56 



THE FERN BULLETIN 



for its propogation. The slender tips of the fronds 

 bend over, touch the ground, take root and the walking 

 fern has taken another step and also produced a new 

 plant. In consequence of this fact, the walking fern 

 is justly celebrated, but it is not the only fern that 

 seems to have a suspicion that spores cannot always be 

 depended upon and has adopted other ways of getting 

 on in the world. The process of producing ferns 

 from the spores is a long and tedious one and several 

 ferns have found a quicker way. That lusty giant the 

 ostrich fern (Stmthioptcris gcnnanica) sends out long 

 subterranean stolons that come up at some distance 

 from the parent plant and produce new ferns to con- 

 tinue the race. Still another method has been adopted 

 by the bladder fern (Cystoptcris bulbifcra) . Instead 

 of either rooting fronds or stolons, (which may be con- 

 sidered only another form of rooting frond) this fern 

 bears small bulblets on the under side of the pinnae. 

 These finally drop to the ground and a new fern is the 

 result. That the bladder ferns method is capable of 

 being improved upon is shown by an exotic fern rather 

 common in cultivation. This has gone a step further 

 and produces a row of small ferns on the rachis of 

 each frond. In the course of time the fronds become 

 prostrate and each row of ferns is ready to set up in 

 business for itself. There is another class of ferns 

 that multiply by division. This is a division not of the 

 crown of fronds but of the underground rootstock or 

 rhizome. All these are great travellers but not after 

 the manner of the walking fern. A good example of 

 this class is the brake or bracken (Ptcris aquilina*) 

 whose slender rhizome dodges under roots and stones 

 to send up a new fern, perhaps six feet away. Here 

 and there the rhizome branches and the new ferns 



