THE FERNS OF HEMLOCK BLUFF. j^s 



being rendered possible by the effects of slope exposure. It ends 

 now on the Virginia side just above Washington, but crops out in 

 special situations farther down the river, and for a few species in 

 even more eastern stations. 



As might be expected^from this, fern life is abundant on and 

 about these rocky bluffs and in these cool, moist and densely shaded 

 retreats. For several species only a few localities are known, but the 

 majority occur in abundance and often in magnificent luxuriance. 



The best of these bluffs that the writer has visited, and one of 

 the most inaccessable, and from a fern point of view the most inter- 

 esting, is situated about eleven miles from Washington and west of 

 the mouth of Scott Run. The bluff is densely wooded, the most 

 striking and abundant species being the Hemlock [Tsiiga Canadensis), 

 little seedlings a few inches high, to stately trees 60 or 70 feet in 

 height and 1 8 to 24 inches in diameter, occurring wherever the rocks 

 form much of the surface of the ground. The size of these trees is 

 evidently limited by this rocky character of the ground, for all of the 

 largest are dead, while often the rocks are excessively broken up by 

 the power of their roots. Even in summer these trees give a strong 

 mountainous tinge to the landscape, and which is greatly intensified 

 in winter. The mouth of Scott Run is a minature canyon with a 

 beautiful waterfall and rocky pool near where it joins the river, and 

 with its rocky banks and bowlder strewn bed fringed with the grace- 

 ful foliage of the hemlock and banks of ferns. The bluff is three 

 quarters of a mile long and its highest point is over 200 feet above 

 the river and about double this distance from its shore. Its western 

 half is broken by numerous rocky cliffs and ledges, down many of 

 which trickles considerable moisture which supports a most luxuriant 

 growth of ferns and other moisture-loving plant life. Much of the 

 eastern half is less rocky and more sloping, and its lower portion 

 along high water line is occupied by sandy mud left by the high 

 waters and ice, which is often driven well in among the trees. In the 

 summer these sandy banks are bordered on the river side by the 

 rocky and bushy margin of the river bed. Twenty-three species of 

 ferns were here noticed on the afternoon of August i, 1897, many of 

 them in abundance. 



The tops of many of the rocks are covered with the crowded 

 fronds of Polypodinvi -oulgarc, and with them, but usually in the 

 larger crevices and about the lower rocky slopes, occur Dryopteris 

 inarginalc, often of most stately growth. On the highest portions of 

 the bluffs above the rocks Pteris aqnilina is common among the trees 

 and especially on the southern slopes, and Dryopteris Noveboracensis 

 is not uncommon in moister situations. Adiantnm pedatuni is found 



