The Alternate-leaved Spleenwort 



see them growing in company with the Wall-rue and 

 the Maidenhair Spleenwort. 



The first is the Alternate-leaved Spleenwort. At 

 a first glance this fern might be considered an excep- 

 tional form of the Wall-rue, but botanists now agree 

 that it is a distinct species. 



The frond is simply pinnate, with the pinnae arranged 

 in an alternate manner on the leafstalk. Each pinna 

 is wedge-shaped, with the broad end cut into toothed 

 lobes, or segments, which are more prominent on the 

 lower than on the upper pinnae. The erect fronds 

 which grow in tufts are almost evergreen, and are 

 rather thick in texture. The average height of the 

 frond, including the leafstalk, is about 4 or 5 inches. 



Asplenium germanicum is the botanical name of this 

 fern. Some writers attempt to account for the specific 

 name on the ground that it is a favourite fern in 

 Germany, while others are of the opinion that the 

 name merely points to the relationship between this 

 fern and certain other members of the same genus. If 

 the latter interpretation is the correct one, it would appear 

 that the word is akin to the English word " german," 

 in such compounds as " cousins-german," etc. 



The second of the rare rock or wall Spleenworts 

 is the Forked Spleenwort, a very small evergreen fern 

 with fronds of a leathery texture. The tiny erect 

 frond, the leafy part of which is seldom more than 

 2 inches long, is cut into narrow alternate segments, 

 with well-marked teeth at the tip. Though one of 



B.F. 25 4 



