232 



FERNS. 



The Rev. David R, McCord, in his notes on Canadian ferns gives 

 the locality of A. Tric/iomafies, — Chatham on rocks in large clumps, 

 observed in no other locality in Lower Canada. Since this record, 

 however, it has been found in many places in Canada extending from 

 the Atlantic to the Pacific. 



Green Spleen-wort. — Asplenium viride^ (Huds.) 



This delicate, lovely little fern has beeti found at Owen Sound by 

 Mrs. Roy, and at Gaspe by John Bell, M. D. In general features and 

 habits it seems to differ very little from Asplenium Trichomanes. The 

 chief difference seems to be that the rachis is green instead of black, 

 the pinn?e are ovate, deeply crenated, and the sori are more abundant. 



Narrow-leaved Spleenwort. — Asplenium angustifolium^ (Michx.) 



This handsome fern is found in rich woods ; it is simply pinnate, 

 pinnae two to three inches long, very slightly petioled on the rachis, 

 minutely toothed, narrowly tapering to a point ; texture thin and delicate ; 

 veins straight ; sori numerous but distinct, arranged in slanting lines 

 close to the mid-vein at the base of each vein ; indusia narrow- pointed 

 whitish. Specimens of this beautiful fern were lately sent to me from 

 Ottawa. The pale, thin leaves, almost semi-transparent, are elegantly 

 contrasted with the rich lines of sori slanting from the base and sides of 

 the mid-rib, and are of a bright rufous brown ; the fruit-bearing pinnules 

 are simple, broad at their junction with the rachis, taperiftg to the point, 

 the fertile frond being much longer than the sterile. The whole frond 

 varies in height from one to two feet ; roots black and fibrous. This 

 delicate fern is of a very light green colour, and from the^fineness of its 

 texture early succumbs to frost. Its habitat is shady, damp woods ; in 

 some localities not rare. 



The Hartstongue — Centipede Fern — Scolopendrium vulga?-e, 



(Smith.) 



It is but few who have had the pleasure of seeing this handsome 

 fern growing wild in Canada. Until quite lately, only one locality had 

 been discovered in North America — at Owen Sound — where it was 

 found growing in damp crevices of limestone rocks. The evergreen 

 fronds are very different in appearance from most ferns, being elongated, 

 undivided tongue-shaped leaves, from a few inches in length to two feet. 

 The stipe is generally about one-third of the length of the entire frond. 

 The blade of the frond is in large specimens, about two inches across 

 at the widest part, which is the middle, from which place it tapers to a 

 point at the apex, and narrows towards its base. At the base of the leafy 



