THE FERN PARADISE. 



vance does not interfere with its horizontal pro- 

 gress it throws up at short intervals its beautiful 

 fronds, which first find their way above ground in 

 spring, the time varying with the earliness or late- 

 ness of the season. The creeping roots of the 

 Bracken are chiefly thick, varying from the thick- 

 ness of an ordinary lead pencil to that of the 

 little finger of the hand ; and the rootlets or 

 fibrous roots of this Fern are few in number. 

 We may appropriately adopt, from botanical 

 phraseology, a name for the thick creeping root 

 of the Bracken, especially as w^e shall have occa- 

 sion to use it when speaking of other Ferns with 

 similar roots. There is the less objection to 

 the use of this name, because it is simple and 

 euphonious. We shall, then, style the creeping 

 root of the Bracken the rbizoma. From the sub- 

 terranean, succulent, blackish -coloured rhizoma 

 start the incipient fronds, which, when they 

 break the earth, have the appearance of little 

 hoary, hairy buds, that unfold and develope into 

 the perfect frond. 



The fronds of the Bracken stem and leaf 

 together rise to all heights ; from sometimes 



232 



