BRITISH PERNS. 



CHAPTEK L 



POPULARITY OF FERNS STRUCTURE STEMS ! CAUDEX, RHIZOME 

 FRONDS VENATION FRUCTIFICATION. 



THE native Ferns of Great Britain have undoubtedly become 

 attractive objects of inquiry and of study, amongst those 

 who take interest in natural objects. Among the many 

 causes which may have conduced to bring about this result, 

 probably the most active is this, that these plants are for the 

 most part objects of exquisite elegance. This fact is, indeed, 

 apparent, whether they are superficially examined as to 

 their external appearance, or whether they are investigated 

 with the view to analyse their minute structure. Then, 

 again, they have become fashionable ; and they are, more- 

 over, neither very numerous, nor very inaccessible, and con- 

 sequently their study opens a field which even those who 

 have not much leisure may hope to compass, and for which 

 the greater part, at least, of the materials may be obtained 

 without much difficulty. To these inducements, it may be 

 added, that they are plants for the most part very easily 

 cultivated, and of all others perhaps the best adapted to 

 parlour or window culture. Hence it follows that, besides 

 the interest that may arise in the collection and preservation 

 of the British Ferns in the herbarium, and in the study of 

 them in the dried state, there is to be added the pleasure to 

 be derived from their cultivation, and the opportunities 

 thereby afforded of studying and admiring them in the 

 living state. Those who desire a thorough knowledge of 

 them should certainly, if possible, adopt the latter method 

 of study, as it reveals many curious and interesting features 

 which are not to be learned from the most patient investi- 

 gations, which are carried on by the aid of the dried plants 

 alone. Notwithstanding, however, the advantage of study- 

 ing the plants in the living state, it is to be borne in mind, 



