading1 rather distant1 the lowest unequally triangular1 the pinnules on the lower side longer than those on the upper side2 pinnules ovate-oblong1 spreading1 with oblong lobes thorny-toothed at the apex2 fruit-dots round2 indusium delicate1 beset with tiny stalked glands4 ,this is the form of the species that abounds in our woods4 ,perhaps no one plant does more for their beauty than this stately fern1 whose rich-green1 outward-curving fronds spring in circles from fallen trees and decaying stumps as well as from the ground4 ,illustration3 ,,plate ,,xxviii ,,boott',s ,,shield ,,fern a ,tip of fertile pinna ,the plant varies greatly in height1 breadth1 and way of holding itself4 ,sometimes the fronds stand three feet high1 and are broad and spreading4 ,again1 they are tall1 slender1 and somewhat erect4 ,again1 they are not more than a foot high4 ,at its best it grows with almost tropical luxuriance and is a plant of rare beauty1 its fronds having a certain featheriness of aspect uncommon in the ,aspidiums4 ,var4 dilatatum 7,d4 spinulosa dilatata7 ,newfoundland to ,north ,carolina1 chiefly in the mountains4 ,fronds4--,usually large1 broader at base than in either of the preceding species1 ovate or triangular-ovate1 oftenest thrice-pinnate2 pinnules lance-oblong1 the lowest often much elongated2 fruit-dots round2 indusium smooth4 ,this form of the ,spinulose ,wood ,fern is distinguished chiefly by its broader fronds and by the smooth indusia4 ,as these indusia can be seen satisfactorily only by the aid of a magnifying-glass1 there is frequently some difficulty in distinguishing this variety4 ,occasionally it occurs in a dwarf state1 fruiting when only a few inches high4 #da4 ,,boott',s ,,shield ,,fern ,aspidium ,boottii 7,dryopteris ,boottii7 ,nova ,scotia to ,maryland1 about ponds and in wet places4 ,one and a half to more than three feet high1 with somewhat chaffy stalks which have pale-brown scales4 ,fronds4--,long lance-shaped1 somewhat narrowed at base1 nearly or quite twice-pinnate2 pinn1 the lowest triangular-ovate1 upper longer and narrower2 pinnules oblong-ovate1 sharply thorny-toothed1 somewhat pinnatifid below2 fruit-dots round2 indusium slightly glandular4 ,illustration3 ,,plate ,,xxix ,,crested ,,shield ,,fern a ,a pinna b ,portion of fertile pinna ,boott's ,shield ,fern is found in moist woods and near ponds4 ,it is distinguished by its long1 narrow fronds and minutely glandular indusium4 #db4 ,,crested ,,shield ,,fern ,aspidium cristatum 7,dryopteris cristata7 ,newfoundland to ,kentucky1 in swamps4 ,one to more than three feet high1 with stalks which are chaffy1 especially below1 and which have light-brown scales1 stalks of sterile fronds much shorter than those of fertile fronds4 ,fronds4--,linear-oblong or lance-shaped1 nearly twice-pinnate1 fertile ones taller and longer stalked than the sterile2 pinn 7of the fertile frond1 turning their faces toward the apex of the frond7 rather short1 lance-shaped or triangular-oblong1 deeply impressed with veins1 cut deeply into oblong1 obtuse1 finely toothed divisions2 fruit-dots large1 round1 half-way between midvein and margin2 indusium large1 flat4 ,in wet woods1 growing either from the ground or from the trunks of fallen trees1 and also in open meadows1 we notice the tall1 slender1 dark-green1 somewhat lustrous fronds of the ,crested ,shield ,fern1 usually distinguished easily from its kinsmen by the noticeably upward-turning pinn of the fertile fronds1 and by the deep impression made by the veins on their upper surfaces4 ,the sterile fronds are much shorter than the fertile ones4 ,they are evergreen1 lasting through the winter after the fertile fronds have perished4 ,near the ,crested ,shield ,fern we find often many of its kinsmen1 broad1 feathery fronds of the ,spinulose ,wood ,fern1 more slender ones of ,boott's ,shield ,fern1 great tufts made by the magnificent bright-green fronds of ,goldie's ,fern1 symmetrical circles of vigorous ,evergreen ,wood ,fern1 and shining clusters of the ,christmas ,fern4 ,all these plants1 belonging to the one tribe1 seek the same moist1 shaded retreats1 and form a group of singular beauty and vigor4 ,illustration3 ,,plate ,,xxx ,part of ,,clinton',s ,,wood ,,fern a ,portion of fertile pinna #dc4 ,,clinton',s ,,wood ,,fern ,aspidium cristatum1 var4 ,clintonianum 7,dryopteris cristata ,clintoniana7 ,maine to ,new ,jersey and ,pennsylvania1 in swampy woods4 ,two and a half to four feet high4 ,fronds4--,larger in every way than those of the ,crested ,shield ,fern1 nearly twice-pinnate2 pinn broadest at base1 cut into from eight to sixteen pairs of linear-oblong1 obtuse1 obscurely toothed divisions2 fruit-dots large1 round1 near the midvein2 indusium orbicular1 smooth4 ,this is a much larger and more showy plant than the ,crested ,shield ,fern4 ,its tall1 broad1 hardy-looking fronds are found in our moist woods4 ,while not rare it is exclusive in its habits1 and cannot be classed with such every-day finds as its kinsmen1 the ,marsh1 ,spinulose1 ,evergreen1 and ,christmas ,ferns4 ,illustration3 ,,plate ,,xxxi ,part of fertile frond of ,goldie's ,fern a ,portion of a fertile pinna #dd4 ,,goldie',s ,,fern ,aspidium ,goldianum 7,dryopteris ,goldieana7 ,new ,brunswick to ,north ,carolina and ,tennessee1 in rich woods4 ,two to more than four feet high1 with stalks which are chaffy near the base4 ,fronds4--,broadly ovate1 the early sterile ones much broader in proportion and smaller1 usually a foot or more wide1 once-pinnate2 pinn pinnatifid2 broadest in the middle 7the distinction from ,clinton's ,wood ,fern71 the divisions1 about twenty pairs1 oblong-linear1 slightly toothed2 fruit-dots very near the midvein2 indusium very large1 orbicular4 ,in the golden twilight of the deeper woods this stately plant unfurls its tall1 broad1 bright-green fronds1 studded on their backs with the round fruit-dots which are so noticeable in this ,aspidium1 adding much to their attractiveness by the suggestion of fertility4 ,this plant ranks with the ,osmundas and with the ,ostrich ,fern in size and vigorous beauty4 ,its retiring habits give it a reputation for rarity or at least for exclusiveness4 ,illustration3 ,,plate ,,xxxii ,,evergreen ,,wood ,,fern a ,tip of fertile pinna b ,magnified fruit-dot1 showing indusium and sporangia #de4 ,,evergreen ,,wood ,,fern4 ,,marginal ,,shield ,,fern ,aspidium marginale 7,dryopteris marginalis7 ,canada to ,alabama1 in rocky woods4 ,a few inches to three feet high1 with more or less chaffy stalks having shining scales4 ,fronds4--,ovate-oblong1 smooth1 thick1 somewhat leathery1 once or twice-pinnate2 pinn lance-shaped or triangular-ovate1 tapering at the end1 cut into pinnules2 pinnules oblong1 entire1 or toothed2 fruit-dots large1 round1 close to the margin2 indusium large1 convex1 persistent4 ,above the black leaf-mould in our rocky northern woods rise the firm1 graceful crowns formed by the blue-green fronds of the ,evergreen ,wood ,fern4 ,the plant bears a family likeness to the ,crested ,shield ,fern1 but its conspicuously marginal fruit-dots identify it at sight4 ,it is interesting to read that it comes nearer being a tree-fern than any other of our species1 the caudex covered by the bases of fronds of previous seasons1 sometimes resting on bare rocks for four or five inches without roots or fronds 7see ,eaton1 p4 #gj74 ,this peculiarity in the plant's growth is often striking and certainly suggests the tree-ferns of the green-house4 ,frequently in this species ,i notice what is more or less common to nearly all ferns1 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 pinnules4 ,as its ,english title signifies1 the ,evergreen ,wood ,fern flourishes throughout the winter4 ,in one of the ,october entries in his journal1 ,thoreau records his satisfaction in the endurance of the hardy ferns3 ,now they are conspicuous amid the withered leaves4 ,you are inclined to approach and raise each frond in succession1 moist1 trembling1 fragile greenness4 ,they linger thus in all moist1 clammy swamps under the bare maples and grapevines and witch hazels1 and about each trickling spring that is half choked with fallen leaves4 ,what means this persistent vitality8 ,why were these spared when the brakes and osmundas were stricken down8 ,they stay as if to keep up the spirits of the cold-blooded frogs which have not yet gone into the mud1 that the summer may die with decent and graceful moderation4 ,is not the water of the spring improved by their presence8 ,they fall back and droop here and there like the plumes of departing summer1 of the departing year4 ,even in them ,i feel an argument for immortality4 ,death is so far from being universal4 ,the same destroyer does not destroy all4 ,how valuable they are1 with the lycopodiums1 for cheerfulness4 ,greenness at the end of the year1 after the fall of the leaf1 a hale old age4 ,to my eye they are tall and noble as palm-groves1 and always some forest nobleness seems to have its haunt under their umbrage4 ,all that was immortal in the swamp herbage seems here crowded into smaller compass1 the concentrated greenness of the swamp4 ,how dear they must be to the chickadee and the rabbit6 the cool1 slowly retreating rear-guard of the swamp army4 #df4 ,,fragrant ,,shield ,,fern ,aspidium fragrans 7,dryopteris fragrans7 ,northern ,new ,england to ,wisconsin and northward1 on rocks4 ,five to sixteen inches long1 with very chaffy stalks having brown1 glossy scales4 ,fronds4--,lance-shaped1 tapering to a point1 nearly twice-pinnate1 fragrant2 pinn oblong-lanceolate1 pinnatifid2 fruit-dots round1 large2 indusium large and thin4 ,the ,fragrant ,shield ,fern thrives in a colder climate than that chosen by many of its kinsmen4 ,though found in the ,white ,mountains1 in the ,green ,mountains 7where it climbs to an elevation of four thousand feet71 in the ,adirondacks1 and in other special localities of about the same latitude1 yet it is rare till we journey farther north4 ,it loves the crevices of shaded cliffs or mossy rocks1 often thriving best in the neighborhood of rushing brooks and waterfalls4 ,frequently it seems to seek the most inaccessible spots1 as if anxious to evade discovery4 ,mr4 ,j4 ,a4 ,bates1 of ,randolph1 ,vt41 writes that he first saw this little plant through a telescope from the piazza of the ,summit ,house on ,mount ,mansfield on an apparently inaccessible ledge1 the only instance in my experience when the fern student has sought this method of observation1 suggesting ,ferns ,through a ,spy-glass as a companion volume to ,birds ,through an ,opera-glass4 ,but even the most carefully chosen spots are not safe from invasion1 as ,mr4 ,bates tells us1 for some unprincipled persons1 having felled neighboring trees and constructed a rude ladder1 have succeeded in uprooting every plant from the ,fragrant ,shield ,fern ,cliff on ,mount ,mansfield4 ,illustration3 ,like the plumes of departing summer ,illustration3 ,,plate ,,xxxiii ,,fragrant ,,shield ,,fern a ,portion of fertile pinna ,the fronds of the ,fragrant ,shield ,fern grow in a crown and the fertile ones fruit in great abundance4 ,eaton writes as follows touching the fragrance of this fern and its use as a beverage3 ,the pleasant odor of this plant remains many years in the herbarium4 ,the early writers compare the fragrance to that of raspberries1 and ,milde repeats the observation4 ,hooker and ,greville thought it 'not unlike that of the common primrose4' ,maximowicz states that the odor is sometimes lacking4 ,milde quotes ,redowsky as saying that the ,yakoots of ,siberia use the plant in place of tea2 and1 having tried the experiment myself1 ,i can testify to the not unpleasant and very fragrant astringency of the infusion4 ,the following delightful description of the ,fragrant ,shield ,fern was written by ,mr4 ,c4 ,g4 ,pringle1 and is taken from ,meehan's ,native ,flowers and ,ferns3 ,in the several stations of ,aspidium fragrans among the ,green ,mountains which ,i have explored1 the plant is always seen growing from the crevices or on the narrow shelves of dry cliffs--not often such cliffs as are exposed to the sunlight1 unless it be on the summits of the mountains1 but usually such cliffs as are shaded by firs1 and notably such as overhang mountain-rivulets and waterfalls4 ,when ,i visit such places in summer1 the niches occupied by the plants are quite dry4 ,i think it would be fatal to the plant if much spray should fall on it during the season of its active growth4 ,when you enter the shade and solitude of the haunts of this fern1 its presence is betrayed by its resinous odor2 looking up the face of the cliff1 usually mottled with lichens and moss1 you see it often far above your reach hanging against the rock1 masses of dead brown fronds1 the accumulations of many years1 preserved by the resinous principle which pervades them2 for the fronds1 as they disport regularly about the elongating caudex1 fall right and left precisely like a woman's hair4 ,above the tuft of drooping dead fronds1 which radiate from the centre of the plant1 grow from six to twenty green fronds1 which represent the growth of the season1 those of the preceding year dying toward autumn4 #dg4 ,,braun',s ,,holly ,,fern ,aspidium aculeatum1 var4 ,braunii 7,dryopteris ,braunii7 ,canada to ,maine1 the mountains of ,pennsylvania and westward1 in deep rocky woods4 ,one to more than two feet long1 with chaffy stalks1 having brown scales4 ,fronds4--,thick1 twice-pinnate2 pinn lanceolate1 tapering both ways2 pinnules covered with hairs and scales1 truncate1 nearly rectangular at the base2 fruit-dots roundish1 small1 mostly near the midveins2 indusium orbicular1 entire4 ,this fern is said to have been first discovered by ,frederick ,pursh in #ahjg in ,smuggler's ,notch1 ,mount ,mansfield1 ,vt4 ,in the ,green ,mountains and in the ,catskills several stations have been established4 ,it has been found also in the ,adirondacks and in ,oswego ,county1 ,n4 ,y41 and it is now reported as common in the rocky woods of northern ,maine1 and by mountain brooks in northern ,new ,england4 ,braun's ,holly ,fern is one of the numerous varieties of the ,prickly ,shield ,fern or ,a4 aculeatum 7,d4 aculeata74 ,though few of our fern-students will have an opportunity to follow the ,prickly ,shield ,fern through all the forms it assumes in different parts of the world1 yet undoubtedly many of them will have the pleasure of seeing in one of its lonely and lovely haunts our own variety1 ,braun's ,holly ,fern4 ,illustration3 ,,plate ,,xxxiv ,,braun',s ,,holly ,,fern a ,portion of pinna b ,fertile pinnule1 indusia gone #dh4 ,,common ,,polypody4 ,,snake ,,fern ,polypodium vulgare ,almost throughout ,north ,america1 on rocks4 ,a few inches to more than a foot high4 ,fronds4--,oblong1 smooth1 somewhat leathery1 cut into narrowly oblong1 usually obtuse divisions which almost reach the rachis2 fruit-dots large1 round1 half-way between the midrib and margin2 indusium1 none4 ,illustration3 ,polypody ,strangely enough1 the ,polypody1 one of our most abundant and ubiquitous ferns1 is not rightly named1 if it is noticed at all1 by nine out of ten people who come across it in the woods or along the roadside4 ,yet the plant has a charm peculiarly its own1 a charm arising partly from its vigor1 from the freshness of its youth and the endurance of its old age1 partly from its odd outlines1 and partly from its usual environment1 which entitles it to a more ready and universal recognition4 ,the cheerful community of the polypody1 as ,thoreau calls it1 thrives best on the flat surfaces of rocks4 ,i recall the base of certain great cliffs where the rocky fragments1 looking as though hurled from above by playful giants1 are thickly covered with these plants1 their rich foliage softening into beauty otherwise rugged outlines4 ,usually the plant is found in somewhat shaded places4 ,occasionally it grows on the trunks of trees and on fallen logs1 as well as on rocks and cliffs4 ,illustration3 ,tip of fertile frond ,a few weeks ago ,i found its fronds prettily curtaining the cleverly hidden nest of a pair of black and white creepers4 ,it is with good reason that these birds are noted for their skill in concealing their dwelling-place4 ,this special afternoon1 when persuaded by their nervous chirps and flutterings about the rocky perch where ,i was sitting that the young ones were close by1 ,i began an investigation of my precipitous and very slippery surroundings which was not rewarded for an hour or more4 ,not till ,i had climbed several feet over the side of the cliff to a narrow shelf below1 broken through a thicket of blueberries1 and pushed aside the tufts of ,polypody which hid the entrance to the dark crevice in the rocks beyond1 did ,i discover the little nest holding the baby creepers4 ,thoreau writes of the ,polypody with peculiar sympathy3 ,it is very pleasant and cheerful nowadays1 when the brown and withered leaves strew the ground and almost every plant is fallen withered1 to come upon a patch of polypody 444 on some rocky hill-side in the woods1 where1 in the midst of dry and rustling leaves1 defying frost1 it stands so freshly green and full of life4 ,the mere greenness1 which was not remarkable in the summer1 is positively interesting now4 ,my thoughts are with the polypody a long time after my body has passed4444 ,why is not this form copied by our sculptors instead of the foreign acanthus leaves and bays8 ,how fit for a tuft about the base of a column6 ,the sight of this unwithering green leaf excites me like red at some seasons4 ,are not wood-frogs the philosophers who frequent these groves8 ,methinks ,i imbibe a cool1 composed1 frog-like philosophy when ,i behold them4 ,the form of the polypody is strangely interesting1 it is even outlandish4 ,some forms1 though common in our midst1 are thus perennially foreign as the growth of other latitudes4444 ,the bare outline of the polypody thrills me strangely4 ,it only perplexes me4 ,simple as it is1 it is as strange as an oriental character4 ,it is quite independent of my race and of the ,indian1 and of all mankind4 ,it is a fabulous1 mythological form1 such as prevailed when the earth and air and water were inhabited by those extinct fossil creatures that we find4 ,it is contemporary with them1 and affects us somewhat as the sight of them might do4 #di4 ,,long ,,beech ,,fern ,phegopteris polypodioides 7,p4 ,phegopteris7 ,newfoundland to ,alaska1 south to mountains of ,virginia1 wet woods and hill-sides4 ,six or eight inches to more than a foot high4 ,fronds4--,triangular1 usually longer than broad 7#d-i inches long1 #c-f inches broad71 downy1 especially beneath1 thin1 once-pinnate2 pinn lance-shaped1 the lower pair noticeably standing forward and deflexed1 cut into oblong1 obtuse segments2 fruit-dots small1 round1 near the margin2 indusium1 none4 ,of the three species of ,phegopteris native to the northeastern ,states ,p4 polypodioides1 commonly called the ,long ,beech ,fern1 is the one ,i happen to have encountered oftenest4 ,illustration3 ,long ,beech ,fern ,it is a less delicate plant than either of its sisters1 the effect of the larger and older specimens being rather hardy1 yet its downy1 often light-green1 triangular frond is exceedingly pretty1 with a certain oddity of aspect which it owes to the lowest pair of pinn1 these being conspicuously deflexed and turned forward4 ,this peculiarity gives it a decided individuality and renders it easy of identification4 ,illustration3 a ,portion of pinna b ,tip of pinna ,the ,long ,beech ,fern ,i have found growing alternately in company with the ,oak ,fern and the ,broad ,beech ,fern4 ,it loves the damp woods1 clambering over the roots of trees or carpeting thickly the hollows that lie between4 #ej4 ,,broad ,,beech ,,fern4 ,,hexagon ,,beech ,,fern ,phegopteris hexagonoptera ,quebec to ,florida1 in dry woods and on hill-sides1 with stalks eight to eighteen inches long4 ,fronds4--,triangular1 as broad or broader than long1 seven to twelve inches broad1 thin1 slightly hairy1 often finely glandular beneath1 fragrant1 once-pinnate2 pinn1 the large1 lowest ones broadest near the middle and cut nearly to the midrib into linear-oblong1 obtuse segments1 the middle ones lance-shaped1 tapering1 the upper ones oblong1 obtuse1 toothed or entire2 basal segments of the pinn forming a continuous1 many-angled wing along the main rachis2 fruit-dots round1 small1 near the margin2 indusium1 none4 ,illustration3 ,,plate ,,xxxv ,,broad ,,beech ,,fern ,in many ways this plant resembles its sister1 the ,long ,beech ,fern1 but usually it is a larger plant1 with more broadly triangular fronds1 which wear1 to my mind1 a brighter1 fresher1 more delicate green4 ,in the ,long ,beech ,fern the two lower pairs of pinn differ little in length and breadth1 while in the ,broad ,beech ,fern the lowest pair are decidedly larger and broader than the next pair4 ,the wing along the rachis formed by the basal segments of the pinn seems to me more conspicuous in the latter than in the former4 ,the range of the ,broad ,beech ,fern extends farther south than does that of its two kinsmen1 neither of which are found1 ,i believe1 south of ,virginia4 ,it seeks also more open and usually drier woods4 ,its leaves are fragrant4 ,williamson says that its fronds are easily decolorized and that they form a good object for double-staining1 a process well known to microscopists4 #ea4 ,,oak ,,fern ,phegopteris ,dryopteris ,northeastern ,united ,states to ,virginia1 west to ,oregon and ,alaska1 usually in wet woods1 with stalks six to nine inches long4 ,fronds4--,usually longer than broad1 four to nine inches long1 broadly triangular1 the three primary divisions widely spreading1 smooth1 once or twice-pinnate2 fruit-dots small1 round1 near the margin2 indusium1 none4 ,illustration3 ,,plate ,,xxxvi ,,oak ,,fern ,so far as ,i remember1 my first encounter with the ,oak ,fern was in a cedar swamp1 famous for its growth of showy lady's-slippers4 ,one ,july day in the hope of finding in flower some of these orchids1 ,i visited this swamp4 ,it lay in a semi-twilight1 caused by the dense growth of cedars and hemlocks4 ,prostrate on the spongy sphagnum below were hosts of uprooted trees1 so overrun with trailing strands of partridge-vine1 twin-flower1 gold-thread1 and creeping snowberry1 and so soft and yielding to the feet that they seemed to have become one with the earth4 ,the stumps and far-reaching roots of the trees that had been cut or broken off above ground1 instead of having been uprooted bodily1 had also become gardens of many delicate woodland growths4 ,some of these decaying stumps and outspreading roots were thickly clothed with the clover-like leaflets of the wood-sorrel1 here and there nestling among them a pink-veined blossom4 ,on others ,i found side by side gleaming wild strawberries and dwarf raspberries1 feathery fronds of ,maidenhair1 tall ,osmundas1 the ,crested and the ,spinulose ,shield ,ferns1 the leaves of the violet1 foam-flower1 mitrewort1 and many others of the smaller1 wood-loving plants4 ,among these stumps were pools of water filled with the dark1 polished1 rounded leaves of the wild calla1 and bordered by beds of moss which cushioned the equally shining but long and pointed leaves of the ,clintonia4 ,near one of these pools grew a patch of delicate1 low-spreading plants1 evidently ferns4 ,it needed only one searching look at the broad1 triangular1 light-green fronds--suggesting somewhat those of a small ,brake--with roundish fruit-dots below to assure me that ,i had found the ,oak ,fern4 ,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 few slender-stemmed fronds4 ,one such find as this compensates for many hours of fatigue and discomfort1 or intensifies the enjoyment of an already happy day4 ,the expedition had justified itself with the first full view of the solemn1 beautiful depths of the cedar forest4 ,the discovery of the ,oak ,fern provided a tangible token of what we had accomplished1 and when finally we found the tall1 leafy plants of the showy lady's-slipper1 without a single blossom left upon them1 our disappointment was so mild as to be almost imperceptible4 ,as is often the case1 having once discovered the haunt of the ,oak ,fern1 it ceased to be a rarity4 ,it joined the host of plants which climbed over the mossy stumps and fallen logs1 and at times it fairly carpeted the ground beneath the cedars and hemlocks4 ,illustration3 ,bulblet ,bladder ,fern #eb4 ,,bulblet ,,bladder ,,fern ,cystopteris bulbifera ,canada to ,tennessee1 on wet rocks1 preferring limestone4 ,one to three feet long1 with light-colored1 somewhat brittle stalks4 ,fronds4--,elongated1 lance-shaped from a broad base1 often bearing beneath large1 fleshy bulbs1 usually twice-pinnate2 pinn lance-oblong1 pointed2 pinnules toothed or deeply lobed2 fruit-dots roundish1 indusium short1 hood-like1 attached by a broad base on the side toward the midrib1 early thrown back and withering so that the mature fruit-dots appear arched4 ,the ,bulblet ,bladder ,fern is never more at home than when it grows close to falling water1 clinging to rocks dark and wet with spray4 ,it seems to reflect the very spirit of the waterfall1 all its life and grace1 as it springs from the dripping ledges1 clothing them with a diaphanous garment of delicate green which vies with their neighboring veil of white1 now pouring over some rocky shelf a solid but silent mass of pale luxuriant foliage1 now trailing down the cliff its long1 tapering fronds1 side by side with silvery strands of water1 close to tufts of wind-blown1 spray-tipped harebells4 ,illustration3 ,,plate ,,xxxvii ,,bulblet ,,bladder ,,fern a ,portion of fruiting pinna ,although the plant is never seen at its best save in some such neighborhood as this1 its slender1 feathery fronds are always possessed of singular grace and charm1 whether undulating along the dried rocky bed of a mountain brook or bending till their slender tips nearly touch the rushing stream or growing quite away from the rocks which are their natural and usual companions among the moss-grown trunks and fallen trees of the wet woods4 ,i know no other fern1 save the climbing fern1 which is so vine-like and clinging4 ,in reality its stalk and midrib are somewhat brittle1 yet this brittleness does not prevent its adapting itself with supple and exquisite curves to whatever support it has chosen4 ,in its manner of growth1 as well as in its slender1 tapering outline1 the ,bulblet ,bladder ,fern is so individual that there can be no difficulty in identifying the full-sized fertile fronds1 even in the absence of the little bulbs which grow on the under side of the frond1 usually at the base of the pinn4 ,the sterile fronds are shorter and broader in proportion1 and not so easily identified4 ,illustration3 ,,plate ,,xxxviii ,,fragile ,,bladder ,,fern a ,portion of fertile pinna b ,tip of fertile pinna c ,magnified fruit-dot showing indusium #ec4 ,,fragile ,,bladder ,,fern4 ,,common ,,bladder ,,fern ,cystopteris fragilis ,a rock and wood fern1 found from ,newfoundland to ,georgia4 ,six to eighteen inches long1 with slender and brittle stalks1 green except at the base4 ,fronds4--,oblong-lanceolate1 thin1 twice to thrice-pinnate or pinnatifid2 pinn lance-ovate1 irregularly cut into toothed segments which at their base run along the midrib by a narrow margin2 fruit-dots roundish1 often abundant2 indusium early withering and exposing the sporangia1 which finally appear naked4 ,this plant may be ranked among the earliest ferns of the year4 ,in ,may or ,june1 if we climb down to the brook where the columbine flings out her brilliant1 nodding blossoms1 we find the delicate little fronds1 just uncurled1 clinging to the steep1 moist rocks1 or perhaps beyond1 in the deeper woods1 they nestle among the spreading roots of some great forest tree4 ,their fragile greenness is very winning4 ,as the plant matures1 attaining at times a height of nearly two feet1 it loses something of this first delicate charm4 ,by the end of ,july its fruit has ripened1 its spores are discharged1 and the plant disappears4 ,frequently1 if not always1 a new crop springs up in ,august4 ,we are enchanted to discover tender young fronds making patches of fresh green in every crevice of the rocks among which the stream forces its precipitous way4 ,once more the woods are flavored with the essence of spring4 ,in our delight in this new promise we forget for a moment to mourn the vanishing summer4 ,the outline of the ,common ,bladder ,fern suggests that of the ,obtuse ,woodsia4 ,the two plants might be difficult to distinguish were it not for the difference in their indusia4 ,at maturity the indusium of the ,common ,bladder ,fern usually disappears1 leaving the fruit-dot naked1 while that of the ,obtuse ,woodsia is fastened underneath the fruit-dot and splits apart into jagged1 spreading lobes4 ,the sterile fronds of the ,slender ,cliff ,brake also have been thought to resemble this fern1 in whose company it often grows4 ,williamson says that the ,common ,bladder ,fern is easily cultivated either in mounds or on rock-work4 ,illustration3 ,,plate ,,xxxix ,,rusty ,,woodsia #ed4 ,,rusty ,,woodsia ,woodsia ,ilvensis ,from ,labrador and ,greenland south to ,north ,carolina and ,kentucky1 usually on exposed rocks in somewhat mountainous regions4 ,a few inches to nearly one foot high4 ,fronds4--,oblong-lance-shaped1 rather smooth above1 the stalk and under surface of the frond thickly clothed with rusty chaff1 once-pinnate2 pinn oblong1 obtuse1 sessile1 cut into oblong segments2 fruit-dots round1 near the margin1 often confluent at maturity2 indusium detached by its base under the sporangia1 dividing into slender hairs which curl above them4 ,last ,decoration ,day1 while clambering over some rocky cliffs in the ,berkshire ,hills1 ,i found the ,rusty ,woodsia growing in masses so luxuriant to the eye and so velvety to the touch that it hardly suggested the bristly looking plant which one finds later in the summer4 ,this fern reverses the usual order of things1 being gray-haired in youth and brown-haired in old age1 with the result that in ,may its effect is a soft1 silvery green4 ,but even in ,august1 if you chance upon a vigorous tuft springing from some rocky crevice1 despite its lack of delicacy and its bristle of red-brown hairs or chaff1 the plant is an attractive one4 ,environment has much to do with the charm of ferns4 ,the first plant of this species ,i ever identified grew on a rocky shelf within a few feet of a stream which flowed swift and cold from the near mountains4 ,close by1 from the forked branches of a crimson-fruited mountain maple1 hung the dainty1 deserted nest of a vireo4 ,always the ,rusty ,woodsia seems to bring me a message from that abode of solitude and silence4 ,illustration3 ,,plate ,,xl ,,blunt-,,lobed ,,woodsia a ,portion of pinna b ,fruit-dot magnified1 showing indusium #ee4 ,,blunt-,,lobed ,,woodsia ,woodsia obtusa ,canada to ,georgia and ,alabama and westward1 on rocks4 ,eight to twenty inches high1 with stalks not jointed1 chaffy when young4 ,fronds4--,broadly lanceolate1 nearly twice-pinnate2 pinn rather remote1 triangular-ovate or oblong1 pinnately parted into obtuse1 oblong1 toothed segments2 veins forked2 fruit-dots on or near the minutely toothed lobes2 indusium conspicuous1 splitting into several jagged lobes4 ,the ,blunt-lobed ,woodsia is not rare on rocks and stony hill-sides in ,maine and ,northern ,new ,york4 ,it is found frequently in the valley of the ,hudson4 ,though not related to the ,common ,bladder ,fern 7,c4 fragilis71 it has somewhat the same general appearance4 ,its fronds1 however1 are usually both broader and longer1 and its stalk and pinn are slightly downy4 ,its range does not vary greatly from that of the ,common ,bladder ,fern1 but usually it grows in more exposed spots and sometimes basks in strong sunshine4 ,meehan says the ,blunt-lobed ,woodsia is found along the ,wissahickon ,creek1 ,penna41 on dry walls in shady places4 ,one of its happiest phases1 he continues1 is toward the fall of the year1 when the short1 barren fronds which form the outer circle bend downward1 forming a sort of rosette1 in the centre of which the fertile fronds somewhat erectly stand4 ,the sterile fronds remain fairly green till spring4 #ef4 ,,northern ,,woodsia4 ,,alpine ,,woodsia ,woodsia hyperborea 7,w4 alpina7 ,northern ,new ,york and ,vermont1 and northward from ,labrador to ,alaska1 on rocks4 ,two to six inches long1 with stalks jointed near the base4 ,fronds4--,narrowly oblong-lanceolate1 nearly smooth1 pinnate2 pinn triangular-ovate1 obtuse1 lobed2 lobes few2 fruit-dots somewhat scattered2 indusium as in ,w4 ,ilvensis4 ,this rare little fern has been found by ,dr4 ,peck in the ,adirondacks and by ,horace ,mann1 jr41 and ,mr4 ,pringle in ,vermont4 ,in his delightful ,reminiscences of ,botanical ,rambles in ,vermont1 published in the ,torrey ,bulletin1 ,july1 #ahig1 ,mr4 ,pringle describes his first discovery of this species3 ,i was on the mountain ,willoughby on the #dth of ,august and examined the entire length of the cliffs1 climbing upon all their accessible shelves4 ,among the specimens of ,woodsia glabella brought away were a few which ,i judged to belong to a different species4 ,mr4 ,frost1 to whom they were first submitted1 pronounced them ,woodsia glabella4 ,not satisfied with his report1 ,i showed them to ,dr4 ,gray4 ,by him ,i was advised to send them to ,professor ,eaton1 because1 as he said1 ,woodsia is a critical genus4 ,professor ,eaton assured me that ,i had ,woodsia hyperborea1 444 another addition to the flora of the ,united ,states4 ,later in the year ,mr4 ,pringle made a visit to ,smugglers' ,notch on ,mount ,mansfield1 when he was prepared to camp in the old ,notch ,house among hedgehogs1 and botanize the region day by day4 ,this visit was rich in its results4 ,the most notable finds were ,aspidium fragrans1 ,asplenium viride1 ,woodsia glabella1 and ,woodsia hyperborea4 ,illustration3 ,,plate ,,xli ,,northern ,,woodsia #eg4 ,,smooth ,,woodsia ,woodsia glabella ,northern ,new ,york and ,vermont1 and northward from ,labrador to ,alaska1 on moist rocks4 ,two to five inches long1 with stalks jointed at base4 ,fronds4--,very delicate1 linear or narrowly lanceolate1 smooth on both sides1 pinnate2 pinn roundish ovate1 obtuse1 lobed1 lobes few2 fruit-dots scattered2 indusium minute4 ,the ,smooth ,woodsia closely resembles the ,northern ,woodsia1 and one may expect to find it in much the same parts of the country4 ,in texture it is still more delicate2 its fronds are almost perfectly smooth1 its outline is narrower1 and its pinn are but slightly lobed4 ,illustration3 ,,plate ,,xlii ,,smooth ,,woodsia a ,fertile pinna ,mr4 ,pringle tells us that a letter from ,mr4 ,george ,davenport1 asking him to look for ,woodsia glabella1 awakened his first interest in ferns4 ,his own account of these early fern hunts is inspiring in its enthusiasm3 ,in #ahgc ,george ,davenport was beginning his study of ferns4 ,a letter from him1 asking me to look for ,woodsia glabella 444 started me on a fern hunt4 ,the species had been found on ,willoughby ,mountain1 ,vt41 and at ,little ,falls1 ,n4 ,y42 might it not be growing in many places in ,vermont8 ,when ,i set out ,i knew1 as ,i must suppose1 not a single fern1 and it was near the close of the summer4 ,you can imagine what delights awaited me in the autumn woodlands4 ,i made the acquaintance of not a few ferns1 though it was too late to prepare good specimens of them4 ,in this first blind endeavor ,i got1 of course1 no clew to ,woodsia glabella4 ,the next summer the hunt was renewed and persistently followed up4 ,i found pleasure in securing one by one nearly all our ,vermont ferns4 ,at the time ,i thought it worthy of remembrance that a single field of diversified pasture and woodland on an adjoining farm yielded me thirty species4 ,although the two common species of ,woodsia were near at hand1 ,woodsia glabella was still eluding my search4 ,i sent a friend to the summit of ,jay ,peak in a fruitless quest for it4 ,finally1 on ,september #ast1 ,i joined ,mr4 ,congdon at its old station on ,willoughby ,mountain1 and made myself familiar with its exquisite form4 ,during the first two years of my collecting in earnest1 #ahgd and #ahge1 several visits were made to ,camel's ,hump1 the peak most accessible to me4 ,in this way some time was lost1 because its subalpine area is limited1 and consequently the number of rare plants to be found there is small4 ,yet1 with such dogged persistence as sometimes prevents my making good progress1 my last visit to that point was not made till the #bjth of ,june1 #ahgf4 ,on that day ,i clambered1 ,i believe1 over every shelf of its great southern precipice and peered into every fissure among the rocks4 ,at last1 as ,i was climbing up the apex over the southeastern buttress1 my perilous toil was rewarded by the discovery not only of ,woodsia glabella1 but of ,aspidium fragrans4444 ,there were only a few depauperate specimens of each which had not yet succumbed to the adverse conditions of their dry and exposed situation4 ,in the following passage ,mr4 ,pringle describes his pleasure1 some years later1 in the companionships fostered by a common interest in his pet hobby3 444 my delight in this preserve of boreal plants was shared with not a few genial botanists4 ,charles ,faxon came before any of us suspected that he possessed undeveloped talent for a botanical artist of highest excellence4 ,edwin ,faxon followed his young brother1 and with me made the tedious ascent to ,stirling ,pond1 a day of toil well rewarded4 ,thomas ,morong came1 before the hardships of his ,paraguayan journey had broken him down4444 ,our honored ,president came4444 ,in those days1 as now1 444 he was often my companion to add delight to my occupation and to reinforce my enthusiasm4444 ,the gentle ,davenport came at last to behold for the first time in their native haunts many of the objects of his first love and study4 ,when ,i had found for him yet once more in a fifth ,vermont station 7this was under ,checkerberry ,ledge1 near ,bakersfield7 the fern he at first desired1 and1 together with that1 had discovered within our limits three or four others quite as rare and scarcely expected1 ,i might feel that ,i had complied with the request of his letter4 ,but that letter initiated a warm friendship between us and association in work upon ,american ferns1 which has continued to the present time4 ,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 ferns1 and from the more remote corners of our continent ,i have sent home to my friend for description and publication sixteen new ones4 ,yet ,i trust that the fern hunt upon which he started me in #ahgc is still far from its close4 ,the above quotations illustrate fairly the enthusiasm aroused by a pursuit which is full of peculiar fascination4 ,almost anyone who has made a study of our native ferns will recall hours filled with delight through their agency1 companions made more companionable by means of a common interest in their names1 haunts1 and habits4 ,,index ,,to ,,latin ,,names ,adiantum ,capillus-,veneris1 #ajh ,adiantum emarginatum1 #aaj ,adiantum pedatum1 #ajh ,adiantum tenerum1 #aaj ,aspidium acrostichoides1 #if ,aspidium aculeatum1 #ahb ,aspidium aculeatum var4 ,braunii1 #ahb ,aspidium ,boottii1 #afh ,aspidium ,braunii1 #ahb ,aspidium cristatum1 #agj ,aspidium cristatum1 var4 ,clintonianum1 #agb ,aspidium fragrans1 #agh ,aspidium ,goldianum1 #agd ,aspidium marginale1 #agf ,aspidium ,noveboracense1 #aei ,aspidium spinulosum1 #aff ,aspidium spinulosum1 var4 dilatatum1 #afh ,aspidium spinulosum1 var4 intermedium1 #aff ,aspidium ,thelypteris1 #afj ,asplenium acrostichoides1 #abd ,asplenium angustifolium1 #ih ,asplenium ,bradleyi1 #add ,asplenium ebeneum1 #acd ,asplenium ebenoides1 #adj ,asplenium ,felix-fmina1 #abj ,asplenium montanum1 #acj ,asplenium pinnatifidum1 #adb ,asplenium platyneuron1 #acd ,asplenium ,ruta-muraria1 #abf ,asplenium thelypteroides1 #abd ,asplenium ,trichomanes1 #acf ,asplenium viride1 #ach ,botrychium dissectum1 #ha ,botrychium gracile1 #hj ,botrychium lanceolatum1 #hf ,botrychium ,lunaria1 #hd ,botrychium matricarifolium1 #hf ,botrychium simplex1 #ha ,botrychium ternatum1 #ha ,botrychium ,virginianum1 #hj ,camptosorus rhizophyllus1 #adf ,cheilanthes lanosa1 #aab ,cheilanthes vestita1 #aab ,cystopteris bulbifera1 #aid ,cystopteris fragilis1 #aih ,dicksonia pilosiuscula1 #aad ,dicksonia punctilobula1 #aad ,dryopteris acrostichoides1 #if ,dryopteris aculeata1 #ahb ,dryopteris ,boottii1 #afh ,dryopteris ,braunii1 #ahb ,dryopteris cristata1 #agj ,dryopteris cristata ,clintoniana1 #agb ,dryopteris fragrans1 #agh ,dryopteris ,goldieana1 #agd ,dryopteris marginalis1 #agf ,dryopteris ,noveboracensis1 #aei ,dryopteris simulata1 #afd ,dryopteris spinulosa1 #aff ,dryopteris spinulosa dilatata1 #afh ,dryopteris spinulosa intermedia1 #aff ,dryopteris ,thelypteris1 #afj ,lygodium palmatum1 #ge ,onoclea sensibilis1 #ed ,onoclea sensibilis1 var4 obtusilobata1 #ef ,onoclea ,struthiopteris1 #ef ,ophioglossum vulgatum1 #gg ,osmunda cinnamomea1 #fj ,osmunda cinnamomea1 var4 frondosa1 #fb ,osmunda ,claytoniana1 #gb ,osmunda regalis1 #fg ,pella atropurpurea1 #ij ,pella gracilis1 #hg ,pella ,stelleri1 #hg ,phegopteris ,dryopteris1 #aij ,phegopteris hexagonoptera1 #ahh ,phegopteris ,phegopteris1 #ahg ,phegopteris polypodioides1 #ahg ,polypodium vulgare1 #ahd ,pteris aquilina1 #aje ,pteris esculenta1 #ajg ,schiza pusilla1 #fc ,scolopendrium scolopendrium1 #aej ,scolopendrium vulgare1 #aej ,woodsia ,alpina1 #bjc ,woodsia glabella1 #bjf ,woodsia hyperborea1 #bjc ,woodsia ,ilvensis1 #bjj ,woodsia obtusa1 #bjb ,woodwardia angustifolia1 #ajb ,woodwardia ,virginica1 #aef ,,index ,,to ,,english ,,names ,adder's ,tongue1 #gg ,alpine ,woodsia1 #bjc ,beech ,fern1 ,broad1 #ahh ,beech ,fern1 ,long1 #ahg ,bladder ,fern1 ,bulblet1 #aid ,bladder ,fern1 ,common1 #aih ,bladder ,fern1 ,fragile1 #aih ,blunt-lobed ,woodsia1 #bjb ,boott's ,shield ,fern1 #afh ,bracken1 #aje ,bradley's ,spleenwort1 #add ,brake1 #aje ,braun's ,holly ,fern1 #ahb ,caterpillar ,fern1 #aef ,chain ,fern1 ,net-veined1 #ajb ,chain ,fern1 ,virginia1 #aef ,christmas ,fern1 #if ,cinnamon ,fern1 #fj ,cliff ,brake1 ,purple1 #ij ,cliff ,brake1 ,slender1 #hg ,clinton's ,wood ,fern1 #agb ,climbing ,fern1 #ge ,common ,polypody1 #ahd ,creeping ,fern1 #ge ,crested ,shield ,fern1 #agj ,curly ,grass1 #fc ,eagle ,fern1 #aje ,ebony ,spleenwort1 #acd ,evergreen ,wood ,fern1 #fg ,flowering ,fern1 #fg ,fragile ,bladder ,fern1 #aih ,fragrant ,shield ,fern1 #agh ,goldie's ,fern1 #agd ,grape ,fern1 ,lance-leaved1 #hf ,grape ,fern1 ,little1 #hb ,grape ,fern1 ,matricary1 #hf ,grape ,fern1 ,ternate1 #ha ,grape ,fern1 ,virginia1 #hj ,green ,spleenwort1 #ach ,hairy ,lip ,fern1 #aab ,holly ,fern1 ,braun's1 #ahb ,hartford ,fern1 #ge ,hart's ,tongue1 #aej ,hay-scented ,fern1 #aad ,interrupted ,fern1 #gb ,lady ,fern1 #abj ,lance-leaved ,grape ,fern1 #hf ,little ,grape ,fern1 #hb ,lip ,fern1 ,hairy1 #aab ,long ,beech ,fern1 #ahg ,maidenhair1 #ajh ,maidenhair ,spleenwort1 #acf ,marginal ,shield ,fern1 #agf ,marsh ,fern1 #afj ,massachusetts ,fern1 #afd ,matricary ,grape ,fern1 #hf ,moonwort1 #hd ,mountain ,spleenwort1 #acj ,narrow-leaved ,spleenwort1 #ih ,net-veined ,chain ,fern1 #ajb ,new ,york ,fern1 #aei ,northern ,woodsia1 #bjc ,oak ,fern1 #aij ,ostrich ,fern1 #ef ,pinnatifid ,spleenwort1 #adb ,polypody1 ,common1 #ahd ,prickly ,shield ,fern1 #ahb ,purple ,cliff ,brake1 #ij ,rattlesnake ,fern1 #hj ,royal ,fern1 #fg ,rue ,spleenwort1 #abf ,rusty ,woodsia1 #bjj ,scott's ,spleenwort1 #adj ,shield ,fern1 ,boott's1 #afh ,shield ,fern1 ,crested1 #agj ,shield ,fern1 ,fragrant1 #agh ,shield ,fern1 ,marginal1 #agf ,shield ,fern1 ,prickly1 #ahb ,seaweed ,fern1 #aef ,sensitive ,fern1 #ed ,silvery ,spleenwort1 #abd ,slender ,cliff ,brake1 #hg ,smooth ,woodsia1 #bjf ,snake ,fern1 #ahd ,spinulose ,wood ,fern1 #aff ,spleenwort1 ,bradley's1 #add ,spleenwort1 ,ebony1 #acd ,spleenwort1 ,green1 #ach ,spleenwort1 ,maidenhair1 #acf ,spleenwort1 ,mountain1 #acj ,spleenwort1 ,narrow-leaved1 #ih ,spleenwort1 ,pinnatifid1 #adb ,spleenwort1 ,rue1 #abf ,spleenwort1 ,silvery1 #abd ,spleenwort1 ,scotts'1 #adj ,ternate ,grape ,fern1 #ha ,virginia ,chain ,fern1 #aef ,virginia ,grape ,fern1 #hj ,walking ,fern1 #adf ,walking ,leaf1 #adf ,wall ,rue1 #abf ,wood ,fern1 ,clinton's1 #agb ,wood ,fern1 ,evergreen1 #agf ,wood ,fern1 ,spinulose1 #aff ,woodsia1 ,alpine1 #bjc ,woodsia1 ,blunt-lobed1 #bjb ,woodsia1 ,northern1 #bjc ,woodsia1 ,rusty1 #bjj ,woodsia1 ,smooth1 #bjf ,,index ,,to ,,technical ,,terms ,antheridia1 #cd ,archegonia1 #cd ,alternation of generations1 #cc ,asexual generation1 #cd ,frond1 #bh ,fertile frond1 #c ,fertilization1 #cd ,indusium1 #ca ,once-pinnate frond1 #cj ,pinnatifid frond1 #bi ,pinn1 #cj ,pinnules1 #cj ,prothallium1 #cd ,rachis1 #cj ,rootstock1 #bh ,sexual generation1 #cc ,simple frond1 #bi ,sori1 #cj ,sporangia1 #cj ,spore1 #cj ,sterile frond1 #ca ,twice-pinnate frond1 #cj ,veins1 free1 #cj ,,books ,,on ,,garden ,,field ,,and ,,wood ,how to ,know the ,wild ,flowers ,by ,,mrs4 ,,william ,,starr ,,dana ,with #dh colored plates and new black-and-white drawings1 enlarged1 rewritten1 and entirely reset4 ,a guide to the names1 haunts1 and habits of our native wild flowers4 ,with #dh full-page colored plates by ,,elsie ,,louise ,,shaw1 and #aaj full-page illustrations by ,,marion ,,satterlee4 ,crown #hvo1 #b4jj net4 ,readers will find that even a bowing acquaintance with the flowers repays one generously for the effort expended in its achievement1 says the author in her introduction4 ,such an acquaintance serves to transmute the tedium of a railway journey into the excitement of a tour of discovery4 ,it causes the monotony of a drive through an ordinarily uninteresting country to be forgotten in the diversion of noting the wayside flowers1 and counting a hundred different species where formerly less than a dozen would have been detected4 ,it invests each boggy meadow and bit of rocky woodland with almost irresistible charm4 ,she has systematized her facts in a compact and convenient form4 ,she is practical and terse1 and is also alive to the things which are not entirely matters of fact4--,new ,york ,tribune4 ,miss ,c4 ,w4 ,hunt1 ,superintendent of ,children's ,department1 ,brooklyn ,public ,library1 says3 ,get this book if you only carry one flower book on your vacation4 ,particularly noteworthy for its beautiful colored plates1 about fifty in number4 ,so beautifully were these made that in many cases the actual flower seems starting from the page1 and one can almost fancy the perfume1 too1 is in evidence4 --,new ,york ,times4 ,by ,mrs4 ,,william ,,starr ,,dana 7,,frances ,,theodora ,,parsons7 ,,according ,,to ,,season ,talks about the flowers in the order of their appearance in the woods and fields4 ,with #cb full-page illustrations in colors from drawings by ,elsie ,louise ,shaw4 #a4ge net4 ,it is a privilege to own such a book1 for its artistic charm and its contents well deserve their setting4--,the ,dial4 ,the charm of this book is as pervading and enduring as is the charm of nature4--,new ,york ,times4 ,delightful talks upon the beauty of the changing year and the parts contributed to such pleasures by forest1 grove1 and stream4--,the ,interior4 ,by ,,louise ,,shelton ,,the ,,seasons ,,in ,a ,,flower ,,garden ,a hand-book of information and instruction for the amateur4 ,illustrated4 #a4jj net4 ,pleasant and useful1 and may be confidently recommended to amateur gardeners4--,new ,york ,times4 ,a manual admirably adapted in every way to the needs of people who desire to utilize a small garden space to the best possible advantage4--,providence ,journal4 ,,charles ,,scribner',s ,,sons #eig-eii ,fifth ,avenue1 ,new ,york ,how to ,know the ,ferns ,by ,,frances ,,theodora ,,parsons ,author of ,according to ,season and ,how to ,know the ,wild ,flowers4 ,with #add illustrations from photographs4 ,crown #hvo1 #a4ej net4 ,written in the same fresh entertaining way1 and with the same care and authority1 that made invaluable to nature lovers her work on ,how to ,know the ,wild ,flowers4 ,since the publication1 six years ago1 of ',how to ,know the ,wild ,flowers1' says the writer1 ,i have received such convincing testimony of the eagerness of nature lovers of all ages and conditions to familiarize themselves with the inhabitants of our woods and fields1 and so many assurances of the joy which such a familiarity affords1 that ,i have prepared this companion volume on ',how to ,know the ,ferns4' ,the charm of this book is pervading and enduring as is the charm of nature4--,new ,york ,times4 ,this is a notably thorough little volume4 ,the text is not voluminous1 and even with its many full-page illustrations the book is small2 but brevity1 as we are glad to see so many writers on nature learning1 is the first of virtues in this field4444 ,the author of ',how to ,know the ,ferns' has mastered her subject1 and she treats of it with authority4--,new ,york ,tribune4 ,our ,native ,trees and ,how to ,identify ,them ,by ,,harriet ,l4 ,,keeler ,with #agh full-page plates from photographs1 and #afb text-drawings4 ,crown #hvo1 #b4jj net4 ,the trees described in this volume are those indigenous to the region extending from the ,atlantic ,ocean to the ,rocky ,mountains and from ,canada to the northern boundaries of the ,southern ,states2 together with a few well-known and naturalized foreign trees such as the ,horse-,chestnut1 ,lombardy ,poplar1 ,ailantus1 and ,sycamore ,maple4 ,miss ,keeler has made a very commendable addition to the semi-popular treatises on ,american plants1 in a well-written1 well-illustrated1 and well-printed account of native and naturalized trees4 ,bits of the best from the poets and prose writers relieve the descriptions1 and the folk-lore of a number of trees is well if briefly told4--,american ,naturalist4 ,to such of the general public as habitually frequent the woods which they love1 the book will be most welcome1 for it is carefully classified1 adequately illustrated1 and most readably written4--,boston ,budget4 ,it condenses into convenient shape a fund of information spread over many volumes of older works1 and blends the practical and poetical in a way to delight all readers4--,st4 ,louis ,globe-,democrat4 ,our ,northern ,shrubs ,by ,,harriet ,l4 ,,keeler ,with #bje photographic plates and #ce pen-and-ink drawings4 ,crown #hvo1 #b4jj net4 ,the volume is prepared not only for the amateur botanist who seeks a more adequate description than the textbooks afford1 and not only for the lover of nature who desires a personal acquaintance with the bushes that grow in the fields2 but also to serve those who are engaged in the establishment and decoration of city parks1 roadways1 and boulevards2 those who are seeking to beautify country roadsides and railroad stations as well as those who1 in the decoration of their own home grounds1 would gladly use our native shrubs were their habits and character better understood4 ,simple1 clear descriptions that a child can understand1 are given of shrubs that find their home in the region extending from the ,atlantic to the ,mississippi ,river1 and from ,canada to the boundaries of our ,southern ,states4--,outlook4 ,there are over two hundred plates from photographs1 and a number from drawings4 ,the photographs1 all of shrubs in flower or fruit1 are very beautiful1 and so clear as to make identification perfectly simple4--,dial4 ,an interesting feature of this book is the sparing but judicious incorporation of quotations from those authors among us who have best interpreted nature4--,churchman4 ,our ,garden ,flowers ,by ,,harriet ,l4 ,,keeler ,author of ,our ,native ,trees and ,our ,northern ,shrubs4 ,with #if full-page illustrations from photographs and #ahf illustrations from drawings4 ,crown #hvo1 #b4jj net2 postage extra4 ,a popular study of the life histories of familiar flowers1 their structural affiliations1 their native lands1 that has those qualities of clearness1 thoroughness1 and charm of style that have made her other books famous4 ,it is beautifully illustrated4 ,this book1 says its author in her preface1 is the outcome of a life-long search for a volume with which one might make a little journey into the garden1 and become acquainted with the dwellers therein2 their native land1 their life history1 their structural affiliations4 ,among the many species of a genus it has often been necessary to select but one for description4 ,as a rule the choice has been either the typical form1 or the one longest in cultivation1 or the greatest favorite4 ,while it has been the aim to make the book a fairly complete study of all the annual and perennial flowering herbs commonly found in a hardy garden1 it is by no means intended to be a catalogue4 ,full of practical1 tested1 systematically arranged1 and well indexed information4 ,transcriber's ,notes ,moved some illustrations to paragraph breaks4 ,page ix3 ,corrected listing ,preface to page v instead of vii4 ,page xi3 ,corrected order of plate listings ,,xx4 and ,,xxi4 ,page #dh3 ,corrected ,,goldie',s ,,fern reference page to #agd instead of #age4