XXIX. Ferns and Mosses 



In the average Eastern region there are about fifty species 

 of fairly abundant ferns and fern " allies " (ex. scouring rush) . 

 Some of these are tough, durable " weeds," ex. bracken and 

 sensitive fern; the majority are shade and moisture-loving 

 woodland dwellers; a few are markedly localized in their 

 habitats. Because of their size the ferns are the most satis- 

 factory of the spore-plants for elementary study. On the 

 fertile fronds the spores are produced in great abundance. 

 These spores do the same work as do seeds, but are quite un- 

 like seeds in structure, a spore is one-celled; a seed is made 

 up of numerous many-celled tissues, and contains an embryonic 

 plant. Both seed and spore contain a quantity of food ready 

 for the new plant. 



The fern spore germinates and develops, not directly into 

 a fern plant but into a minute prothallus. This is the first 

 generation. The offspring of the prothallus is the leafy fern 

 plant. Each generation in the fern life-cycle is like its grand- 

 parents, and not like its parents, thus spore, prothallus, 

 leafy plant, spore, etc. Like many woodland flowers, ferns 

 are easily exterminated. Public sentiment needs strengthening 

 and direction in this matter. The pure beauty of a fern 

 foliage merits adequate protection. 



Mosses are among the most widely distributed of land 

 plants; they occur in all regions, even in the crowded parts of 

 the cities, yet the majority of people are quite ignorant of 

 their structure or their life-cycles. Mosses usually grow in 

 tufts or cushions, so that one sees the moss clump as a whole, 

 rather than the individual plants. It is a relatively simple 

 matter to isolate a single plant and to observe its parts. Al- 

 though small, they are not microscopic, and a simple lens is ade- 

 quate for elementary study. To observe the details of the 

 spore-capsule mechanism, a compound microscope is neces- 



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