44 HOW TO KNOW THE FERNS 



part of the fold has a whitish appearance ; 

 finally it turns black. 



The True Maidenhair Fern is more widely 

 distributed than is generally supposed in the 

 South of England and in Ireland. It is a delicate 

 specias, and, generally speaking, is restricted to 

 those parts of the kingdom where the winter 

 is mild. It may be seen growing abundantly 

 on old quarries in Cornwall, as a rule quite out 

 of reach. The Maidenhair Fern is a fairly 

 easy plant to grow in pots, though it likes a 

 moist atmosphere. Curiously enough, it is not 

 so simple a plant to cultivate as some of the 

 exotic species. The True Maidenhair is an 

 evergreen plant. 



Cryptogramme crispus. The generic name of 

 this fern is derived from two Greek words, krup- 

 tos, " hidden," and gramme, " a line," having 

 reference to the fact that when mature the son 

 are arranged in lines round the margins of the 

 fronds. The specific name, crispus, is an apt 

 one, when the crisped or curled appearance of 

 the barren fronds is considered. In some books 

 this species is called Allosorus crispus. The 

 Parsley Fern. 



A very attractive species bearing both barren 

 and fertile fronds. The former in their general 

 appearance certainly bear a resemblance to 

 Parsley. The Parsley Fern has a thick root- 

 stock from which the fronds grow up in tufts. 

 The barren fronds, which will be considered 

 first, grow to the height of about six to nine 

 inches. The stipes is somewhat longer than 

 the rachis, and it is of a whity-green colour. 

 The outline of the barren frond is roughly tri- 

 angular, the apex of the leaf being rather blunt. 

 The pinnae are placed alternately on either side 

 of the main stem, and these bear pinnules which 



