THE MAIDEN-HAIR FERN. 



A dia n t u ui pe da tuin L . 



PRELIMINARY. 



THE maiden-hair fern is abundant in dark rich woods 

 throughout the eastern part of the United States, and 

 occurs to a considerable extent west of the Rocky 

 Mountains. It may be recognized with certainty by the 

 forking of the polished purple leaf-stalk into two equal 

 recurved branches, which give rise to a number of 

 straight branches upon one side, bearing the oblong 

 leaflets. On the back of the leaflets, along their mar- 

 gins, are born the crescent-shaped fruit dots. 



Underground stems and roots (together popularly 

 called roots), and leaves, including the leaf-stalks, should 

 be collected when the fruit dots assume a yellowish 

 brown hue, which is usually about the middle or latter 

 part of August. The roots should be taken up with 

 care and the dirt shaken from them gently to avoid 

 tearing off the root-hairs and root tips, and the clean- 

 ing completed with water. Part of the leaves and all 

 of the stems and roots should be preserved in alcohol, 

 the remainder of the leaves by drying between news- 

 papers or in a plant press. 



The prothallia of Adiantum are less known popu- 

 larly. They are flat, roundish, green bodies, two 

 to five millimeters ( l / lt to l / B inch) in diameter, 



