THE HARTSTONGUE. 



of which at the back of the frond are arranged 

 in oblique lines the spore-cases, protected by a 

 green cuticle covering them when the frond is 

 young, but bursting this covering in the fall of the 

 year, and revealing the lines of rich, dark-brown 

 seed clusters. The stem of the Hartstongue 

 when young is covered with beautiful white 

 downy-looking hairs or scales, which, as the plant 

 becomes older, assume a brownish tinge ; the stem 

 itself being usually of a dark purplish colour. The 

 fresh, shining green of the Hartstongue is delight- 

 ful to behold. The plant, altogether, beautifully 

 contrasts with the compound forms of the other 

 British Ferns. It is most interesting to study its 

 varying moods in its free wild state. Few of our 

 native Ferns are so enterprising as the Harts- 

 tongue. It will grow even on bare walls in the 

 full sunlight, where it can at the best get little 

 moisture for its roots. In such situations, how- 

 ever, it becomes a tiny thing, rarely exceeding two 

 or three inches in length, and often assuming a 

 yellowish colour from constant exposure. But 

 the favourite haunts of the Hartstongue are the 

 depths of cool woods ; the tops of hedge-banks 



241 



