GENERA AND SPECIES. 63 
PravE xX Vil; 
ASPLENIUM EBENEUM. Aijiton. 
EBONY SPLEENWORT. 
The Ebony Spleenwort has some resemblance to A. Tri- 
chomanes, especially when the fronds are young; but the 
species is well marked. It is pinnate, lance-linear in form, 
often eighteen inches in height, with pinne over an inch 
in length, the upper side triangular-lobed or somewhat half- 
halbert shaped. ‘The fern varies very much both in size 
and general appearance. ‘The etching aims to show several 
different kinds of fronds, the youngest, the more advanced, 
and the oldest, the latter with well-marked fruit- dots. 
The mature fronds are generally more contracted than 
those of a younger growth. 
The A. ebeneum is very common in all our Kentucky 
woods, especially on out-cropping rocks, and about the 
roots of beech-trees. It is found particularly on argilla- 
ceous hillsides (Riddell), preferring rich rocky woods, and 
common where there are no rocks on the surface (Hussey). 
It is so frequently met with that it is needless to give local- 
ities. It is very suitable for cultivation, either on rock- 
work or in the Wardian case. 
