THE POLYPODIES. 189 



are somewhat narrow and lance-shaped, being termi- 

 nated in a bluntish point. The entire frond, like 

 its leaflets, tapers to a point, the leaflets becoming 

 shorter and shorter to admit of this arrangement. 

 The frond, in fact, has somewhat the appearance of 

 a rough double-toothed comb. Under shelter, the 

 Polypody is evergreen, its delightful fronds remain- 

 ing fresh and vigorous throughout the winter, and 

 until a new crop has been supplied from the rhizo- 

 mes in the succeeding spring. At the back, and on 

 the upper portion of the frond, are the spores, in 

 little round patches, unprotected by any covering. 

 These, in the autumn, assume the beautiful ap- 

 pearance of little heaps of gold-dust, so richly 

 coloured are they. 



Essentially a forest fern is the Common Poly- 

 pody, waving its delightful fronds aloft in the tree 

 forks. But it has also wonderful powers of domes- 

 tication. No fern is so plentifully vended in the 

 London streets as our Polypody ; for Epping 

 Forest that delightful strip of greenwood fur- 

 nishes the plant in thousands. In beautiful Devon- 

 shire it grows not only on garden walls, but on the 



