206 IN LOWER FLORIDA WILDS 



maidenhair which droop over the pools with won- 

 derful grace. There are also a fine holly fern; 

 several strap ferns on the decaying logs, grass and 

 serpent ferns on the cabbage palmettos and the 

 resurrection fern that clothes the leaning trunks 

 and branches of the live oaks* But the real glory 

 of the hammock is the two species of Nephrolepis, 

 one being the well-known "Boston" fern. These 

 are often found on trees, especially the palmetto, 

 but they also grow over the floor of the forest form- 

 ing masses higher than a man's head and some- 

 times so dense that one may walk over them. 

 The fronds of one of these measured over twenty- 

 seven feet in length! 



In many places young hammock grows on ground 

 so rocky that the trees cannot obtain a secure foot- 

 hold, hence they are often overthrown by storms. 

 Some of them seem to be but little inconvenienced 

 by this. The sound roots continue to act as before 

 while the prostrate trunk sends up new growth. 

 The next storm may again overturn the whole affair 

 and the process of growth is again readjusted. I 

 have seen live oaks that have been overthrown four 

 times, the trunks being split and twisted half way 

 around, yet no apparent damage had resulted. 



