FEENS 



When the leaves grow out of the root-stock, they are rolled up, 

 the very delicate parts of the young leaf-blade being inside and the 

 strong and hairy leaf- 

 stalk outside. When 

 the latter unrolls it- 

 self, it first pushes a- 

 side the leaf-mould that 

 may lie over it, and 

 then gradually spreads 

 its soft and thin blade 

 to the light. A pecu- 

 liarity of the fronds of 

 this plant is that they 

 end in a long tail which 

 bends down, seeking 

 the ground, and strikes 

 root to produce a new 

 young plant at its tip 

 (fig. 165). 



3. Reproductive Or- 

 gans. — The leaves, de- 

 veloped at the end of 

 the monsoon, have 

 small growths on the 

 margin of the lower 

 side of the leaflets 

 (fig. 166). They are 

 green at first, but soonbe come brown and then look like withered 



Fia- 



165. — Creeping- Maidenhair Fern {Adiaulum 

 caudalnm). 



Fig. 167. — Section through the 

 Fig. 1G6. -Pinna of fruit-cluster of Adiantum showing 



Adiantum with fruit-clusters. the spore-capsules. 



fringes. If we examine these growths, we find in them clusters 



