THE EBONY SPLEENWORT 



ways grow in doiil:)le rows on each leaflet, some distance 

 from the edge. When young they have a white covering, 

 which soon withers 

 away. Then the spore 

 cases spread out and 

 cover most of the un- 

 der side of the frond. 



The ebony spleen- 

 wort takes its name 

 from its dark, shin- 

 ing stem. It is some- 

 times called the 

 screw fern. This is 

 because the spore- 

 bearing leaflets grow 

 upon the stem in such 

 a way that they look 

 like the threads on a 

 screw. You cannot 

 see this very well in 

 the picture. It may 

 be easily noticed in a 

 growing plant. 



This fern is found in the United States as far west- 

 ward as Colorado. The plant from w^hich the picture 

 was made came from the fields of Long Island. 



The Ebony Spleeuwort. 



37 



