THE OSMUNDAS 



namon fern begin to appear in wet ground. The 

 spore-bearing fronds are seen first, but before they are 

 full grown the other fronds spring up and grow so 

 fast that they are soon taller than the earlier ones. 

 These two sets of fronds grow in separate circles. 

 The fruit - bearing 

 ones form the outer 

 circle, but during 

 their growth the 

 others bend out- 

 ward, so that when 

 full grown those 

 with spores appear 

 to be growing in 

 the inner circle. 



The fruiting 

 fronds are stiff and 

 clublike, as seen in 

 the picture. At 

 first they are bright 



green. In the latter part of May they begin to turn 

 to the cinnamon brown which gives this fern its name. 

 The spores are now ripe and a touch sets them free. 

 The fronds then wither and die. The other leaves re- 

 main green during the summicr. 



The thrush and the brown thrasher like to build 

 their nests in the center of these great ferns. 



Though an early riser in the spring, the cinnamon 



41 



The Cinnamon Fern. 



