WHOSWH--- Nnrtlj (Harnltna S>tatp (EoUrgF This book was presented by Harlan C. Brown B4 This book is due on the dat e indica ted below and is subject to a fine of liPP CENTS a day thereafter. FEB 22 1967 121.975 p»i 8 iaa^ uGl 2 6 1S77 '■AU6 2 2 WW AUG 2 8 1985 JMIL1986 WHO'S WHO AMONG THE FERNS :on's Fern. WHO'S WHO AMONG THE FERNS COMPILED AND ILLUSTRATED BY W. I. BEECROFT NEW YORK MOFFAT, YARD AND COMPANY 1910 Copyright 1910, by Moffat, Yard and Company New York All Rights Reservea Published March, 1910 CONTENTS PAGE The Frond xv Key to the Genera 1 Clayton's Fern 12 Cinnamon Fern 14 Royal Fern 18 Lady Fern 24 Silvery Spleen wort 26 Narrow-Leaved Spleen WORT . 28 Ebony Spleenwort 30 Small Spleenwort , . 34 Wall Rue 36 Mountain Spleenwort 38 Scott's Spleenwort 40 PiNNATiFiD Spleenwort 42 Maidenhair Spleenwort 44 Green Spleenwort 48 Bradley's Spleenwort 50 Sensitive Fern 54 Sensitive Fern 56 Ostrich Fern 58 Bracken 60 Purple Cliff Brake 62 Slender Cliff Brake 66 Dense Cliff Brake 68 Rock Brake 70 Long Beech Fern 72 Broad Beech Fern 74 V vi CONTENTS PAGE Oak Fern 76 Limestonj: Polypody 76 Christmas Fern 80 Holly Fern 84 Braun's Holly Fern 86 Marsh Fern ^ 90 New York Fern 92 Massachusetts Fern 94 Marginal Shield Fern 96 Male Fern .100 Goldie's Shield Fern 102 Fragrant Fern 104 Crested Shield Fern 106 Boott's Shield Fern 110 Spinulose Shield Fern 112 Common or Virginian Chain Fern 118 Narrow-Leaved Chain Fern 120 Hairy Lip Fern 122 Woolly Lip Fern 124 Fee's Lip Fern 126 Alabama Lip Fern 128 Common Polypody 130 Gray, or Hoary Polypody 134 Maidenhair Fern 138 Venus'-Hair Fern 140 Rusty Woodsia 142 Obtuse Woodsia 146 Northern or Alpine Woodsia 148 Smooth Woodsia 150 Walking Fern 154 Hay-Scented Fern 158 Cloak Fern. 160 Hart's Tongue 1^^ Common Bladder Fern 1^4 CONTENTS vii PAGE BuLBiFERous Bladder Fern 168 Curly Grass 172 Climbing Fern 174 Filmy Fern 178 Adder's Tongue 182 Lance-Leaved Grape Fern ....... 186 Matricary Grape Fern , . . . 188 Little Grape Fern 190 Common Grape Fern 192 Dissected Grape Fern ... 194 Rattlesnake Fern 196 MOONWORT 198 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS PAGE Clayton's Fern (a) Frontispiece Clayton's Fern (b) 13 Cinnamon Fern (a) » ... 15 Cinnamon, Fern (b) „ ... 17 Royal Fern (a) 19 Royal Fern (b) «... 21 Lady^ Fern . . 25 Silvery Spleenwort 27 Narrow-Leaved Spleenwort 29 Ebony Spleenwort 31 Ebony Spleen vv^ort 33 Small Spleenwort 35 Wall Rue 37 Mountain Spleenwort 39 Scott's Spleenwort 41 PiNNATiFiD Spleenwort 43 Maidenhair Spleenwort (a) 45 Maidenhair Spleenwort (b) 47 Green Spleenwort 49 Bradley's Spleenwort 51 Sensitive Fern 55 Sensitive Fern =57 Ostrich Fern 59 Brake 61 Purple Cliff Brake (a) 63 Purple Cliff Brake (b) 65 ix X ILLUSTRATIONS PAGE Slender Cliff Brake 67 Dense Cliff Brake 69 Rock Brake 71 Long Beech Fern 73 Broad Beech Fern 75 Oak Fern 77 Christmas Fern (a) 81 Christmas Fern (b) 83 Holly Fern 85 Braun.'s Holly Fern 87 Marsh Fern .91 New York Fern 93 Massachusetts Fern 95 Marginal Shield Fern (a) 97 Marginal Shield Fern (b) 99 Male Fern 101 Goldie's Shield Fern 103 Fragrant Fern 105 Crested Shield Fern (a) 107 Crested Shield Fern (b) 109 Boott's Shield Fern Ill Spinulose Shield Fern (a) 113 Spinulose Shield Fern (b) 115 Virginian Chain Fern 119 Narrow-Leaved Chain Fern 121 Hairy Lip Fern 123 Woolly Lip Fern 125 Fee's Lip Fern 127 Alabama Lip Fern 129 Common Polypody (a) 131 Common Polypody (b) 133 Gray Polypody 135 Maidenhair Fern 139 Venus'-Hair Fern 141 ILLUSTRATIONS xi PAGE Rusty Woodsia (a) 143 Rusty Woodsia (b) 145 Obtuse Woodsia 147 Alpine Woodsia 149 Smooth Woodsia 151 Walkin/g Fern (a) 155 Walking Fern (b) 157 Hay-Scented Fern 159 Cloak Fern 161 Hart's Tongue 163 Common Bladder Fern (a) 165 Common, Bladder Fern (b) 167 Bulbiferous Bladder Fern (a) 169 BuLBiFEROus Bladder Fern (b) 170 Curly Grass 173 Climbing Fern 175 Filmy Fern 179 Adder's Tongue 183 Lance-Leaved Grape Fern 187 Matricary Grape Fern 189 Little Grape Fern 191 Common Grape Fern 193 Dissected Grape Fern 195 Rattlesnake Fern 197 Moonwort 199 PREFACE It almost goes without saying that this modest volume is not expected to meet the demands of the experienced and systematic botanist. It is de- signed merely to aid those who, having the love of Nature in their hearts, desire a more intimate ac- quaintance with those beautiful and interesting plants, the ferns ; and if in the perusal of its pages it leads one to hitherto unknown fields, to discover for himself the new delights and hidden beauties that exist on every hand, thereby contributing a lit- tle more to the sum of human happiness, its mission will be fulfilled. W. I. B. Boston, October 30, 1909- Xlll INTRODUCTION THE FROND It seems fitting that so many of the flowerless plants should so fully compensate for the absence of flowers by the beauty of their foliage. Cer- tainly no class of plants is more graceful or more beautiful in form than the ferns; yet, although they are universally admired, they are, unfortu- nately, little known. Their unobtrusive habits and their obscure methods of reproduction lend an air of mystery to these plants which, in the olden time, gave rise to numerous absurd notions and tradi- tions. But the days of superstition are passed, and if one would become familiar with the ferns he should first learn the meaning of certain structures, and though their life histories may be somewhat complicated, he can, at least, form a general idea of the development of a fern. Fig 1.— Prothallia and Young Fronds. XV xvi INTRODUCTION On the under side of the fronds of most species numerous small dots may be found. These are sometimes erroneously called the ** flowers " of the fern, though structurally, they bear no resemblance to flowers. These small bodies termed fruit dots or sori (singular sorus) constitute the fruiting or- gans of the fern. In their earlier stages they are, in most species, covered with a membrane called the indusium (plural indusia) which i3rotects a col- lection of tiny globes called sporangia (singular sporangium^. The indusium at the proper time withers and disappears, exposing the sporangia. In each sporangium is produced a large number of tiny bodies called spores, which are liberated at maturity by the snapping open of the sporangia or spore-cases, and from these spores, under favor- able circumstances, the new plants arise. In view of this fact the natural inference might be that they are seeds, but they bear no more resemblance to seeds than the sori do to flowers. They only correspond to seeds inasmuch as they serve to carry the plants through a resting stage, and scatter the species far and wide. A germinating spore does not give rise immediately to a plant like the parent as true seeds do. Instead, it develops into a small, flat, green, heart-shaped body, scarcel}^ a quarter of an inch across, called the prothallium (plural prothallia) (Fig. 1). On the under side of the prothallium are borne two minute organs, and by the union of their contents a tiny fern develops. While spores are produced by all species of ferns, some employ other methods of propagation INTRODUCTION xvii as well, such as by means of bulblets, runners, or by the rooting of the bent tip of the frond. ^ A frond bearing sporangia is known as a fertile frond in contradistinction to the unfruitful or ster- ile ones. In a large number of species the two kinds of fronds closely resemble one another, while in others they would scarcely be recognized as be- longing to the same plant. A frond is said to be pinnate when its divisions are cut entirely to the midrib (Fig. 2-A). The divisions are called pinnae (singular piniia). When a frond or pinna is not cut entirely to the midrib it is said to be pinnatifid, and the divisions are termed segments or lobes (Fig. 2-B). When the pinnae are divided to their midribs the frond is said to be t?vice pinnate, and the second divisions are called pinnules (Fig. 2-C). B Fig. 2. By holding a frond to the light it may be seen to be intersected by numerous veins. Wlien these veins branch they are said to be forking; when they terminate without connecting with one an- other, they are said to be free. nnae Pinnules Parts of a Frond. INTRODUCTION xlx HOW FERNS ARE CLASSIFIED. The ferns are classified in groups chiefly by the shape and position of the sori and indiisia, so it is necessary, in most cases, for the beginner to ob- tain a fertile frond in order to identify the species with certainty. In some species the indusium is quite evanescent, and the specimen should be ob- tained before the indusia have withered. Since the different species of ferns mature at various times throughout the season, the student must be watch- ful from early summer until fall in order to secure specimens when in the proper stage. The begin- ner will doubtless make some mistakes at first. The young fronds of some of the large species will be examined until the absence of any fruiting por- tion discloses their identity and one recognizes an old acquaintance. Moreover, some species are ex- ceeding variable in the cutting of their fronds. In fact, constancy can hardly be said to be the rule among the ferns, and it is a matter of much obser- vation and study before one can expect to recog- nize at once the different species in their various forms. In the study of the ferns a good pocket lens is indispensable. The specific differences of some of the species are often quite minute. The nomenclature adopted in this book is that of Gray's " Manual." The territory covered is, in general, the eastern half of the United States north of the Gulf States and the adjacent portion of Canada. KEY TO THE GENERA The distinguishing characters of the different genera may be found by referring to the following key, and with the genus known it is usually an easy matter to as- certain the species. It will be observed that the fruiting portion of the ferns is not always on the backs of the ordinary fronds; in some species it is borne on separate stalks. For this reason the ferns are divided into two general classes in the key: 1st. — Those in which the sporangia are not borne on the backs of the ordinary fronds. 2nd. — Those in which the sporangia are borne on the backs of the ordinary fronds. Sporangia not borne on the backs of the ordinary fronds. B C Osmunda. Fruiting portion borne in the middle of the frond. Clayton's Fern, A. 1 KEY TO THE GENERA Fruiting portion on long, woolly, brown stalk. Cinnamon Fern, B. Fruiting portion on the tips of twice pinnate fronds. Royal Fern, C Large ferns growing in clumps. OSMUNDA. 12 Fruiting portion in green, berry-like structures, in a twice pinnate spike; sterile fronds broad and coarse. Sensitive Fern. Onoclea. 54< Onoclea. Fertile frond pinnate ; pinnae very narrow, with beaded edges; large species. Os- trich Fern. Onoclea. 58 Onoclea. Ophioglossum. Fruiting portion on stalk ris- ing above a simple, leaf- like frond; plants small. Adder's Tongue. Ophioglossum. 182 KEY TO THE GENERA 3 Botrvchium. Fruit borne in a more or less branching spike rising above the sterile fro-nd. Grape Ferns; Moonwort. BOTRYCHIUM. PAGE 186 Fruit borne in a one-sided spike; sterile fronds almost thread-like ; plants small. Curly Grass. ScHiZAEA. 172 Schizaea. Lygodium. Fruiting portion at the apex of the frond; sterile pin- nae or frondlets small^ di- vided into finger-like lobes ; rachis twining. Climbing Fern. Lygodium. 174? KEY TO THE GENERA Sporangia borne on the under side of the ordinary fronds, sori in dots or lines. Indusium wanting, A. Indusium present, formed by the reflexed margins of the pinnules, B. Indusium present, not formed by the reflexed margins of the pinnules, C. A — Fruit dots large, round- ish ; evergreen, rock species. Polypody. POLYPODIUM. 130 Fruit dots roundish, small, fronds triangular. Beech Ferns. Phegopteris. 72 Polypodium. Phegopteris. Notholaena. Fruit dots roundish or oblong, soon forming an irregular marginal band; under sur- face of pinnules covered with a whitish powder. Cloak Fern. Notholaena. 160 KEY TO THE GENERA PAGE B — Sporangia in a contin- uous line along the mar- gins of the pinnules, the indusium formed by the re- flexed edges; fronds large. Brake. Pteris. 60 Pteris. Adiantum. Sporangia marginal, borne at the ends of the veins, the indusium formed by the reflexed tips of the lobes of the pinnules; pinnules have no midrib, veins springing from the base or from the lower margin; stipes dark. Maidenhair. Adiantum. 138 Pellaea. Sporangia marginal, indusium broad, nearly continuous, formed by the reflexed edges of the pinnules ; fronds smooth, stipes dark ; rock species. Cliff" Brake. Pellaea. 62 KEY TO THE GENERA Cheilanthes. Sporangia marginal, indusium formed by the reflexed ends of the roundish lobes, soon pushed back by the enlarg- ing sporangia; fronds us- ually hairy. Lip Ferns. Cheilanthes. 122 Cryptogramma, Fruiting pinnules long, pod- like, indusium formed by the reflexed edges reaching to tlie midrib, opening later quite flat; sterile fronds shorter than the fertile with broader divisions. Rock Brakes. Cryptogramma. 66 Trichomanes. C — Fruit dots marginal, ter- minating a vein, sporangia at the base of a long, bris- tle-like receptacle, s u r - rounded by a cut-shaped in- dusium which is two-lipped at the mouth. Filmy Fern. Trichomanes. 178 KEY TO THE GENERA Froit dots elongated, borne in chain-like rows parallel to the midribs of the pinnae and lobes, opening on the side next to the midrib; large^ water-loving species. Chain Ferns. WooDWARDiA. lis Fruit dots roundish, indusium fixed by the center; ever- green. Christmas Fern ; Holly Ferns. POLYSTICHUM. 80 Fruit dots roundish, indusium roundish or kidney-shaped, attached at the base of a notch. Shield Ferns. AspiDiuM. 90 Aspidium. Cystopteris. Fruit dots roundish, indusium hood-like, attached by a broad base and arching over the sporangia, opening on the side toward the apex of the lobes, soon wither- ing. Bladder Ferns. Cystopteris. 164 KEY TO THE GENERA Woodsia. PAGE Fruit dots roundish^ indusium fixed beneath the sorus and enclosing it when young, bursting at the top into sev- eral irregular segments, soon withering; rock spe- cies. Woodsia. 142 Dicksonia. Fruit dots small, globular, borne on reflexed toothlets of the pinnules ; indusium cup-shaped, fixed beneath the sorus, open at the top; fronds finely cut. Hay- scented Fern. Dicksonia. 158 Fruit dots long and narrow, almost at right angles to the midrib, borne in pairs between two veins, opening along the middle; blade long, undivided. Hart's Tongue. SCOLOPENDRIUM. l62 Scolopendrium. KEY TO THE GENERA PAGE Fruit dots elongcated, irregu- larly scattered, some par- allel to the midrib, others oblique to it; blade taper- ing into a long slender tip. Walking Fern. Camptosorus. 154 Camptosorus. Asplenium. Fruit dots mostly oblique to the midrib, straight or curved, sometimes crossing a veinlet ; indusium fixed on one side, opening on the side next the midrib ; fronds variously lobed or divided. Spleenworts ; Lady Fern. Asplenium. 24 THE FLOWERING FERX FAMILY 12 OSMUNDA CLAYTON'S FERN; INTERRUPTED FERN: Osmunda Claytoniana. Sterile and fertile fronds dissimilar; sterile fronds large, pinnate; pinnae lance-shaped, deeply pinnatifid into numerous blunt divisions. Fertile fronds usually taller than the sterile, 2 to 4 feet high; sporangia borne on much transformed pinnae near the middle of frond, greenish in appearance at first, afterward turning brown. Found in low grounds from Newfoundland to jMinnesota, south to North Carolina, Kentucky and Missouri. Clayton's Fern. 14j OSMUNDA CINNAMON FERN; BRAKE: Osmunda cinnamomea. Sterile and fertile fronds dissimilar; sterile fronds often 6 feet in height, growing in a circle and spreading out in a vase-like form, pinnate ; pin- nae lance-shaped, deeply pinnatifid with blunt divi- sions; fertile fronds stiff, reddish-brown, club-like structures, which wither and disappear early in the summer after the spores are shed; the young un- rolling fronds or " croziers " often called " fiddle- heads." The sterile fronds much resemble those of 0. Claytoniana, from which they may be distinguished by the little tufts of wool at the base of each pinna. Common in swampy places and low ground, widely distributed. In the variety incisa the segments of the pinnae are more or less cut or pinnatifid. NOTES. Cinnamon Fern (a), 16 OSMUNDA NOTES. "'(--'' ■'■^:: Cinnamon Fern (b). 18 OSMUNDA ROYAL FERN; FLOWERING FERN: Osmunda regalis. Fronds 2 to 6 feet tall^ growing in clumps^ often in shallow water^ twice pinnate^ the large and rather distant pinnae and pinnules giving them a light and airy appearance; sterile and fertile fronds alike, except that in the latter the upjjer pinnae are changed into spore-bearing organs. Found usually in moist places, widely dis- tributed. NOTES. Royal Fern (a). OSMUNDA NOTES. Royal Fern (b). ^% OSMUNDA THE POLYPODIUM FAMILY 24 ASPLENIUM LADY FERN: Asplenium FiUx-femina. (Athyriiun Filix-feminaJ) Fronds 1 to 4 feet high;, twice pinnate, exceed- ingly variable in their cutting; pinnae lance- shaped, acute, the pinnules deeply cut and toothed. Fruit dots borne in a double row on the pin- nules, at length running together. When young they extend in a horseshoe shape across the veins which bear them, later becoming almost straight. Common in moist woods in nearly all parts of the United States. NOTES. Lady Fern. S6 ASPLENIUM SILVERY SPLEENWORT: Asplenium acrostichoides. (^A. thelypteroides; Athyrium acrostichoides.^ Fronds 2 to 3 feet high, growing in clumps, nar- rowed toward the base, pinnate ; pinnae long lance- shaped, with crowded, obtuse, minutely toothed lobes; fertile fronds appearing later than the sterile. Fruit dots numerous, slightly curving, borne in a double row on the lobes oblique to the midvein of the lobes. Found in moist woods from Nova Scotia to Min- nesota, Georgia and Alabama. NOTES. Silvery Spleenwort. 28 ASPLENIUM NARROW-LEAVED SPLEENWORT: Asplenium angustifdlium. {Athi/rium angusti folium.) Fronds 2-4 feet high, growing in clumps, thin and delicate, simply pinnate; pinnae long, narrow, tapering toward the tip; fertile fronds taller than the sterile, and pinnae much narrower, appearing in midsummer. Fruit dots elongated, numerous, in two rows, opening on the side next the midvein. Found in moist woods from western Quebec and New Hampshire, to ]\Iinnesota and southward. NOTES. Narrow-Leaved Spleenwort. 30 ASPLENIUM EBONY SPLEENWORT: Asplenium platyneuron. (A. ebeneum.) Fronds upright^ 8 to 20 inches high., growing in little tufts ; fertile fronds much taller than the ster- ile, with more distant pinnae, pinnate; pinnae usually alternate, inclined to be eared on both sides, finely toothed or incised; stipe dark and shining. Fruit dots elongated, borne in a double row on the pinnae, nearer the midvein than the margin. Found in rocky soil from Maine to Colorado, and southward. In the variety serratum the pinnae are more or less deeply toothed. NOTES. Ebony Spleen wort (a), 32 ASPLENIUM NOTES. Ebony Spleenwort (b). 34 ASPLENIUM SMALL SPLEENWORT: Asplenium pdrvulum. {A. resiliens.) Fronds upright, 4 to 10 inches in height, pin- nate; pinnae mostly opposite, blunt, slightly eared on the upper side, or often on both upper and lower sides ; stipe and rachis dark and shining. Resembles the ebony spleenwort but differs in the pinnae being usually opposite, and the sterile and fertile fronds of the same size. Fruit dots borne on the backs of the ordinary fronds in two rows on the pinnae. Found in rocky places from Virginia to Kansas, and southward. NOTES. c::^ C=i^ Small Spleenvvort. 36 ASPLENIUM WALL RUE; RUE SPLEENWORT: Asplenium Ruta-muraria. Fronds seldom more than 5 inches high, grow- ing in tufts, twice or three times pinnate at the base, with stalked' pinnae and pinnules; pinnae usually alternate; pinnules wedge-shaped, with outer margin slightly toothed; rachis and stipe green. Nearly every frond fertile, 2 to 4 fruit dots borne on each pinnule. Found on limestone cliffs from Vermont to On- tario, Michigan and southward. Wall Rue. 38 ASPLENIUM MOUNTAIN SPLEENWORT: Asplenium montanum. Fronds 2 to 6 inches long, broadest at the base; lowest pinnae stalked, pinnate or pinnatifid with toothed lobes, the upper ones becoming simpler. Fruit dots irregularly scattered, borne on almost every frond. Found on cliffs and rocks from Connecticut to Ohio, Kentucky, Arkansas and southward. Mountain Spleenwort. 40 ASPLENIUM SCOTT'S SPLEEN WORT: Asplenium ehenoides. Fronds 4 to 8 inches high, lance-shaped, pinnat- ifid or pinnate below, deeply pinnatifid above, di- visions broadest at the base, with considerable variation in their shape and cutting; apex usually- long and slender, often producing young fronds at the tip; stipes dark and shining. Demonstrated by Miss Margaret Slosson to be a hybrid between the walking fern and the ebony spleenwort. Fruit dots as in other spleenworts. Found on limestone cliffs from Vermont to Mis- souri, and southward; very rare. Scott's Spleenwort. 42 ASPLENIUM PINNATIFID SPLEENWORT: Asplenium pinnatifidum. Fronds 3 to 8 inches long, lance-shaped, pin- natifid or pinnate below with roundish lobes, taper- ing above into a slender prolongation, which some- times takes root at the tip after the manner of the walking fern. There is considerable variation in the cutting of the fronds ; stipe brownish, becoming green above. Fruit dots scattered, borne on the prolongation as well as the lobes. Found on rocks from Connecticut to Missouri and southward; rare. NOTES. Pinnatifid Spleenwort. 44^ ASPLENIUM MAIDENHAIR SPLEENWORT: Asplenium Trichomanes. Fronds seldom more than 8 inches long and half an inch wide, growing in spreading tufts, pinnate; pinnae roundish or slightly elongated, more or less toothed; stipe and rachis dark and shining. Fruit dots oblong, borne on the backs of the ordinary pinnae, oblique to the midvein. Found on shaded rocks, widely distributed. NOTES. Maidenhair Spleenwort (a). 46 ASPLENIUM NOTES. Maidenhair Spleenwort (b). 48 ASPLENIUM GREEN SPLEENWORT: Asplenium viride. Fronds usually less than 6 inches long^ grow- ing in little tufts^ pinnate; pinnae roundish^ short- stalked, round-toothed; stipe brownish at the base, passing into a green rachis. This feature serves to distinguish it from the maidenhair spleenwort, which it closely resembles. Fruit dots borne on the backs of the ordinary fronds. Found on shaded limestone from Newfoundland to northern New England, westward and north- ward. Green Spleenwort. 50 ASPLENIUM BRADLEY'S SPLEENWORT: Asplenium Bradleyi. Fronds 3 to 10 inches high;, long lance-shaped, pinnate; pinnae short-stalked, blunt, lower ones no larger than the middle ones, cut into oblong, toothed lobes; stipes dark and somewhat shining. Fruit dots as in other spleenworts. Found on cliffs and rocks from eastern New York to Kentucky, Missouri and southward; rare. NOTES. Cx: K> CA\ Bradley's Spleenwort. 52 ASPLENIUM ASPLENIUM 53 54 ONOCLEA SENSITIVE FERN: Onoclea sensibilis. Sterile and fertile fronds dissimilar; sterile fronds 1 to 3 feet high on long stipes, deeply pin- natifid, the divisions long lance-shaped, wavy- edged or deeply-lobed, the lower often distinct; fertile fronds shorter, closely twice pinnate, the pinnules rolled up into berry-like bodies enclosing the sori, appearing later than the sterile. The dried fertile fronds are conspicuous in the late fall and early spring. Common in moist meadows and thickets; widely distributed. NOTES. Sensitive Fern. 56 ONOCLEA SENSITIVE FERN, form obtusilobata Onoclea sensibilis, f. obtusilobata. These various forms of the sensitive fern are intermediate between the normal sterile and fer- tile fronds, and often follow the cutting of the early sterile fronds. NOTES. Sensitive Fern, Form Obtusilobdta. 58 ONOCLEA OSTRICH FERN: Onoclea Struthiopteris. {Struthiopteris Germanica; Matteuccia Struthiop- teris.) Sterile and fertile fronds widely dissimilar; ster- ile fronds 3 to 7 feet high growing in circles, broadest toward the apex, which is abruptly nar- rowed, pinnate ; pinnae long and narrow, cut nearly to the midrib into close, short, slightly-curving lobes ; fertile fronds short, stiff, pinnate, with long, narrow, beaded-edged pinnae, appearing in mid- summer within the circle of the sterile ones. Fronds intermediate between the sterile and fer- tile are sometimes produced by the cutting of the early sterile fronds. Found in swampy places, and along the borders of streams and ponds, from Newfoundland to Vir- ginia and northwestward. NOTES. Ostrich Fern. 60 PTERIS BRACKEN; BRAKE; EAGLE FERN: Pteris aquilina. (JPteridium aquilinum.) Frond large and spreading, 1 to 3 feet high, borne on the summit of an erect stalk, triangular in outline, divided into three principal divisions; the widely spreading side divisions are twice pin- nate, the lower pinnules more or less pinnatifid, with oblong, obtuse lobes, variable in their shape and cutting. The fruit is borne on the margins of the pinnules in a continuous line, covered by an indusium formed by the reflexed edges of the pinnules. Common in thickets and on hillsides, widely dis- tributed. A variety known as P. pseudocaudata has nar- row and much elongated pinnules. .\^^^'^''^ Brake. 62- PELLAEA PURPLE CLIFF BRAKE: Pellaea atropurpurea. Fronds 4 to 24 inches liigli^ of a peculiar^ bluish- green color; pinnate or twice pinnate below, but very irregular in the matter of division, lobed or forking pinnules common; fertile fronds some- what taller than the sterile, and the pinnules longer and narrower; stipes dark. Fruit dots marginal, covered with an indusium formed by the reflexed edges of the pinnules. Found on rocks in limestone regions from New England to Georgia and westward. NOTES. Purple ClifF Brake (a). 64 PELLAEA NOTES. Purple Cliff Brake (b). 66. CRYPTOGRAMMA SLENDER CLIFF BRAKE: Crypto gramma Stelleri. {Pellaea gracilis.) Fronds 3 to 6 inches in length, and quite dis- similar; fertile fronds usually twice pinnate with narrow pinnules, taller and more erect than the sterile ones ; sterile fronds generally pinnate, with pinnatifid pinnae, and broad, blunt segments, which are more or less irregularly notched. Fruit dots borne close to the margin, covered with a broad indusium, which usually extends en- tirely around the pinnule. A delicate species, requiring shade and mois- ture, found on limestone rocks from New Bruns- wick and Quebec to Vermont, Connecticut, Penn- sylv^ania, Illinois and Colorado. NOTES. Slender Cliff Brake. 68 CRYPTOGRAMMA DENSE CLIFF BRAKE: Cryptogrdmma densa. {Pellaea densa.) Fronds 4 to 8 inches high;, usually three times pinnate, nearly every frond fertile. In the fertile fronds the pinnules curve back over the sori and have the appearance of narrow, half-open, sharp- pointed pods, from a quarter to half an inch in length; segments of the sterile fronds broader, acute, and sharply toothed; stipes dark. Fruit dots and indusium marginal. Found on cliffs, growing in dense tufts, on Mt. Albert in Quebec, in Grey County, Ontario, and in the far west. Dense Cliff Brake. 70 CRYPTOGRAMMA ROCK BRAKE: Crypto gramma acrostichoides. Sterile and fertile fronds dissimilar, 6 to 8, inches high; sterile fronds twice to three times pinnate, pinnae deeply cut into lobed and toothed, rounded pinnules; fertile fronds three times pinnate, with long, narrow, pod-like divisions, the edges of which roll back to the midrib, and later spread out nearly flat. Fruit dots borne near the margins of the divi- sions. Found growing in clumps in the crevices of rocks from Lake Huron, Lake Superior, Colorado and California, to the Arctic regions. NOTES. Rock Brake. 72 PHEGOPTERIS LONG BEECH FERN: Phegopteris polypodioides. {P. Phegopteris.) Fronds triangular, longer than broad, often 18 inches high, pinnate; pinnae long, narrow, acute, cut nearly to the midrib into oblong, blunt seg- ments, the upper forming a lobed border along the rachis, the lower separate, standing forward and downward; intergrading forms between this and the broad beech fern frequent. Fruit dots small, round, without indusia, borne near the margins of the segments. Found in damp, rocky woods and along the bor- ders of woodland brooks, from Newfoundland to Alaska, south to Virginia, Iowa, Wisconsin and Washington. NOTES. Long Beech Fern. T4 PHEGOPTERIS BROAD BEECH FERN: Phegopteris hexagonoptera. Fronds triangular, similar in appearance to those of the long beech fern, but usually broader than long, pinnate; pinnae lance-shaped, cut nearly to the midrib into oblong, blunt, more or less toothed segments ; the lowest i3air of pinnae much the larg- est, and the lower segments are much elongated. The lower jjinnae form a continuous many-angled wing along the main rachis ; variable in outline, and in the cutting of the pinnae. Fruit dots small, without indusia, borne near the margins of the segments. Found in rather open woods from Quebec and New England to Minnesota and southward. ***nf(to«vlvl3g!3S3S'- Broad Beech Fern. 76 PHEGOPTERIS OAK FERN: Phegoptens Dryopteris. Fronds usually less than one foot liighj, smooth, broadly triangular in outline, the three principal divisions triangular, stalked, and widely spreading, quite resembling the bracken in miniature. The middle division of the frond is slightly the largest, and the lower pinnules of the side divisions are the longest; stipes slender. Fruit dots small, round, without indusia, borne near the margins of the lobes. Found in moist, rock}^ woods from Newfoundland to Virginia. LIMESTONE POLYPODY: Phegopteris Robertiana. (P. calcarea.) Fronds 8 to 18 inches long, similar in form to those of the oak fern, but are minutely glandular, and the terminal division is much larger than the two side divisions. Fruit dots small, round, without indusia, borne near the margins of the lobes. Found on shaded limestone from Labrador to Quebec, Iowa, Minnesota and Manitoba; rare. Oak Fern. 78 PHEGOPTERIS NOTES. PHEGOPTERIS 79 NOTES. 80 POLYSTICHUM CHRISTMAS FERN: Polystichum acrostichoides. {Aspidium acrostichoides.) Fronds 1 to 3 feet high^ evergreen^ lance-shaped, acute, pinnate; pinnae firm, narrow, finely toothed, eared on the upper side at the base, arranged mostly alternately; fertile fronds taller than the sterile, and differ from them in having the upper fruiting pinnae reduced in size; stipe scaly. Fruit dots borne in rows lengthwise of the pinnae, eventually running together, covering the whole of the under surface with the brown spo- rangia. The variety incisum may be distinguished by its deeply-toothed pinnae, and by the fruit dots con- tinuing downward on the tips of the ordinary pin- nae, gradually decreasing in number; rarely the pinnae are cut to the midrib. The variety crispum has beautifully-crisped and ruffled pinnae. Common in rocky woods from Canada to Florida, Mississippi, Arkansas and Wisconsin. NOTES. Pyr,-^- Christmas Fern (a). POLYSTICHUM NOTES. Christmas Fern (b). 84 POLYSTICHUM HOLLY FERN: Polystichum Lonchitis. (Aspidium Lonchitis.) Fronds 6 to 24 inches high^ long lance-shaped, tapering toward the base, short-stalked, pinnate; pinnae rather broad, spiny-toothed, eared on the upper side and curving upward, the lowest shorter and triangular. Fruit dots round, borne on the backs of the up- per pinnae in two rows midway between the midrib and the margins, and also upon the ears. Found in rocky woods from Nova Scotia to south- ern Ontario, and far north and west. • NOTES. Holly Fern. 86 POLYSTICHUM BRAUN'S HOLLY FERN: Polysticlium Braunii. (^Aspidium aculeatum, var. Braunii.) Fronds 1 to 3 feet long, tapering toward the base, evergreen, short-stalked, twice pinnate; pinnae broadest at the base, acute; pinnules in- clined to be eared, sharply toothed; both stipe and rachis covered with chafFy hairs and brown scales. Fruit dots not very conspicuous, borne on the backs of the ordinary fronds. Found in rich upland woods from Newfoundland to Lake Superior, and in the mountains of Penn- sylvania. ^33Bsls# Braun's Holly Fern. 88 POLYSTICHUM NOTES. POLYSTICHUM 89 NOTES. 90 ASPIDIUM MARSH FERN: Aspidium Thelypteris. (Nephrodium; Dryopteris.) Fronds lance-shaped in outline, slightly nar- rowed at the base, pinnate; pinnae set at right angles to the rachis, rather narrow, cut nearly to the midrib into short, blunt lobes; first fronds al- ways sterile, the fertile fronds not appearing until midsummer. The pinnules of the fertile fronds appear to be narrower and more pointed than those of the sterile ones, owing to their reflexed margins, which nearly cover the fruit dots; stipes long, sometimes twice as long as the blades; veins fork- ing. Fruit dots small, borne in two rows on each pin- nule; indusium minute, soon withering, the spo- rangia spreading out and nearly covering the under surface of the pinnule. Common in marshes, widely distributed. Marsh Fern. 92 ASPIDIUM NEW YORK FERN: Aspidium novehoracense. {Dryopteris novehoracensis ; Nephrodium nove- horacense.) Fronds 8 to 24 inches long, widest in the middle, tapering both ways, pinnate; pinnae long and nar- row, deeply cut into rounded lobes; below, the pinnae become more distant, and reduced in size to mere ears, forming a distinguishing feature of this fern; veins simple, or forked only in the basal lobes; fertile fronds appearing later than the sterile. Fruit dots distinct, borne near the margin; in- dusium minute. Common in rich woods, widely distributed. NOTES. New York Fern. 94 ASPIDIUM MASSACHUSETTS FERN: Aspidium simulatum. {N epJir odium ; Dryopteris simulata.) This fern is similar in habit to the marsh fern and the New York fern, but may be distinguished from them by the following characteristics: the lower pinnae are somewhat contracted, but are never so small as those of the New York fern; the simple (not forking) veins distinguish it from the marsh fern. Found in wet woods from Maine to Pennsylvania and Maryland. NOTES. (AM ^^^ ^S^ ^^^ M'o//o/0//o- 0/ Massachusetts Fern. 96 ASPIDIUM MARGINAL SHIELD FERN: Aspidium marginale. (Nephrodium; Dryopteris marginalis.) Fronds 1 to 3 feet long, growing in circles, ever- green, pinnate to twice pinnate; pinnae lance- shaped, pointed; pinnules slightly curving, and in the lower pinnae may be lobed; stipes chaffy. Fruit dots conspicuous, borne close to the mar- gins of the pinnules without crowding; indusium convex, whitish. Found in rich woods from Nova Scotia to Georgia, Alabama and westward. NOTES. Marginal Shield Fern (a), 98 ASPIDIUM NOTES. Marginal Shield Fern (b). 100 ASPIDIUM MALE FERN: Aspidium Filix-mds. {Nephrodiumj Dryopteris.) Fronds 1 to 4 feet long^ lance-shaped, standing in circles; pinnae narrowly lance-shaped, tapering from the base toward the apex; pinnules oblong, blunt, sharply toothed at the apex, obscurely so at the sides, the basal lobed and distinct; stipes scaly. Fruit dots nearer the midvein than the margin, usually confined to the lower half of each fertile pinnule. Found in rocky woods from the far north to Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, northern Vermont, Lake Superior, Lake Huron, Dakota, Arizona and California. Male Fern. 102 ASPIDIUM GOLDIE'S SHIELD FERN: Aspidium Goldieanum. {Nephrodium; Dryopteris Goldieana.) Fronds large and broad^ often 4 feet high^ nearly twice pinnate; pinnae broadest near the middle^ cut nearly to the midrib into long^ blunt^ slightly-toothed^ curving pinnules. Fruit dots borne near the midvein; indusium very large, smooth and without marginal glands. Found in moist woods from Canada to New England, Tennessee and Minnesota. The variety celsum differs from the type in be- ing narrower, with pinnae and pinnules farther apart, and the lowest pinnae on rather long stalks; found on old decaying logs. Goldie's Shield Fern. 104 ASPIDIUM FRAGRANT FERN: Aspidium fragrans. {Nephrodium; Dryopteris.) Fronds 4 to 12 inches long, narrowly lance- shaped, glandular and aromatic, twice pinnate; divisions of the pinnae obtuse, more or less toothed; stipes short, bearing chaffy, brown scales. The old fronds droop and curl in a characteristic manner. Indusia very large, nearly covering the under surface of the pinnules. Found on cliffs from northern New England to Minnesota and northward. Fragrant Fern. 106 ASPIDIUM CRESTED SHIELD FERN: Aspidium cristatum. {Nephrodiumj Dryopteris cristata.) Fertile fronds quite erect^ often 3 feet high, much taller than the sterile^, which are somewhat reclining, pinnate; pinnae broadest at the base, tapering toward the tips, the lowest pair almost tri- angular, deeply pinnatifid; pinnules 6 to 10 pairs, oblong, blunt, finely toothed, the lower pinnatifid- lobed, and those nearest the rachis sometimes separate; stipes chaffy. Owing to the upright stalks of the fertile fronds the pinnae arrange themselves nearly in a horizon- tal plane, thus appearing farther apart than those of most species. Fruit dots as near the midvein as the margin; indusium broad and conspicuous, smooth. Found in swampy woods from Canada to North Carolina, Arkansas and Idaho. The variety Clintonianum has larger and broader fronds, pinnae cut into 8 to l6 pairs of pinnules. The crested ferns often hybridize with the marginal shield ferns, producing intermediate or distorted fronds. -{—T ^ Crested Shield Fern (a). 108 ASPIDIUM NOTES. V::^mpfMhAm II Whv »f^)/r'' ^'i^^il if r "^ Crested Shield Fern (b) no ASPIDIUM BOOTT'S SHIELD FERN: Aspidium Boottii. (Nephrodium; Dryopteris.) Fronds quite erect, 1 to 2^/2 feet tall, long lance- shaped in outline, somewhat narrowed at the base; fertile fronds taller than the sterile, twice pinnate below, a feature by which it may be distinguished from the crested ferns; pinnae horizontal as in the crested ferns, the lower somewhat triangular, the upper longer and narrower; pinnules spiny- toothed, the lower pinnatifid; scales on stipe pale brown. Fruit dots borne in a double row on the pin- nules; indusium minutely glandular. Boott's shield fern seems to stand half way be- tween A. spinulosum, var. intermedium and A. cristatum, and is thought by many to be a hybrid between the two. The cutting is like the former, while in shape it resembles the latter; apparently variable. Found in swampy woods in Canada and the northeastern part of the United States. NOTES. Boott's Shield Fern. 112 ASPIDIUM SPINULOSE SHIELD FERN: Aspidium spinuldsum. (Nephrodiumj Dryopteris spinulosa.) Fronds 1 to 3 feet high^ finely cut with a deli- cate, lace-like effect, twice pinnate; pinnae ob- lique to the rachis, elongated-triangular, the lowest pairs broadly triangular; pinnules set obliquely to the midribs, with spiny-toothed lobes, those on the lower side usually elongated especially in the low- est pinnae; scales on the stipes pale brown. Fruit dots borne on the backs of the ordinary fronds; indusium smooth, without marginal glands. Found in rich woods from Virginia and Ken- tucky to the far north. In the variety intermedium the margin of the indusium is irregular and beset with minute, stalked glands, and the scales on the stipe are brown with a darker center; common. In the variety dilatatum the fronds are long egg- shaped in outline, the lower pinnules often much elongated, the indusium smooth without marginal glands, and the scales on the stipe have dark cen- ters. Found chiefly in rocky, upland woods. NOTES. I^K**- SpiiHilose Shield Fern (a). U4 ASPIDIUM NOTES. Spinulose Shield Fern (b). 116 ASPIDIUM NOTES. ASPIDIUM 117 NOTES. 118 WOODWARDIA COMMON or VIRGINIAN CHAIN FERN: Woodtvdrdia virginica. Fronds 2 to 4 feet high^ with stipes nearly as long as the blades^ quite similar in appearance to the sterile fronds of the cinnamon fern^ pinnate; pinnae lance-shaped;, cut nearly to the midrib into blunt, slightly-curving segments. Fruit dots elongated, borne in two series: one series borne parallel to the midribs of the pinnae, and the other parallel to the midribs of the seg- ments. Found in swamps from Nova Scotia to Florida, Louisiana, Michigan and Ontario. NOTES. Virginian Cliain Fern 120 WOODWARDIA NARROW-LEAVED CHAIN FERN: Woodwdrdia areolata. (W. angustifolia.) Sterile and fertile fronds dissimilar; sterile fronds 12 to 20 inches long^ cut nearly to the mid- rib into oblongs acute^ finely-toothed divisions, the lower divisions often narrowed abruptly at the base, the upper connected by a broad wing; fertile fronds taller than the sterile, appearing later, pin- nate, with long, very narrow and distant pinnae, which are just wide enough for two lines of large, elongated, sunken fruit dots ; indusium thick ; stipes black and shining. There are many grada- tions between the two classes of fronds. Found in wet woods, chiefly near the Atlantic coast, from Maine to Florida and Texas, locally inland in Arkansas and Michigan. NOTES. Narrow-Leaved Chain Fern. 122 CHEILANTHES HAIRY LIP FERN: Cheildnthes landsa, (C. vestita.y Fronds 6 to 15 inches long, narrowly lance- shaped in outline, hairy, twice pinnate; pinnae rather distant; pinnules deeply lobed; stipes dark and hairy; bears a strong resemblance to the rusty Woodsia, from which it may be distinguished by the absence of a joint on the stipe. Fruit dots very small, marginal, the ends of the lobes of the pinnules reflexed, but pushed back by the ripening sporangia. Found on cliffs from Connecticut to Minnesota, Wyoming and southward. Hairy Up Fern. 124 CHEILANTHES WOOLLY LIP FERN: Cheildnthes tomentosa. Fronds 8 to 20 inches high, long lance-shaped, densely woolly, especially beneath, bearing a gen- eral resemblance to the hairy lip-fern, but is three times pinnate; ultimate pinnules very small, rounded; stipes dark, densely woolly. Fruit dots marginal; indusium formed by the reflexed edges of the pinnules. Found on exposed rocks from Virginia and Ken- tucky southward and westward. NOTES. ym inrn:) Y}.0. Woolly I.ip Fern. 126 CHEILANTHES FEE'S LIP FERN: Cheildnthes Feel (C. lanuginosa.^ Fronds 3 to 8 inches long, densely woolly on the under side, slightly so above, twice or three times pinnate; pinnules pinnatifid, or mostly divided into small, roundish segments, terminal one the largest; lowest pinnae rather distant; stipes dark, hairy at' first. Fruiting portion much as in other lip ferns. Found on rocks in dense mats from Illinois and IMinnesota westward and southward. NOTES. p k^-'f^ Fee's Lip Fern. 128 CHEILANTHES ALABAMA LIP FERN: Cheildnthes alahamensis. Fronds 4 to l6 inches long, smooth, lance-shaped in outline, twice pinnate; pinnae numerous, short- stalked; pinnules often eared or lobed; stipes dark, slender. Fruit dots marginal; indusium formed by the re- flexed margins of the pinnules, j^ale, rather broad, nearly continuous. Found on rocks from Virginia to Missouri and southward. Alabama Lip Fern. 130 POLYPODIUM COMMON POLYPODY: Poly podium vulgare. Fronds 4 to 10 inches high, evergreen;, smooth on both sides_, deeply pinnatifid, occasionally variable in their form and cutting. Fruit dots large, without indusia, borne mid- way between the midvein and the margin. Common, especially northward, growing in col- onies on shaded rpcks. NOTES. Common Polypody (a). 132 POLYPODIUM 134 POLYPODIUM GRAY or HOARY POLYPODY: Polypddium polypodioiides. {P. incanum.) Fronds 2 to 7 inches long^ evergreen, deeply pinnatifid with blunt divisions; similar in appear- ance to those of the common polypody, but may be distinguished by the stipe and under surface of the frond being thickly covered with gray or brownish scales fastened at the center. Fruit dots rather small, without indusia, and near the margin. Found on rocks and the trunks of trees, Vir- ginia, Ohio, Iowa and southward. Gray Polyi)0(ly, 136 POLYPODIUM NOTES. POLVrODIUM 137 138 ADIANTUM MAIDENHAIR FERN: Adidntum pedatum. Fronds 8 to 20 inches high^ nearly circular in outline; stipes dark and shining, erect, forked at the summit, each branch bearing on one side sev- eral pinnate divisions; pinnules numerous, short- stalked, without a midvein. Fruit dots marginal; indusium formed by the reflexed edges of the toothlets. Nearly every frond fertile. Found in moist woods, growing in clumps, widely distributed. NOTES. Maidenhair Fern. 140 ADIANTUM VENUS'-HAIR FERN: Adidntum Capillus- Veneris. Fronds 4 to 20 inches liigli^ with a continuous main rachis^ twice or three times pinnate at the base, simply pinnate above; pinnules broad or nar- row wedge-shaped, their outer edges deeply toothed or notched; veins springing from the base like the ribs of a fan. Fruit dots marginal; indusium formed by the reflexed edges of the pinnules. Found in moist, rocky places from southeastern Pennsylvania to Missouri and Florida, also in Da- kota and southwestward. NOTES. ^ Venus'-Hair Fern. 142 WOODSIA RUSTY WOODSIA: Woodsia ilvensis. Fronds long lance-shaped in outline, seldom more than 8 inches high, pinnate ; pinnae cut nearly to the midrib into short, rounded, closely-set lobes. The fronds are clothed underneath with a dense, woolly coating, which soon turns to a rusty brown, and almost conceals the fruit dots. The young fronds, when unrolling, are covered with silvery- white, hair-like scales. Stipes rather short, pos- sessing an obscure joint an inch or more above the base, at which point the old fronds separate, leav- ing the stubble. This cliaracteristic serves to dis- tinguish the rusty Woodsia from Cheilanthes lanosa. Fruit dots borne near the margins of the lobes, running together when old. Found on exposed rocks, growing in dense clumps, from the Arctic regions to the mountains of North Carolina. NOTES. Rusty Woodsia (a). lU WOODSIA NOTES. ,.^sw / "^ ^ cT^ -3 "C^ Rusty Woodsia (b). 146 WOODSIA OBTUSE WOODSIA: Woddsia ohtusa. Fronds 8—20 inches long^ broadly lance-shaped, minutely glandular-hairy, pinnate; pinnae rather distant, pinnatifid or pinnate below, with oblong, slightly-lobed pinnules. Both pinnae and pinnules are quite blunt. In this respect it differs from Cystopteris fragilis, with which it may be con- fused. The stipes are about a third as long as the blades, and bear scattered, brownish scales. Fruit dots round, borne on or below the minute lobes; indusium fixed to the frond underneath the sorus, early splitting into several segments, which spread out in a ragged star shape. Found on rocky banks and cliffs from Nova Scotia to Georgia and westward. NOTES. Obtuse Woodsia. 14^8 WOODSIA NORTHERN or ALPINE WOODSIA: Woodsia alpina. {W. hyperborea.) Fronds 2 to 6 inches long, narrowly lance- shaped, growing in little tufts, smooth above, spar- ingly chaffy beneath, pinnate; pinnae somewhat triangular, blunt, cut nearly to the midrib into rounded lobes. Indusium consists of a few hair-like processes which radiate from beneath the round sori. Found in the mountains of New York, Vermont and Maine, and northward; rare. IS^ Alpine Woodsia. 150 WOODSIA SMOOTH WOODSIA: Woodsia glabella. Fronds 2 to 5 inches high, rather narrow, very delicate, similar in appearance to the Alpine Woodsia, but the fronds and stipes (above the joint) are smooth and the lower pinnae are inclined to be more fan-shaped, slightly toothed. Fruit dots scanty. Found on moist rocks from northern New Eng- land, New York, Minnesota, to the far north. NOTES. '/^ Smooth Woodsia. 152 WOODSIA NOTES. WOODSIA 153 NOTES. 154 CAMPTOSORUS WALKING FERN; WALKING LEAF: Camptosorus rhizophyllus. Fronds small, evergreen, 4 to 12 inches long, lobed or heart-shaped at the base, the early ones short and blunt, the fertile usually gradually taper- ing into a long, slender prolongation, which often takes root at the tip, forming a new plant. Fruit dots elongated, scattered. Found on rocks forming dense mats. Abundant locally from Maine to Ottawa and Minnesota, south to Kansas, Alabama and Georgia. NOTES. "Walking Fern (a). 156 CAMPTOSORUS NOTES. Walking Fern (b). 158 DICKSONIA HAY-SCENTED FERN: Dicksdnia punctilohula. {D. pilosiuscula; Dennstaedtia punctilobula.) Fronds 1 to 3 feet high^ minutely glandular and hairy^ twice pinnate ; pinnae lance-shaped, pointed ; pinnules deeply cut into toothed lobes. Fruit dots minute^ each borne on the margin of a recurved toothlet; indusium cup-like_, open at the top. Found in shade and sunlight, often forming large patches in upland pastures, from Nova Scotia to Minnesota and Alabama. mil Hav-ScTiUcd Fern. 160 NOTHOLAENA CLOAK FERN: Notholaena dealbhta. {N. nivea, var. dealbata.) Fronds small, 2 to 6 inches long, once to four times pinnate; pinnae somewhat egg-shaped in out- line, slender stalked, the ultimate pinnules very small, white and powdery on the under surface; stipes dark and shining. Fruit dots roundish or oblong, without indusia, borne near the margins of the pinnules. Found on limestone, Missouri, Kansas and south- westward. NOTES. Cloak Fern. 162 SCOLOPENDRIUM HART'S TONGUE: Scolopendrium vulgare. {Phyllitis Scolopendrium.) Fronds long and narrow, rarely 20 inches in length or 2 inches in width, usually wavy-margined, somewhat heart-shaped or eared at the base, and often forked at the tip. Fruit dots long and narrow, borne oblique or nearly at right angles to the midvein, opening along the middle. Has been found in shaded, rocky places in a few spots in central New York, Tennessee, New Brunswick and Ontario. NOTES. i^ << '^ -^, '^ f< v-":^ ^-* ^''^ V ^ ^ -^ 'J^ X ^u I Hart's Tongue. 164 CYSTOPTERIS COMMON BLADDER FERN: Cystopteris frdgilis^ (^Filix fragilis.) Fronds acute^ seldom more than 15 inches long, twice or three times pinnate; pinnae mostly acute, pinnate or pinnatifid with narrow, lobed or toothed pinnules; fronds variable in their shape and cut- ting; stipe fully as long as the blade. It is some- times confused with JVoodsia ohtusa, but the pinnae and pinnules of JVoodsia are usually broader and more obtuse, and the indusium opens in a decidedly different manner from that of the bladder ferns. Fruit dots rather small and thickly scattered over the lobes of the pinnules; indusium taper-pointed when young, attached to the pinnules by the base, and opening on the side toward the ajoex of the lobes, soon disappearing. Found on shaded cliffs and in rocky woods, widely distributed. Common Bladder Fern (a). 166 CYSTOPTERIS NOTES. Coiiinion Bladder I-'crn (I)). 168 CYSTOPTERIS BULBIFEROUS BLADDER FERN: Cystopteris bulbifera. {Filia: bulbifera.) Fronds 1 to 3 feet long, widest at the base, gradually tapering toward the tip, twice pinnate; pinnules pinnatifid or toothed; stipes short, rachis and pinnae often bearing bulblets beneath. Fruit dots small, roundish; indusium opening on the side toward the tips of the lobes^ soon wither- ing. Found on moist banks and rocks from Newfound- land to North Carolina, Alabama and westward. NOTES. Bulbiferous Bladder Fern (a). Bulbiferous Bladder Fern (b). THE CURLY GRASS FAMILY 172 SCHIZAEA CURLY GRASS: Schizaea pusilla. Fronds very narrow, grass-like, in no respect re- sembling those of ordinary ferns; sterile fronds an inch or more long, fertile fronds erect, 3 to 5 inches tall, bearing at the tip 4 or 5 pairs of short, crowded, finger-like pinnae which enclose the spo- rangia. Found in low grounds and pine barrens of New Jersey, and in Nova Scotia and Newfoundland. NOTES. Curly Grass. 174 LYGODIUM CLIMBING FERN: Lygodium palmatum. Fronds climbing or twining, 12 to 40 inches long^ with short, alternate branches scattered along the stipe, each branch forked and bearing a pair of leaflets or frondlets, which are divided into 4 to 7 finger-like lobes. Fertile portion borne near the summit of the fronds, several times forked, the lobes contracted and forming small clusters. Found locally in moist thickets and open woods, from New Hampshire to Florida, Tennessee and Kentucky. Climbing Fern, 176 LYGODIUM NOTES. THE FILMY FERN FAMILY 178 TRICHOMANES FILMY FERN: Triclwmanes Boschianum. (T. radicans.) Fronds 4 to 8 inches long, an inch or more wide at the base, tapering toward the apex, twice pin- natifid, the divisions lobed and toothed; rachis and upper part of stipe conspicuously winged. Fruit dots marginal, sporangia clustered around a slender bristle, which is a prolongation of a vein, and surrounded by a vase-like receptacle. In old fronds the bristle is long and prominent. Found on moist cliffs from Kentucky to Ala- bama. Filmy Fern. 180 TRICHOMANES NOTES. THE ADDER'S TOXGUE FAMILY 18S OPHIOGLOSSUM ADDER'S TONGUE: Ophioglossum vulgatum. Sterile frond leaf-like^, 2 to 4 inches long, usually elliptic or egg-shaped, rather fleshy, borne near the middle of the common stalk; midvein indistinct or none, the principal veins forming a loose network, the meshes nearly free from secondary veins. The fertile spike bears two rows of sporangia at the top of the stalk; 3 to 10 inches high. Slightly varying forms are occasional. Found in wet meadows, but not common, from Canada to Florida, west to Missouri and California. NOTES. Adder's Tongue. 184 OPHIOGLOSSUM NOTES. OPHIOGLOSSUM 185 NOTES. 186 BOTRYCHIUM LANCE-LEAVED GRAPE FERN:* Botrycliium lanceolatum, var. angustisegmentum. The lance-leaved grape fern consists of a sterile and fertile portion surmounting a common stalk. The sterile division is triangular in outline^ seated near the top of a long^ slender stalky with two or more pairs of pinnae, the lowest pair being the largest, lobes acute; variable in its cutting; vein- lets forking from a continuous midvein. The fer- tile portion rises but slightly above the sterile; 3 to 9 inches high. Found from Nova Scotia to New Jersey, Ohio and Lake Superior. * The Botrychiums are an exceedingly variable group, puzzling even to the expert botanists. For this reason no attempt has been made in this book to enumerate all the different varieties. NOTES. Lance-Leaved Grape Fern. 188 BOTRYCHIUM MATRICARY GRAPE FERN: Botrychium ramdsum. (B. matricariae folium; B. neglectum.) The matricary grape fern is quite similar in form to the lance-leaved and intergrading forms are frequent. It is the more common of the two. The sterile division is egg-shaped or triangular in outline^ joined to the main stalk by a short stem, varying from pinnate to twice pinnatifid, the lobes rather blunt; midvein dissipated into forking vein- lets. The fertile portion rises above the sterile, usually disappearing by midsummer ; 4 to 1 2 inches high. Found in rich soil from eastern Quebec to Mary- land and westward. NOTES. Matricary Grape Fern. 190 BOTRYCHIUM LITTLE GRAPE FERN: Botrychium simplex. {B. tenebrosum.) This fern is one of the rarest and smallest of the Botrychiums, usually less than 3 inches high. The sterile segment is short-stemmed, joined to the main stalk anj^where from near the base to the summit. It is thickish, roundish or 3 to 7 lobed, the lobes roundish, scarcely toothed; veins all fork- ing from the base. The fertile spike rises above the sterile and may be simple or compound. Found in moist woods or open places from Nova Scotia to Marjdand, Ontario, Minnesota and the Rocky Mountains; rare. NOTES. Little Grape Fern. 192 BOTRYCHIUM COMMON GRAPE FERN: Botrychium ohliquum, (B. ternatum, var. obliquum.) Sterile frond somewhat triangular in outline, with 6 or more pairs of stalked pinnae, which are again pinnate or lobed, exceedingly variable in their cutting, and several varieties have been named; often fails to make its appearance until midsummer. Fertile portion stands erect, much taller than the sterile, and fruits rather heavily; 6 to 18 inches high. Sterile and fertile portions ter- minate separate stalks springing from the base. Found in pastures and open woods from New Brunswick and Ontario to Minnesota and south- ward. B. ternatum, var. intermedium is similar in habit to the preceding, but the ultimate segments are more numerous and usually more rounded at the apex. Found in open woods and pastures in New England and New York. NOTES. Coniinoii Cirape Fern. 194 BOTRYCHIUM DISSECTED GRAPE FERN: Botrychium ohliquum, var. dissectum. Sterile fronds finely dissected, the ultimate seg- ments ending in small Y-shaped divisions; often found in company with the typical form. NOTES. Dissected Grape Fern. 196 BOTRYCHIUM RATTLESNAKE FERN: Botrychium virginianum. The rattlesnake fern consists of a single stalk, surmounted by a single frond, which is divided into a sterile and fertile portion. The sterile part is broadly triangular^ the lowest pair of pinnae be- ing so large as to appear as if the frond were di- vided into three principal divisions. The fertile portion, which rises above the sterile, discharges its spores early, and withers often by July. Many plants are sterile. A solitary species, sometimes 3 feet in height, but commonly much less, found in shaded woods; widely distributed throughout the United States. NOTES. Rattlcsnnkc Fern. 198 BOTRYCHIUM MOONWORT: Botrychium Lunaria. The moonwort bears a single frond divided into a sterile and fertile portion. The sterile frond con- sists of 5—15 half-moon or fan-shaped lobes or pinnae, more or less toothed. The veins radiate from the base of each pinna and fork repeatedly. The fertile portion usually rises above the sterile. A fleshy little plant, usually less than one foot high, growing in old fields. It is a northern spe- cies, rare within its southern limits, ranging from Greenland and Alaska south to the New England states. New York and westward ; rare. A similar form found in central New York has been named B, Onondagense, NOTES. "I Moonwort. 200 BOTRYCHIUM NOTES. BOTRYCHIUM 201 NOTES. 202 BOTRYCHIUM NOTES. INDEX Adder's Tongue Adiantuin Capillus- Veneris Adiantuni pedatuni Asj)i(liuin acrostiehoidcs Aspidiinn aeuleatum, var Aspidiinn Boottii Aspidiinn cristatuni Aspidiuni Filix-nias Aspidiuni fragrans Aspidiuni Cloldicanuni Asjudiuni Lonchitis As])i(iiuni inarginale Aspidiuin novelioraoense Aspidium sinuilatuin Aspidiuni spinulosum . Aspidiuin Thelypteris . Asplenium acrostiehoides Asplenium angusti folium Asplenium Bradleyi Asplenium ebencum Asplenium ehenoidos Asplenium Filix-femina Asplenium montanum . Asplenium ]>arvulum Asplenium pimiatifidwm Asplenium ])laty neuron Asplenium res i liens Asplenimn Ruta-nuiraria Asplenimn thelypteroides As])lenium 'rrichomanes Asi)lenium viride Athyrium aerosliclioidcs Athyrium august ifolium Athyrium Filix-femina Br PAGE 18:? 140 138 80 8() 110 106 100 104 102 81. 96 92 94 U2 90 26 38 50 30 40 :?4 38 34 4-^ 30 34 Mi 20 44 48 20 2H 21 ws ^204^ INDEX PAGE Beech Fern, Broad 74 Beech Fern, Long 72 Bladder Fern, Bulbiferous 168 Bladder Fern, Common 164 Botrychium lanceolatum, var. angustisegmentum . 186 Botrychium Lunaria 198 Botrychium matricarlaefolium 188 Botrychium neglectum 188 Botrychium obliquum 192 Botrychium obliquum, var. dissectum 194 Botrychium ramosum 188 Botrychium simplex 190 Botrychium tenebrosum 190 Botrychium ternatum, var. obliquum 192 Botrychium ternatum, var. intermedium .... 192 Botrychium virginianum 196 Bracken 60 Brake 14-60 Brake, Dense Cliff 68 Brake, Purple Cliff 62 Brake, Rock 70 Brake, Slender Cliff 66 Camptosorus rhizophyllus 154 Chain Fern, Common 118 Chain Fern, Narrow-leaved 120 Cheilanthes alabamensis 128 Cheiianthes Feci 126 Cheilanthes lanosa 122 Cheilanthes lanuginosa 126 Cheilanthes tomentosa 124 Cheilanthes vestita 122 Christmas Fern 80 Cinnamon Fern 14 Clayton's Fern 12 Climbing Fern 174 Cloak Fern 160 Cryptogramma acrostichoides 70 Cryptogramma densa 68 Cryptogramma Stelleri 66 Curly Grass 172 Cystopteris bulbifera 168 Cystopteris fragilis 164 INDEX 205 I' AGE Dennstaedtia punctilobula 158 Dicksonia pilosiuscula 158 Dicksonia punctilobula 158 Dryopteris Boottii 110 Dryopteris cristata 10(5 Dryopteris Filix-mas 100 Dryopteris fragrans 104 Dryopteris Goldieana 102 Dryopteris niarginalis 96 Dryopteris noveboracensis 92 Dryopteris simulata 94 Dryopteris spinulosa 112 Dryopteris Thelypteris 90 Eagle Fern 60 Filmy Fern 178 Filix bulbifera 168 Filix fragilis 164 Flowering Fern 18 Fragrant Fern 104 Grape Fern, Common 192 Grape Fern, Dissected 194 Grape Fern, Lance-leaved 186 Grape Fern, Little 190 Grape Fern, Matricary 188 Hart's Tongue 162 Hay-scented Fern 158 Hoilv Fern 8t Holly Fern, Braun's 86 Interrupted Fern 12 Ladv Fern 1^4 Lip 'Fern, Alabama 12S Lip Fern, Fee's 1J() Lip Fern, Hairv 1.'2 Lip Fern, Woolly 124 Lygodium palmatum 174 Maidenhair Fern 1:^8 Male Fern 100 206 INDEX PAGE Marsh Fern 90 Massachusetts Fern 94 Matteuccia Struthiopteris 58 Moonwort 198 Nephrodium Boottii 110 Nephrodium cristatum 106 Nephrodium Filix-mas 100 Nephrodium fragrans 104 Nephrodium Goldieanum 102 Nephrodium marginale 96 Nephrodium noveboracense 92 Nephrodium simulatum 94 Nephrodium spinulosum 112 Nephrodium Thelypteris 90 New York Fern 92 Notholaena dealbata 160 Notholaena nivea, var. dealbata 160 Oak Fern T6 Onoclea sensibilis 54 Onoclea sensibilis, f. obtusilobata 56 Onoclea Struthiopteris 58 Ophioglossum vulgatum 182 Osmunda cinnamomea 14 Osmunda Claytoniana 12 Osmunda regalis 18 Ostrich Fern 58 Pellaea atropurpurea 62 Pellaea densa 68 Pellaea gracilis G6 Phegopteris calcarea 76 Phegopteris Dryopteris 76 Phegopteris hexagonoptera . 74 Phegopteris Phegopteris 72 Phegopteris polypodioides 72 Phegopteris Robertiana 76 Phyllitis Scolopendrium 162 Poiypodium incanum 134 Polypodium polypodioides ......... 134 Poiypodium vulgare 130 Polypody, Common 130 INDEX 207 PAGE Polypody, Gray 134 Poly})ody, Limestone 76 Polystichuin acrostichoides 80 Polystichum Braunii 86 Polystichuin l.onchitis 84 Pteris aquilina 60 Pteridium aquilinum 60 Rattlesnake Fern 196 Royal Fern 18 Schizaea pusilla 172 Scolopendrium vulgare 162 Sensitive Fern 54-56 Shield Fern, Boott's 110 Shield Fern, Crested 106 Shield Fern, Goldie's 102 Shield Fern, JNIarginal 96 Shield Fern, Spinulose 112 Spleen wort, Bradley's 50 Spleenwort, Ebony 30 Spleenwort, Green 48 Spleenwort, Maidenhair 44 Spleenwort, Mountain 38 Spleenwort, Xarrow-leavcd 28 Spleenwort, Pinnatifid 42 Spleenwort, Rue 36 Spleenwort, Scott's 40 Si)leenw()rt, Silvery 2() Spleenwort, Small 34 Struthio})teris Gernianic-a 58 Trichomanes Boschianum 178 Trichomanes radicans 178 Venus'-hair Fern 140 Walking Fern 154 Wail Hue 36 Woodsia alpina 14S Woodsia, Alj>ine 148 Woodsia glabella 150 Woodsia hyi)erborea 148 Woodsia ilvcnsis 142 208 INDEX PAGE Woodsia obtusa 14(> Woodsia, Obtuse 146 Woodsia, Rusty . . 142 Woodsia, Smooth 150 Woodwardia angustifolia 120 Woodwardia areolata 120 Woodwardia virginica > c . . 118