THE LAND OF FERNS 
THE HABITATS AND DISTRIBUTION OF THE FERNWORTS OF 
FLORIDA 
By Joun K. SMALL 
PuaTEes 24-28 
Florida has been called the ‘‘land of flowers.’’ Even more prop- 
erly could it be called ‘‘the land of ferns.’’ While its pinelands and 
prairies are themselves not without their own peculiar species, its 
woods, hammocks, marshes, swamps, and sand-dunes, so abound in 
fern plants, often in such remarkable luxuriance, that Florida be- 
comes the Fern State, par excellence, among all the States of the 
Union. 
The pinelands! are the forests of pine trees, apparently the perma- 
nent tree covering replacing the broad-leaved growth or hammocks of 
former ages, at least in some parts of the state. 
The prairies? are flat, more or less extensive, usually damp, treeless 
areas, mostly in the peninsula. 
The woods® are the broad-leaved forests, usually in the hilly or 
rolling parts, especially of northern Florida. 
The hammocks‘ are dense growths of broad-leaved trees, in a pine- 
forest or on a prairie, mostly in peninsular Florida. The use of this 
word is confined to Florida and adjacent States. It was formerly con- 
fused with the word hummock. The word is probably of Indian 
origin. Lime-sinks which are usualiy conspicuous ferneries, are com- 
monly in hammocks, and are included here. 
The marshes® are wet prairies. They are common throughout the 
peninsula. Depressions in the prairies often form ponds. 
The swamps® are wet woods. They are common throughout the 
state and are often along or near streams. 
The sand-dunes? are undulating or hilly areas of siliceous or eal- 
1Their characteristic fernwort genera are few: Anemia, Pyenadoria, Pteris, Sphe- 
nomeris, Lycopodium, Selaginella. 
? Their characteristic genera are few: Blechnum, Onoclea, Lycopodium. be 
> Their characteristic genera are few: Botrychium, Ophioglossum, Lygodium, Pteris, Adian 
tum, Asplenium, Athyrium, Dryopteris, Polystichum, Selaginella. 8 
*Their characteristic nera are numerous: ana co Cheiroglossa, ee 
Actinosta ee Stenochlaena, Polypodium, Phlebodium, Campy oneurum, P ymato odes h 
taria, Paltonium, 5 tein Hypolepis, viedaaewes, yg peng Tectaria, Dryopteris, Nep il 
lepis, Selaginella, Psilotum. “8 
5 Their ohntantoriats genera are several: Osmunda, Ceratopteris, Acrostichum, Blee 
num, « Anchiatea, vorinseria, Dryopteris, Azolla, Lycopodium, Selaginella, Isoetes. t 
eir characteristic genera are smunda, Actinostachys, Acrostichum, Anchis ee 
Lettaderts, obi ts Dryopteris, Menisecem, Nephr olepis, Onoclea, Lycopodium, Sele 
heir charantebietic genera are few: Pteris, OCheilanthes, Selaginella. 
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