164 THE ROCK SPLEENWORTS. 
southern Ontario and Michigan to Alabama and Mis- 
souri, always on rocks. It is also widely distributed in 
the Old World. Newman in his “ British Ferns” says 
that throughout the northern, southern and western 
counties of England and also in Wales, Scotland and 
Ireland, this fern is to be found upon almost every ruin. 
It is never so common with us and the collector who dis- 
covers it in anew place is fortunate. Mrs. Parsons, in 
“ How to Know the Ferns,” mentions a clump of this fern 
no larger than the palm of one’s hand, in which forty-five 
fresh fronds were counted. The plant is not very easily 
cultivated. 
The Mountain Spleenwort. 
The mountain spleenwort (Asplenium montanum) 
f greatly resembles the wall rue in 
everything except numbers, but 
the latter characteristic will pre- 
vent its often being mistaken for 
that species. It was first dis- 
covered in the Carolinas by 
Michaux who supposed it to be 
an Old World species, Asplenium 
Adiantum-nigrum. The points by 
which it may most readily be dis- 
tinguished from the wall rue, are 
the less fan-shaped pinnules and 
MOUNTAIN SPLEENWORT. 
‘A splenium montanum. the longer and narrower fronds. 
The rootstock is small and short-creeping, often produc- 
ing short stubby lateral branches. The fronds are spread- 
ing and when full grown are from two to six inches long. 
They are about ovate-lanceolate, twice pinnate at the 
