132 The Fern Lover's Companion 



THE WOOD FERNS 



The ferns of this group, not counting the small fragrant 

 fern, ]M-efer the woods or at least shady ])laces. Although 

 the genus I'oli/slichiim rejjrcsents the true shield ferns, the 

 wood ferns are also thus designated, as their indusia have 

 nearly the shape of small, roundish shields. The old 

 generic name for tliem all was .l.v/x'(//((»( (meaning shield), 

 first puhlishcd in IHOO. For a long time its chief rival was 

 Neplirixlimn (kidney-like), 1803. IN! any modern botanists 

 ha^e i)referred the earlier name Dri/opieris (1703), mean- 

 ing oak fern, alluding, iierha])s, to ils forest-lo^•ing habits. 

 TuELYPTKias, still earlier (1702), may supersede the 

 others. 



IT 





.Mai'Hiiial Sliield Fern. AspiilniiiL jiianji iiair 



(From Woulsoo's "FerDS," Uuubludiiy. Page & Co.) 



