HAUNTS AND HABITS OF FERNS. 5 



So, while moisture, warmth, and shade in abundance are the 

 climatic conditions essential to promote luxuriant fern growth, 

 it can and does continue when any or all these conditions are 

 reduced to a minimum. 



1 1 . Ferns may then be sought in any of the following situa- 

 tions, and it will be seen that each situation has its charac- 

 teristic species : 



A. Wet swamps or marshes with or without abundant shade. 



B. Rich woods, more or less moist. 



C. Uncultivated open places and dry hillsides. 



D. Moist, rocky ravines or rocky places not subject to sum- 

 mer drought. 



E. Exposed rocky cliffs. 



F. Standing water. 



G. Growing on other plants. (Epiphytic.) 



1 2. In the first location mentioned above, we may find the 

 chain-ferns ( Woodwardia), many of the spleenworts (Asplenium), 

 a few of the shield-ferns (Aspidiuni), the flowering-ferns (Osmun- 

 dd), as well as the genera Acrostichum, Onoclea, etc. These in- 

 clude some of our largest and coarsest ferns. A few more deli- 

 cate in structure are also found here, notably the dainty Phegop- 

 teris dryopt$ris. 



1 3. In the second we find a few spleenworts, most of the 

 shield-ferns, the beech-ferns (Phegoptcris) t most of the grape- 

 ferns (Botrychiuiri), the maidenhair (Adiantunf), the Dicksonia, 

 and some others. In this situation we find the finest develop- 

 ment of foliage and the greatest artistic finish among all the ferns. 



14. In uncultivated places and on rocky hillsides we often 

 find the common bracken or brake (Pteris aquilina), and the 

 lady-fern (Asplenium filtx-fcemina\ though these are by no 

 means confined to these locations, the latter growing quite fre- 

 quently in moist woods, and even in cold, wet swamps. Many 

 other ferns are found occasionally in openings of the forest or 

 recent clearings, where they maintain a sickly existence, some- 

 times for a series of years. In such locations ferns often be- 

 come contracted and abnormal in growth, and take on a faded 

 yellow hue from their exposure to the open sunshine. 



1 5. In moist ravines and on rocky banks the bladder-ferns 

 (Cystopteris) may be found, with the peculiar walking-leaf 



