The Sea Spleenwort 



generic name is Adiantum^ have the peculiarity of 

 remaining dry when exposed to the rain. Nigrum 

 means "black," and its application to this fern, with its 

 blackish leafstalks, is readily apparent. 



Let us now quit the highway, and examine the rocky 

 caves by the seashore. Here we find the Sea Spleen- 

 wort, which seldom grows far from the neighbourhood 

 of the sea. In the deepest recesses of the cave gener- 

 ally, though often in more exposed parts, we find it 

 either growing erect on the ledges of rock, or hanging 

 its deep green glossy fronds from the roof of the cave. 

 The thick leathery fronds, which are simply pinnate, 

 vary from 3 inches to i foot in length. Each pinna, 

 which is about I inch long, is roughly oblong, rounded 

 or acute at the tip, wedge-shaped at the base, lobed or 

 toothed, and marked by an ear-shaped enlargement on 

 the side nearest the tip of the frond. Between each of 

 the lower pinnae the rachis is winged, but towards the 

 tip of the frond the upper pinnae run together. The 

 leafstalks are strong, reddish-brown below, and glossy. 

 Purplish-brown scales clothe the thick rootstocks, which 

 are extremely difficult to dislodge from the crevices in 

 which they grow. 



The linear rust- coloured sori are large and easily 

 made out, and the indusia are tougher than usual. The 

 popular name Sea Spleenwort is simply a translation of 

 As-plemum marinum, the name by which this fern is 

 known to botanists. 



Another fern, though a very rare one, we may chance 



