DESCRIPTIVE TEXT OF THE FERNS 



In this manual our nati\'e ferns arc i;rouped sfienti- 

 fically under five (iistinct families. By far the largest of 

 these groups, and the first to he treated, is that of the real 

 ferns (Pu!i/podi()re<r) with sixty s]ieeies and several eliief 

 varieties. Then follow [he floircriiifi ferns lOsnuniiiaecir) 

 with three si)ec'ies; the ciirh/ i/rciss and cUinhimj frrus 

 {Schtzwaeere) with two s[)ecies; the adder's toiKjiie and 

 grape jcrns iOpliiiiijtossacc'r) with seven species; and the 

 Jilinji ferns iHi/inendpln/Udeea] with one species. 



Corresponding with these fi^•e families, the sporangia 

 or spore cases of ferns have five quite distinct forms on 

 which the families are foundecl. 



Fli.'. 



Fin-, i 



1. The Fern Family jtrojter iPub/podideeee) has the 

 spore ca.ses stalked and hound by a vertical, elastic ring 

 (Fig. 1), The clusters of fruit-dots containing the s])ore 

 cases may he open and naked as in polypody (Fig. 2), or 

 covered hy an indnsium, as in the .shield ferns (Fig. 3). 



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