Ferns of the Moors and Mountains 



at this joint when their time of activity is over, so that 

 the growing extremity of the rootstock is always sur- 

 rounded by the bases of the leafstalks of former seasons. 

 The fronds are once pinnate, the lower pinnae being 

 alternate and divided into roundish segments, which are 

 slightly hairy, especially on the under surface. 



Woodsia is a name given to this fern in honour of 

 J. Woods, an eminent English botanist. Hyperborea, 

 meaning " belonging to the extreme north," is formed 

 from the Greek hyper, "beyond," and Boreas, "the 

 north wind." The reference in the specific name is to 

 the Arctic or semi-Arctic distribution of the fern. 



On the same wet rock we may meet with a fern with 

 a very striking resemblance to the Maidenhair Spleen- 

 wort, Asplenium Trichomanes, described in Chapter III. ; 

 indeed, so remarkable is the resemblance that some 

 botanists hesitate to rank it as a species at all, and con- 

 tent themselves with calling it a variety of the fern 

 which it so much resembles. The fern referred to is 

 the Green Spleenwort, so called because of the very pale 

 green colour of the leaves, the midribs, and the 

 upper parts of the leafstalks. It may be quite 

 easily differentiated from its near relative, the Maiden- 

 hair Spleenwort, by its green midribs and leafstalks. If 

 the searcher be already acquainted with Asplenium 

 TrichomaneSy no further description is required to lead 

 to the identification of this fern. Its scientific name is 

 Asplenium viride. Viride is Latin for "green." 



As we toil slowly upwards to the highest peak of our 

 58 



