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CHEILANTHES AND MAIDENHAIR. 



"The Venus-hair Fern. 



The Venus-hair fern (Adiantum Capillus-Veneris) encir- 

 cles the world in the Tropics and in both Hemispheres 

 spreads toward the Poles as far as it finds suitable dwell- 

 ing places. In the Old World it extends to Great 

 Britain and in North America to Virginia, Kentucky, Mis- 

 souri, Utah and California. It de- 

 lights in moist and sheltered situa- 

 tions and in the northern parts of its 

 range should be looked for in ra- 

 vines. 



It may be distinguished from the 

 common maidenhair by its dark, 

 wiry undivided rachis and fan- 

 shaped, drooping pinnules on ex- 

 ceedingly slender black stalks. The 

 rachis gives off alternate branches 

 and the pinnules are also arranged 

 alternately. The blade is usually 

 twice pinnate below and simply pin- 

 nate above and the pinnules are not 

 one sided as in many species of Adi- 

 antum. Their outer edges are 

 rounded, rather deeply notched and 

 serrate. There is great variation 

 in the form of both pinnules and 

 fronds. When the pinnules die, they 

 drop from the rachis which remains erect for some time 

 longer. Nearly every frond is fertile. The sori scarcely 

 differ from those of A. pedatum. Specimens have been 

 reported in which the spores gave rise to young plants 

 while still on the frond. 



VENUS-HAIR FERN. 

 Adiantum Capillus-Veneris. 



