CONSPECTUS 



PACIFIC COAST FERNS 



INTRODUCTION. 



The great Order of Filices, or Ferns, is }>rimarily divided into 

 five Suh-Orders^ based upon the structure, form, and disposition of 

 the spore case, or sporangium. 



It happens that the first of tliese Sub-Orders {PolypodiacecB), 

 includes all the Ferns of the Pacific Coast. This will not be a 

 matter of surprise, when it is seen that nearly all the Nortli Amer- 

 ican species are of this Sub-Order, as well as % of all known 

 species, being about 3.000. 



The Sub-Order PoliipodiaQecp. is distinguished from the other 

 four by having the spore-cases stalked; that is, each case is up- 

 held by a little stipe or foot-stalk, corres])onding to the peduncle 

 in flowering plants. 



The spores are infinitesimally minute cells of protoplasm, en- 

 dowed with life. They are generated by hundreds in these globu- 

 lar cases, called collectively Sporartf/ia — from " sj^ore," a minute 

 germ, and " angios," a vessel. 



These stalked sporangia are found to be variously arranged 

 upon the frond, either collected into roundish dots or disj)Osed in 

 lines along the veins, or at their ends; also they are covered, 

 more or less, by an indusium composed of the recurved margin 

 of the frond, or by special membranes ; and upon these charac- 

 ters are based the distinctions that are seized uj)on to separate 

 this large group into ten Tribes^ containing from one to five 

 genera each. 



