LADY FERN AND SPLEENWORTS 81 



The son are narrow, and when young are 

 covered with an indusium. It is said that 

 even when ripe the sporangia hardly ever spread 

 over the entire surface of the pinnae, as is to be 

 seen in the case of the Maidenhair Spleenwort. 



The Green Spleenwort is a much rarer species 

 than the Maidenhair Spleenwort. It grows 

 in wild and often mountainous situations in 

 various parts of the United Kingdom. As 



Aspleniutn virile. The Green Spleenwort. 



has already been indicated, it likes rather 

 damp situations, and is to be seen at its best 

 in moist places. The Green Spleenwort is 

 rather a difficult plant to grow in the garden, 

 and it is happiest of all in a humid greenhouse 

 unless, of course, a very favourable situation 

 can be found out of doors. The fronds of the 

 Green Spleenwort generally last through the 

 winter. 



Scolopendrium vulgare. In this case the 

 6 



