FERN FAMILY. 37 



ii. ADIANTUM L,. Sp. PI. 1094. 1753- 



Graceful ferns of rocky hillsides, woods and ravines, with much divided leave* and short 

 marginal sori borne on the under side of the reflexed and altered portion of the pinnule 

 which serves as an indusium. Stipes and branches of the leaves very slender or filiform, 

 polished and shining. Sporanges borne at the ends of free forking veins, provided with a 

 vertical ring which bursts transversely. [Name ancient.] 



A genus of 80 or 90 species, mostly of tropical America, 

 in Florida, one in Texas and one in California. 



Leaves 2-^pinnate, ovate-lanceolate in outline. 

 Leaves dichotomously forked with pinnate branches. 



Besides the following another occurs 



i .It 'iif<illii i / , 

 2. A. f>itliltnni 



i. Adiantum Capillus-Veneris L. Venus-hair Fern. < Fig. 59.) 



Adiantum Capilliis-1'eneris L- Sp. PI. 1096. 



1753- 



Rootstock creeping, rather slender, chaffy 

 with light-brown scales. Stipes very slender, 

 black, or nearly so and shining, 3 / -o/ long ; 

 leaves ovate-lanceolate in outline, 2 pinnate 

 below, simply pinnate above, membranous, 

 commonly drooping, 6 / -2 long, 4 / -ia / wide 

 at the base ; pinnules and upper pinnae 

 wedge-obovate or rhomboid, rather long- 

 stalked, glabrous, the upper margin rounded 

 and more or less incised, crenate or dentate- 

 serrate, except where it is recurved to form 

 the indusia ; main and secondary rachises 

 and stalks of the pinnules black or dark 

 brown like the stipe. 



In ravines, Virginia to Florida, west to Mis- 

 souri, Utah and California. Ascends to 1300 ft. 

 in Kentucky. Also in tropical America, and 

 widely distributed in the warmer parts of the 

 Old World. June-Aug. 



2. Adiantum pedatum L,. Maiden-hair Fern. (Fig. 60.) 



Adiantum pedatum L. Sp I'l. 1095. 



Rootstock slender, creeping, chaffy, root- 

 ing along its whole length. Stipes 9'-l& / 

 long, dark chestnut-brown, polished and 

 shining, dichotomously forked at the Sam- 

 mi!; leaves obliquely orbicular in outline. 

 8'-i8' broad, membranous, the pinnae 

 arising from the upper sides of the two 

 branches of the stipe, somewhat radiatrly 

 arranged, the larger ones 6'-io' lonv 

 wide; pinnules oblong, trianguUr-obloBf. 

 or the terminal one fan-shaped, short-stalked, 

 the lower margin entire and slightly . 

 the upper margin cleft, lobcd or dentate, 

 bearing the linear-oblong, often short sori. 



* v 



In w<Mx* 



south to G< '"* * 



Mountain- to It.ili and U> ( 

 to 5000 ft. in Viiy- nAlaskasad 



ern Asia. July-Sept. 



