HOW FERNS GROW 



ring. When the spores 

 within are nearly ripe the 

 ring becomes dry. This 

 causes a strain that bursts 

 the spore case. The ring 

 straightens out with a 

 jerk, tearing open the 

 spore case and scattering 

 the spores in all direc- 

 tions. The wind often 



The Stalked Spore Case. 1, Closed; 

 2, Open; 3, Scattering the Seeds. 



a, A Spore before it Begins to Grow; 

 b, Opened Spore with Tube Show- 

 ing Cross Partitions and Root-like 

 Hairs; c, Tube with End Flattened 

 into Prothallium ; d, Tube with 

 Prothallium Full Grown. 



17 



carries them great dis- 

 tances. 



When the spores are 

 set free they fall to the 

 ground. If the soil is 

 moist, they will begin 

 to grow in a few days. 

 The brown coat bursts 

 open. A long tube, di- 

 vided into cells by cross 

 partitions, springs from 

 it. Then hairlike roots 

 are seen here and there. 

 These fasten the young 

 plant to the soil. Soon 

 the end of the tube 

 flattens out and forms 



