THE OSMUNDAS. 33 



America. Across the sea it is regarded as their hand- 

 somest species and Withering alludes to it as the 

 " flower-crowned prince of British ferns." We who have 

 the ostrich fern, the Dicksonia and the cinnamon fern 

 may not be willing to accord the palm to this species 

 although it cannot be denied that it is a beautiful object 

 when growing in suitable situations with room for its 

 fronds to develop. The name of water fern, sometimes 

 applied to it, indicates its fondness for moist situations. 

 It loves to stand in shallow water and will generally be 

 found in places too wet for its kin. 



The rootstock is frequently erect and, although it 

 seldom rises more than a foot above the surface, has 

 gained for the plant the name of tree-fern in some local- 

 ities. As the uncoiling fronds begin to rise from the 

 watery earth, the cobwebby wool that invested the cro- 

 siers falls away in patches, revealing the glaucous wine- 

 coloured stipes with their burden of pink or ochre 

 pinnae. As these expand, the bright green spore-cases 

 may be seen for some time before the uncoiling has 

 reached them, peeping through the sterile pinnae which 

 clasp them like chubby hands. 



Full grown fronds often reach a height of six feet and 

 even taller specimens are recorded from England. These 

 great cool-green, twice pinnate fronds have little re- 

 semblance to those of the other Osmundas, or for that 

 matter to any other of our native species. The stout 

 shining stipe continues through the blade as the rachis, 

 giving off at intervals from five to nine pairs of opposite 

 branches. These in turn bear six or more pairs of ob- 

 long pinnules with finely serrate margins and heart- 

 shaped or oblique bases. The pinnules are usually 

 slightly stalked and those on one side of the midrib 



