THE SENSITIVE AND OSTRICH FERNS. 257 
The Ostrich Fern. 
The ostrich fern (Struthiopteris Germanica) is the tallest 
of eastern American ferns and by many regarded as the 
handsomest. It is at its best in the wet, sandy soil of a 
half-shaded island or river shore and in such situations 
puts up magnificent crowns of fronds that often reach a 
length of seven feet. In the northern United States, 
there are many jungle-like thickets of this species in 
which a man of ordinary height may stand and be com- 
pletely hidden. 
The rootstock is thick and erect, usually projecting 
slightly above the surface. During winter the crosiers 
are covered with an abundance of coarse brown scales, 
but when they begin to grow these are soon thrown 
off. They develop very rapidly, often lengthening six 
inches in a day. The fronds rise in circular crowns and 
spread gracefully outward in shuttlecock fashion after 
the manner of the cinnamon fern, which this species, in 
general appearance, greatly resembles. They are ob- 
lanceolate, broadest toward the apex and gradually re- 
duced downward to the short stipes. They are pinnate 
with very many pairs of long narrow pinne which are 
again cut nearly to the midrib into close, short, slightly 
falcate, acute or obtuse lobes. The lowest pinnz are 
often less than an inch long, while the longest often 
exceed eight inches. 
The early fronds are always sterile. About July the 
fertile fronds come up in their midst. They are quite 
short, stiff and simply pinnate, and look so much like 
stunted sterile fronds as frequently to deceive the am- 
ateur cultivator. The fruiting pinne are necklace-like 
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