—39— 



The farmer and the non-botanical rambler are accustomed to 

 call them " brakes," and the opinion is current in many places 

 that a "brake" is not a true fern. Botanists, however, make no 

 such distinction. This fern family differs from others in bearing 

 spore-cases that have only the rudiments of the elastic ring that 

 encircles the spore-cases of the Polypody family, and are furthgr 

 distinguished from most of our other ferns by fruiting in spikes 

 and panicles instead of on the backs of the fronds. From this 

 circumstance they are called flowering ferns. All fruit early in 

 spring at the time the sterile fronds are unfolding. The fruiting 

 parts eventually become rich brown in color, but the spores are 

 bright green. Of the three American species, the Royal fern 

 (Osmunda regalis) is not easily confused with any other species. 

 It has smooth cool-green twice-pinnate fronds with entire leaflets 

 resembling somewhat the leaves of -the locust tree. The Cinna- 

 mon fern (O. chniamomea) is easily distinguished from the inter- 

 rupted fern (O. Claytoni'cuia) when in fruit, but the sterile fronds 



Sterile pinnule of O. Claytoniuna. 

 are easily confused. The pinnules of the cinnamon fern, how- 

 ever, are more pointed, and the fronds themselves are narrower 

 and more erect than in the interrupted fern. The cinnamon fern, 

 too, usually has a little tuft of wool at the base of the pinna\ 

 The following key should enable the beginner to separate the 

 species: 



Tall ferns in circular crowns fruiting early in spring. 

 Fertile and sterile fronds separate, the latter bi- 



pinnatifid, pinna pointed 0. einnamamea. 



Fertile pinnae in the middle of fronds otherwise 

 like the sterile, the latter bi-pinnatifid. pinna 



and pinnules blunt, 0. Claytoniana. 



Fertile portion in a terminal panicle. Fronds twice 



pinnate, O. regcdis. 



— W. X. C. 



