Wayside, Seaside, and Rock Ferns 



and on an average less than -| inch long. The edges of 

 the pinnae are often bluntly toothed or crenate. Thus 

 we see that, like the Wall-rue, this fern exhibits the 

 reduced leaflets so necessary for a plant whose water- 

 supply is often very insufficient. The leafstalks, which 

 are very numerous and highly polished, are of a deep 

 chestnut-brown above with a blacker tint below. They 

 do not decay when the pinnae die off, and consequently 

 an old fern of this species has often a very untidy 

 appearance. These leafless and dark-coloured stalks 

 suggested to our fanciful ancestors the name " maiden- 

 hair." They seemed to see in them some resemblance 

 to a maiden's tresses. 



The rootstock, which appears rather stout for so 

 fragile-looking a fern, creeps a little and bears a few 

 blackish awl-shaped scales. The sori, on the back of 

 the leafy fronds, are similar to those of the Wall-rue, 

 proving this fern is an Asplenium. Its full botanical 

 name is Asplenium Trichomanes. The exact derivation 

 of Trichomanes is unknown. One suggestion is that 

 the word is formed from two Greek words signifying 

 " hair " and " excess." According to this etymology, 

 the reference in the name is to the hairlike leaf- 

 stalks. 



While the last two ferns are fairly well distributed 

 throughout Britain, the next two, to be more shortly 

 described, are rare, and we may never have the 

 opportunity of actually collecting them. But our 

 wall is a very prolific one, aud we may in imagination 

 24 



