Ferns at Dovucias Lake, MIcHIGANn 107 
THe Pine Puains 
This is the most extensive of the three proposed areas. 
It is characterized by its sandy soil, the sand in some 
places being estimated at many feet in depth. This 
region once supported a heavy growth of Red and White 
Pine. Since the cutting off of this timber, which oc- 
curred about 30 to 35 years ago, forest fires have cleared 
the plains of brush and small trees and at the present 
time the region is covered with a dense growth of Fire 
Cherry, Red Oak, American Aspen, and Large-toothed 
Aspen, the last species predominating. 
The floor of this thicket is covered with a dense 
growth of Pteris aquilina, Diervilla lonicera and Gaul- 
theria procumbens, the Pleris being most abundant of the 
three. Pteris aquilina was the only fern found growing 
in the pine plains. This particular species, especially 
in this region, prefers a sandy soil, and particularly so, 
if perchance it has been burned over. The manner of 
propagation, by means of underground rhizomes is very 
rapid and efficient. In no case were the gametophytes 
found. Considering that Pteris fruited more abundantly 
than any other species, the only reason to account for 
the complete absence of gametophytes was the extreme 
dryness of the soil. : 
Fires usually do very little injury to this fern as its rhi- 
zomes are about eight inches beneath the surface of the 
earth. The rhizomes are dichotomously branched and 
as they die away at the older end, the lateral branches 
become separated from the parent plant, the separated 
rhizome serving as a starting point for a new plant. In 
this manner does the Bracken Fern become disseminated 
more widely. : 
The Bracken Fern takes very kindly to the intense 
sunlight of the sandplains and a very pronounced line of 
demarcation is noted at the edge of the woods. Rarely 
does one find the Bracken Fern growing in the dense 
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