88 THE CLIFF BRAKES. 



ity is known for it, namely near Durham, Gray county, 

 Ontario. 



This species grows in the crevices of rocks in moun- 

 tainous districts. The rootstock is rather small, and the 

 wiry, purple-brown stipes, several times longer than the 

 blades, are densely tufted. The blades are ovate-tri- 

 angular in outline, pinnate at the summit and often four 

 times pinnate at the base. So great is its tendency to 

 fruit that sterile fronds are seldom seen. When they do 

 occur, the pinnules are somewhat broader than those of 

 the fertile fronds and are sharply serrate. In fruit the 

 narrow pinnules are recurved over the sori in such a 

 manner as to have the appearance of sharp-pointed, 

 linear, half-open pods. They vary in length from a quar- 

 ter to half an inch and are placed very closely together. 



There are upwards of fifty species of Pellcea. The ma- 

 jority are inhabitants of warm regions. In California 

 and the Southwest, there are about a dozen species, all 

 found in rocky places. Some grow exposed to the full 

 sun and during drouth curl up and become dry and 

 brittle. When rain comes again the apparently dead 

 fronds unfurl and take up vigorous life once more. The 

 generic name is from the Greek and means dusky, in 

 allusion to the stipes of most species. 



