The Fern Lover's Companion 



103 



HART'S TONGUE 



Scolopendriiim. Phyllitis 



Sori linear, a row on either side of the mi(h-ein, and at 

 right angles to it, the indnsiuni appearing to he donble. 

 (Scolopendrivm is the Greek for centipede, whose feet the 

 sori were thought to resemble. PhiiUiii'! is the ancient 

 Greek name for a fern.) Only one species in tlie United 

 States. 



(1) Scolopendrium vidgdre 

 Phyllitis Scolopendrium 



Fronds thick and leathery, 

 oblong-lanceolate fro m a n 

 auricled, heart-shaped base, ten 

 to twenty inches long and one 

 to two inches wide. ^largin 

 entire, bright green. 



vSori of Scoloprtnlriu in vidgarc 



In shaded ravines under limestone cliffs. Chittenango 

 Falls, and Scolopendrium Lake, central New York, and 

 Tennessee. Also, locally in Ontario and New Brunswick. 

 One of the rarest of our native ferns, although very com- 

 mon in Great Britain. This plant is said to be easily 

 cultivated, and to produce numerous varieties. Accord- 

 ing to Woolson, "No rockery is complete without the 

 Hart's Tongue, the long, glossy, undulating fronds of 

 which are sufficiently unique to distinguish any collec- 

 tion." In cultivation it "needs light protection through 

 the winter in northern New England." 



