90 THE BOOK OF NATURE STUDY 



transplanted and cultivated in gardens than any other fern, and 

 will grow quite well in any kind of soil. Its hardiness is due 

 largely to its very effective protection of the young leaves, by 

 the scaly covering, and to the food stored in the fleshy stem. 



The Lady Fern (Asplenium Filix-fcemina) has the same general 

 form as the male fern, but is a more delicate plant, and grows 

 most luxuriantly in damp and shady woods. Like the male 

 fern, it is very easily grown both outdoors and in pots. The 

 scales covering the young parts of the stem, the young leaves, 

 and the bases of the mature leaves are dark brown ; the spore- 

 masses are small, black when ripe, and covered by a scale which 

 is curved like that of male fern, but attached at one side of the 

 spore-mass instead of in the middle. The leaf is thin and brittle ; 

 each primary leaflet has numerous closely-set toothed divisions. 



The lady fern belongs to the Spleenworts, which vary 

 greatly in the form of the leaves and in their habitats, but are 

 distinguished by having the protective scale inserted along one 

 side of the spore-mass. The spleenworts grow chiefly on rocks 

 and walls, their long wiry roots penetrating narrow crevices and 

 minute crannies in such a way as to make it difficult to root the 

 plant whole out of its place. As might be expected from this 

 mode of life, the spleenworts are hardy plants with firm leathery, 

 evergreen leaves, agreeing in these respects with other ferns 

 (e.g., polypody) which grow on walls and rocks, and are exposed 

 to sun and wind and a precarious supply of moisture. The 

 commoner spleenworts are easily recognised. The form of the 

 leaf corresponds roughly with the habitat of the species ; at one 

 end we have the scaly spleenwort, which has its leaves very 

 slightly divided, and is the most thoroughly xerophilous species, 

 i.e. the one best adapted to live in dry places, and at the 

 other the delicate lady fern with its much -divided feathery 

 leaves. . 



The Scaly Spleenwort or " Stone Fern " (Asplenium Ceteracti) 

 is easily known by the dense covering of reddish-brown scales 

 on the under side of the frond, which has a short stalk and numer- 

 ous oval lobes on either side, the divisions not reaching to the 

 midrib. The upper side is deep green, but in dry weather the 

 lobes curl over and the whole leaf rolls up, so that the plant 



