16 Ferns and Fern Culture. 
the Ferns travel over large spaces, spreading in all 
directions, and producing large quantities of foliage. 
Not only do they creep over the level ground, but over 
stones, up moist rocks, stems and branches of trees; and 
thus they completely clothe with their beautiful foliage 
spaces which might otherwise be blank and unsightly. 
The rhizomes of some species of Hymenophyllum are 
like thin black thread, delicate and easily injured. The 
rhizomes of others, such as the Gleichenias, are thicker, 
stronger, and very wiry, spreading in their native homes 
to such an extent that they cover acres of ground. 
Others are much thicker and slower in growth, their 
peculiar appearance giving rise to many common names, 
as, for instance, the ‘‘ Bear’s Paw” Fern (Aglaomorpha 
Meyeniana). The rhizomes of this species are covered 
thickly by a light brown, woolly-looking substance. 
When they divide into three or four side growths, their 
appearance warrants the application of the common 
name, 
These creeping stems are not all above ground; some 
species produce them underground, often like dark- 
coloured twine, as in the Oak Fern (Polypodium dryop- 
teris), and the Beech Fern (P. phegopteris), They work 
their way along, creeping between stones and other 
obstructions, and send up their delicate-looking foliage 
in profusion. These underground stems produce roots 
below and fronds above, just as those do which are above 
ground. If the growing points of these stems are broken 
off or injured, the growth is at once checked, and some 
kinds are a long time before they make a fresh start. 
The importance of preserving these vital parts from 
injury will be more fully understood when the subject of 
propagation has been considered. 
There is another kind of stem called a sarmentum or 
stolon, which is produced from the caudex of certain 
species. The Nephrolepis are conspicuous examples of 
this mode of growth. From the plant rooted in a 
particular spot, numbers of this cord-like growth are 
produced, and spread to an amazing extent. They send 
out roots like the rhizomes already noticed, and these 
take hold of any damp surface with which they come in 
