THE LADY FERN AND ITS KIN. 183 



Aspleniums. It is a nice question to decide whether or 

 not the position and behavior of the indusium entitle 

 this fern to be put in a separate genus. 



The name of lady fern is of very ancient origin, going 

 back to the time when this was supposed to be the spe- 

 cies which bore the " mystic fern seed," so valued for its 

 reputed power to render its possessor invisible. In those 

 days it was not lady fern, but female fern, the male fern 

 being Aspidium filix-mas. The original female fern was 

 the bracken, but when the name was transferred to this 

 fern, many of the miraculous powers ascribed to the 

 bracken seem to have come with it. Some curious stories 



A woodland form. 



are told of this wonderful fern seed. In one, a man, 

 passing through a wood when the seed was ripe, got 

 some into his shoes without knowing it, which of course 

 rendered him invisible. Reaching home he entered, but 

 his presence was not noticed. When he spoke, the family 

 were startled at the sound of his voice and supposed him 

 to be hiding. At length, hearing him walking about the 

 room, they thought of the fern seed, and calling to him 

 to take off his shoes, he did so, and became visible again. 

 In Russia, in addition to its other virtues, fern seed was 

 supposed to confer second sight. It is related that a 

 man went out to search for his cattle, when some fern 

 seed fell into his shoes. He at once knew where his cattle 

 were and discovered a buried treasure besides. Going 



