246 CHEILANTHES AND MAIDENHAIR. 
The Venus-hair Fern. 
The Venus-hair fern (Adiantum Capillus-Venerts) encir- 
cles the world in the Tropics and in both Hemispheres 
spreads toward the Poles as far as it finds suitable dwell- 
ing places. In the Old World it extends to Great 
Britain and in North America to Virginia, Kentucky, Mis- 
souri, Utah and California. It de- 
lights in moist and sheltered situa- 
tions and in the northern parts of its 
range should be looked for in ra- 
vines. 
It may be distinguished from the 
common maidenhair by its dark, 
A. wiry undivided rachis and_ fan- 
» (Ps 
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LE Ke 
VENUS-HAIR FERN. 
Adiantum Capillus-Veneris. 
shaped, drooping pinnules on ex- 
ceedingly slender black stalks. The 
rachis gives off alternate branches 
and the pinnules are also arranged 
alternately. The blade is usually 
twice pinnate below and simply pin- 
nate above and the pinnules are not 
one sided as in many species of Adi- 
antum. Their outer edges are 
rounded, rather deeply notched and 
serrate. There is great variation 
in the form of both pinnules and 
fronds. When the pinnules die, they 
drop from the rachis which remains erect for some time 
longer. Nearly every frond is fertile. The sori scarcely 
differ from those of A. pedatum. Specimens have been 
reported in which the spores gave rise to young plants 
while still on the frond. 
