36 FERNS IN THEIR HOMES AND OURS. 



Fern. The following are generic names of ferns : 

 Woodsiay from Joseph Woods, an English botanist 

 who died in 1864; and Osmtmda, from Osmunder, 

 a Celtic divinity (one of the names of Thor). The 

 specific names are commonly adjecti\cs agreeing 

 with the generic ones, sometimes derived from the 

 name of the discoverer of the fern, as Polypodi- 

 U7n Scouleri ; sometimes from the country or 

 locality in which the plant grows, as Woodwardia 

 Virginica ; or some character of the fern, as Poly- 

 poditim aiLTciiin (golden) ; or, again, it may be an 

 old substantive name, and need not agree with the 

 generic one, as Asplcniinn TricJiomaiies. Almost 

 any text-book will enable the reader to fill in this 

 outline of nomenclature ; but he must remember 

 that all botanists have not been classical scholars, 

 and hence there are many irregularities and dis- 

 crepancies to be found among the names of ferns. 



