150 THE FLOWERING PLANT. 
rolled up in the shape of a crozier. Male fern leaves are pinnate, 
and if examined in late summer or early autumn a number of 
small brown patches will be seen on their backs in the course 
of the forked veins. Each patch is a sorus, and consists of a 
Fic. 63.—The Fern, various scales. A. Male-fern rhizome; 7, 7, 7, roots; U’. current 
year’s leaf beginning to unfold; 7’. remains of two last year’s leaves; further 
back are seen the stumps of still older leaves. B. Part of male-fern pinna, showing 
sori on back. C. Ditto of bracken. D. and E. Transverse and longitudinal sections 
of bracken rhizome; se and sc’. external and internal sclerenchyma; v.b. vascular 
bundles ; g.t. ground tissue. F. Part of bracken rhizome; g.p. growing point; r. 
roots arising from rhizome ; 7”. ditto arising from base of leaf-stalk; 7. bud which 
will become a next year’s leaf; 7’. a current year’s leaf just appearing above the 
surface of the ground (which is indicated by a horizontal line); 7’. remains of a last 
year’s leaf; bd. a bud on the leaf-stalk. G. Part of F. enlarged, letters as before. 
H. Transverse section of male-fern rhizome; p. pith; co. cortex; v.b. vascular 
bundles ; sc. sclerenchyma. 
number of little spore-cases or sporangia, protected by a stalked 
flap, the zndusiwm. In bracken the sori are placed along the 
edges of the pinnules, and there is no proper indusium, but the 
margins of the pinnules curl over the sporangia, and form what 
has been called a “ false” indusium, 
