THE BRACKEN 



The picture shows you a branch of a full-grown 

 frond. It is coarse and spreading. The color is a 

 dark, dull green. All fronds are about the same shape. 

 The edges of the spore-bearing ones are bent over to 

 form a covering for the spore cases. When young 

 this covering makes a silvery-white edging on the 

 under side of the frond. As the 

 spores ripen, they push it back 

 and peep out. Then they turn to 

 a deep, rich brown and make the 

 frond look as if it were em- 

 broidered. 



Other names for this plant are 

 brake, umbrella fern, upland, and 

 eagle fern. The last name was 

 probably given because of some- 

 thing eaglelike about the plant. 

 Perhaps it was the clawlike crosiers, 

 or it may have been that the broad fronds looked 

 like an eagle's wings. 



There are many superstitions about the bracken. 

 At one time it was thought to protect one from 

 goblins and witches. In the seventeenth century it 

 was the custom to burn the bracken when rain was 

 needed. 



The bracken is the fern that was supposed to bear 

 the " mystic fern seed." According to the legend, 

 fern seed could be obtained from this plant on mid- 

 31 



Crosiers of the 

 Bracken. 



