THE LAND OF FERNS 



THE H\BITATS AND DISTRIBUTION OF THE FEENWORTS OF 



FLORIDA 



By John K. Small, 

 Plates 24-28 



Florida has been called the "land of flowers." Even more prop- 

 erly could it he called "the land of ferns." While its pinelands and 

 prairies are themselves not without their own peculiar species, its 

 woods, hammocks, marshes, swamps, and .sand-dunes, so abound in 

 fern plants, often in such remarkable luxuriance, that Florida be- 

 comes the Fern State, par excellence, among all the States of the 

 Union. 



The pinelands 1 are the forests of pine trees, apparently the perma- 

 nent tree covering replacing the broad-leaved growth or hammocks of 

 former ages, at least in some parts of the state. 



The prairies- are flat, more or less extensive, usually damp, treeless 

 areas, mostly in the peninsula. 



The woods^ are the broad-leaved forests, usually in the hilly or 

 rolling parts, especially of northern Florida. 



The hammocks^ are dense growths of broad-leaved trees, in a pine- 

 forest or on a prairie, mostly in peninsular Florida. The use of this 

 word is confined to Florida and adjacent States. It was formerly con- 

 fused with the word hummock. The word is probably of Indian 

 origin. Lime-sinks which are usually conspicuous ferneries, are com- 

 monly in hammocks, and are included here. 



The marshes 5 are wet prairies. They are common throughout the 

 peninsula. Depressions in the prairies often form ponds. 



The swamps*^ are wet woods. They are common throughout the 

 state and are often along or near streams. 



The sand-dunes''' are undulating or hilly areas of siliceous or cal- 



' Their characteristic fernwort genera are few: Anemia, Pijcnadoria, Pteris, Sphe- 

 noineris, Lycopodium, Selaginellu. 



^ Their characteristic genera are few: Blechnum, Onoclea, Lycopodium. 



^ Their characteristic genera are few: Botryehium, Ophioglossum, Lygodium, Pteris, Adian- 

 tutn, AspJenium, Athyrium. Dryopteris, Polystichum, Selaginella. 



■• Their characteristic genera are numerous: OphiogUisnum, Cheiroglossa, Trichomanes, 

 Actinostachys, Stenochlaena, Polypodium, Phlebodium, Oampyloneurum, Phymatodes, Tit- 

 taria, Paltonium, Adinntum, Hypolepis, Cheilanthes, Asplenium, Tectaria, Dryopteris, Nephro- 

 lepis, Selaginella, Psilotum. 



^5 Their characteristic genera are several: Osmunda, Ceratopteris, Aerostichum, Blech- 

 num, Anchistea, Lorinsrriu, Dryopteris, Azollu, Lycopodium, Selaginella, Isoetes. 



"Their characteristic genera are: Osmunda, Actinostachys, Aerostichum, Anchistea, 

 Lorinseria, Blechnum, Dryopteris, 3teniscit<m, Nephrolepis, Onoclea, Lycopodium, Sela- 

 ginella, . Psilotum. 



'Their characteristic genera are few: Pteris, Cheilanthes, Selaginella. 



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