KKMN-Kl.onA OK «\\AI>A. 



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pliiDt, IIS Ni'cii ill I'liitiniii' (i.iidi'iH, liiiviii^' ii|)|iarciitly a riioif rl uiKMlnl uuil 

 i*1«*viiIimI coi'iii lliiiii ours), yt-l tlii^ CMnii )lill'i'i-H fiDiu llic trun airial stfiii of tnio 

 IvriiM, not only in its parlially siil)t«'i'riui<Mn <-liar!i<t«>t', sli^'lit clon^ itioti, iin<l 

 liniitc'l i-niliinin)')', Ixit uIho in st>nilini4 foitli iMilialiii;^ li<iti/.unial runners, iMi'lin^ 

 in ImkIs or yoiin^ cornis, wliiili hcconic new plants, t litis Ki^'i"K -^ liitcial niotli' of 

 |iro|tagation or incr«'iisM. Wi- l.avr no trim Iri-c fmis in ('anu'la to wliosn hIimiih 

 tlio Icriii i'aii*l<>x can Im' {iropcrly iipiiliiMJ, and in il*. scribing our i'\!rns llii.'t puit 

 is <'all<'il lilt' Hlii::niiii\ 



Ditterent kinds of Rhizomes. 



In our Caiiailian ffins tin' Ht«un is usually |»io.str.it«s often unilcri^roiunl, or iit 

 tlni Murfacc! and covisrod l>y iiiohs or Iicrltaj^n-, or hid in tin' cri'vicos of roi-ks, tlio 

 antiM'ior or ^rowiii;,' <!Xtr«(iiiity only, witli its fronds and crown of frond liiids, 

 axsumin^' tlic erect position Sucli stems resenihle the under;^roiin'l creeping' 

 root like stems of ll»\v«M'iii^ planlH, and art; thus called Ithir.nmix. '{"Ik; rhizome 

 diflers veiy niMch in form and si/e in the dillereiit ^,'enera of I''erns ; — 



III many ferns the rlii/oiiie is stout, produces ro it lUires primupilly at tli« 

 older or posterior end, and is almndantly covered with the persistent .stalk rem- 

 nanis or .-stulis of the ilecayeil fronds of foiiiKU' years. 



In the (.'oiiimon l'<-ly[iody the ihi/oiiiu is ejonj^ated, rather thick, lleshy, and 

 eroepin^,' on rocks, tnes, or other .solid surfaces, without persistent stipe-.stuhs, 

 the sti|ies (u* ntalks tinally hecomiii^' coiiijiletely separated from the ihi/.MiiM! hy a 

 joint or articulation, as in fudiiiaiy deciduous hMves. 



In a third class of ferns tin; rhizome is very slender, (-ord or wire like, (;re«<p- 

 iii^' under^'round, often iiiU' h hranched, not fnrmin^' hud-crowns, and consequently 

 not produ(ung circular tufts of fronds, hut sending' them up .singly at intervals 

 along its course. W'luui the fronds decay tiiey do not leave the lower parts of 

 the stalks h(diiiid as permanent sti|te-Htul)s. 



The rhizoim^ is a jiart of great importance, often presenting cluuact(!rs whereby 

 ditlerent feiiis may he clearly distinguished from each other, hut supcrlicial 

 observers arc apt to neglect it, and to be contented, in collecting .specinicn.s for 

 examination or preservation, with the m«ire fronds seen above ground, which, 

 when stu(li»;d alone, are in many cases nuzzling, from the tendency to mimicry of 

 form so olten found in plants that are really distinct. 



