94 



'72. Ferns on the Cumberland. 



J 



reported the finding of Adiantum Capillus- Veneris, L., in Kentucky. I 

 promised your readers then that I would probably visit the locality and 

 give full particulars regarding the fern flora of this unexplored region. 



The Cumberland River is a beautiful stream of clear water flowing 

 through a very wild country and having high sandstone cliffs on each 

 side. The mountains are well wooded. Hemlocks, oaks, chestnuts, 

 birches, two magnolias and the tulip tree predominating , vacciniums, 

 laurels and rhododendrons forming the undergrowth. The river 

 opposite our tent was about 200 rods wide, but very shallow; it nar- 

 rows somewhat, nearer the falls. Here the river is precipitated over 

 the conglomerate table-rock with a vertical fall of sixty-three feet. 

 The scenery below the falls is very grand. Sailing down in a boat 

 one sometimes gets under some great overhanging ledge whose 

 brow is richly clothed with Polypodiiim vulgare. 



My first ramble was over the hills below the falls. I had not pro- 

 ceeded far when I found a few plants o{ Lygoditim palmatum, an old 

 favorite that I first met with a few years ago in Rockcastle Co., Ky. 

 Tramping carelessly along, the climbing beauty seemed to haunt me ; 

 if I looked up, there it was hanging in heavy tresses from the cliffs 

 above, away out of reach ; if I looked under my feet, there it was 

 ready to entangle me in its mazy web ; move in any direction, it 

 would stare me in the face, seeming to say— " Yoft need not pass laws 

 for my protection, you will never uproot me from my mountain re- 

 treat.'' I wondered sometimes whether the Virginia creeper or this 

 beautiful fern would have the mastery. One bench of rock project- 

 ing out from t^yo perpendicular cliffs, was just one mass of Lygodium ; 

 It was impossible to separate the plants, they were so twined and 

 twisted and matted together. 



I journeyed on, looking out for other rarities. Asplenium pin- 

 natifidum, A, Trichomanes, A, ebe?ieu?n and A, montanum were found 

 quite plentiful. Here, towards the top of the range, there are a great 

 many precipitous rocks, which are tunneled out at the base, forming 

 dark and damp recesses In some of these places I expected to find 

 Trichomanes radicans, I had not searched very far when my toil was 

 rewarded. There it was, growing in the greatest profusion, seeming 

 to fancy the corner darkest and furthest from the light. With diffi- 

 culty I removed the roots from the rock. There was little or no soil, 

 but the roots seemed to have become part of the rock itself. This 

 translucent beauty has evidently no desire to be removed from its 

 secret hiding place. I also Jound the more common forms of ferns 

 quite plentiful. My furtheV walks added very little of interest I 

 delighted to observe the Lygodimn growing in such profusion, and 

 found a few plants of Pellaea atroptirpurea growing on a sandstone 

 cliff. This to me was of some interest, as heretofore I have always 

 found this plant associated with limestone. 



About fifty feet from this rock, I was fortunate in finding three or 

 four plants of the Adiantinn Capillus^ Veneris, but they were very 

 sickly.Iookmg, and not over four inches in length. This however 

 satisfied me that the fern was in the neighborhood and made me 

 resume my search. The locality already reported for this fern was 



