THE FERX BULLETIN 



47 



appearance and in fact. It is a charming addition to 

 the fern garden making a pleasing foil to Nephrodium 

 spimtlosum, Dicksonia and other finely cut varieties. 



I think it is a pity that the silverv* spleenwort has 

 no common name but one that is suggestive of a varied 

 assortment of "blues," and that does not certainly be- 

 long to it at that. But when we consider the dis- 

 comforts suggested by the word "spleeny" we may 

 think after all that this plain unassuming plant would 

 prefer to be classed among the spleenworts with their 

 fabled powers of healing rather than among the gentle 

 folk of the Athyriums where perhaps it rightly be- 

 longs. 



The silvery spleenwort, Asplenium thelypteroides, 

 or Athyrium thelypteroides as some prefer to call it, 

 has few characteristics that would make it noticeable 

 among other species. It is of an ordinary size, from 

 two to three feet in height, and the fronds are pro- 

 duced singly from a stout creeping rootstock but they 

 grow so close together as to suggest a circular crown. 

 They are once pinnate with deeply lobed pinnules and 

 have rather a soft velvety texture though quite thin 

 and delicate. The blade is oblong, tapering both ways 

 from the middle and there is little difference between 

 the fertile and sterile fronds. 



The sori are borne in regular double rows on the 

 pinnules and while in general they are like those of the 

 spleenwort yet they are frequently curved after the 

 fashion of the lady fern, making a puzzling question 

 on which the botanical doctors fail to agree. 



This species is fairly common over a wide area and 

 while not possessing any striking beauty is interesting 

 and attractive to the true lover of ferns. 

 New Hartford, N. Y. 



