24 BOTANY OF .MADISON, LINCOLN, GARRARD, 



creek, in Marion county. They were surrounded by the 

 ebony spleenwort and the walking-leaf fern. 



The maidenhair spleenwort was not met with, strictly, in 

 this district, but was seen at Broad head Station, a few miles 

 from the Lincoln county line. It was growing on the Subcar- 

 boniferous shales, close to the banks of Dix river. 



The ebony spleenwort is a very common fern, and is to be 

 seen, with its small relation, on nearly all the shaded rocks, 

 and on many soils around the roots of old trees. 



The wall-rue spleenieoit has been mentioned as growing on 

 the heavy limestones above the Kentucky river and Dix river. 

 It is confined to one ledge of rocks, and follows the dips up 

 and down the streams, but never appears on other ledges, or, 

 as far as we know, at any other station in this region. 



The walking-leaf fern grows on nearly all the heavy lime- 

 stones, and has several times been seen growing in moss for 

 several feet up the trunks of old trees. 



The beech ferns are plentiful all through the Knobs, and are, 

 besides, met with often in the deepest, shadiest woods in the 

 other parts of the country. 



1 he New ) ork shield fern is not found in a great many 

 localities, but where it is seen the numbers are often great. 

 It is among the most delicate of all the species. 



I he marginal shield fern and the winter fern are very com- 

 mon forms on the cliffs near the streams, and on the northern 

 slopes among the hills in all the counties. 



The bladder ferns are the most widely and frequently dis- 

 tributed of any other species, and may be found commonly in 

 each of the counties. 



The sensitive fern has few habitats in these counties, but 

 has been seen in damp hollows in Marion and Madison coun- 

 ties. 



lhe oblused-leavcd woodsia clusters in the Corniferous lime- 

 stones along the vA^\ of the Knobs, and in the fallen rocks 

 from the walls of the Kentucky river; the rich green of its 

 fronds ever making a pleasing picture with the bare; rocks in 

 the background. 



