THE MARSH FERN TRIBE. 



121 



The slender crosiers of this species 

 resemble those of the marsh fern, with 

 blades rolled into similar green balls, 

 but the stipes are much shorter. The 

 mature fronds are very thin and deli- 

 cate, of a light yellow-green colour, 

 and are produced in tufts along a 

 slender creeping rootstock. In shape 

 they are broadly lanceolate, pinnate, 

 and taper from about the middle to the 

 acuminate apex. Below, the pinnae 

 grow farther and farther apart, and 

 are gradually reduced in size until the 

 lowest are mere green ears. The pinnae 

 are lanceolate, acute and pinnatifid, 

 with numerous, narrow, round-ended 

 pinnules. 



The fronds are often finely hairy under- 

 neath and strewn with minute glands. When 

 the foliage is bruised these glands give out a 

 pleasing odour which has been called lemon- 

 like, by one writer and vanilla-like, by others. 

 The fact is, however, that it can hardly be 

 likened to the odour of any other substance. 

 It is the same ferny scent common to numer- 

 ous species but in this one sweet and strong. 

 One of its allies, Aspidium oreopteris, is called 

 sweet-scented fern in England. It is described 

 as having the under surface sprinkled with 

 shining, yellowish, resinous globules, and even 

 the crosiers are fragrant. One of its admirers 

 writes of it, " Few things in nature are more 

 beautiful than a great number of these plants 



NEW YORK FERN. 



A spidiu m Novebora- 



