THE FERNS OF NAPA VALLEY. 



SOME CALIFORNIAN BEAUTIES. 



SHADED caiaon, in sheltered dell, 

 in many a rocky, moist nook in this 

 valley, grow in charming gracefulness 

 and in goodly variety that class of 

 plants which for all lovers of beauti- 

 ful vegetation has a peculiar fascina- 

 tion — lovely ferns. Even on rough, 

 barren, rocky mountain-sides may be found one or more 

 varieties, seemingly setting at naught one law that seems 

 to govern fern life, that of abundant moisture. 



There are probably few counties in this state that pos- 

 sess a greater variety of fern life than Napa county. 

 Beginning to put forth their delicate fronds soon after 

 the first rains of autumn, one kind succeeds another in 

 its appointed season quickly and continually, till in 

 the late spring months all of them have sent up their 

 tender shoots from the dark ground to the light and 

 warmth of the cloudless sun. By the time tardy comers 

 have made their appearance, the avant-couriers of the 

 yearly recurring procession have passed their prime and 

 «iade preparations for closely folding their fronds and 

 retiring from view. 



It has been said that in the whole United States there 

 are probably less than one hundred varieties of ferns, 

 and of these about one-half are found in California. 

 Scarcely twenty of them can be considered peculiar to 

 the Pacific coast. 



PoLYPODiE.s. — The fern that earliest responds to the 

 long-deferred fall rains of California is the Polypodinm 

 Calif ornicum, a leathery, evergreen fern, whose life is 

 prolonged till late in the season. It is often found grow- 

 ing on rocky surfaces where the soil is thin, its large 

 root-stalk creeping here and there beneath a thick carpet 

 of velvety moss. This variety is found in California 

 from San Diego northward. The fronds are usually of 

 large size, from ten to eighteen inches high, and from 

 three to five inches broad. 



By far the finest of all this tribe of ferns is the FoJy- 

 fodium Scoulcri, which grows on trees and stumps, 

 rarely on the ground. It sometimes grows to the height 

 of two feet, and is fleshy and evergreen, with sori or 

 fruit-dots one-fifth of an inch in diameter. This fern 

 has been seen growing at a height of from 150 to 200 

 feet above the ground on fir trees, in Oregon. 



The Gold-Fern. — The beautiful gold-fern, uymtio- 

 grammi: Iriangularis, is an old acquaintance of all 

 ramblers in our woods and carions. The stalks are 

 slender, blackish brown, polished and in full-grown 

 specimens from six to eight inches long. Its fronds are 

 five-angled, from two to five inches in length and almost 

 as broad. The upper side of the fronds is of a deep 

 green color, with nearly smooth surface. The great 



beauty of this fern lies in the wonderful coloring of the 

 under side of the frond, which is usually of a clear, sul- 

 phur-yellow color, but varies from deep orange to pure 

 white, owing to the powdery coating. Specimens that 

 are of a very light color are frequently called silver-ferns, 

 but are considered by botanists to be a variety of the 

 gold-fern. Only two species are known to exist in the 

 United States. This fern is common in California, and 

 is said to exist as far north as Vancouver Island. 



Adiantums. — The adiantums or maidenhair ferns 

 make rapid growth in sheltered, moist localities. No 

 bouquet of ferns gathered in our woods and caiions is 

 considered complete without many fronds of the be- 

 witchingly graceful variety Adiantum eirTarginatum, 

 of which species we have three varieties. 



By far the most beautiful species of the whole genus 

 is Adiantum pcdatum, the so-called five-fingered fern. 

 It grows in moist rocky places from Santa Cruz north- 

 ward as far as Unalaska. It is common in the Atlantic 

 states from North Carolina to Canada and is also found 

 in Japan. This is one of the most delicate and graceful 

 of our ferns. Like several other varieties found in this 

 county, it has its peculiar habitation and is found only 

 in favored localities. When potted it makes a beautiful 

 ornament for the conservatory or drawing-room, its 

 feathery fronds being perennially green. 



The Woodwardia. — The tall woodwardia or "chain- 

 fern " so popular for decorative purposes, is quite a com- 

 mon fern. It is evergreen, hardy, and grows to perfec- 

 tion in shady, well-watered ravines. Through the 

 winter months, when it is difficult to obtain other ferns, 

 this vigorous-growing variety can be found in consider- 

 able quantities in the localities that it chooses for a 

 home. This variety is a member of the genus aspleniae, 

 which finds its greatest development in the southern 

 hemisphere, and contains about sixty species. 



D'oodzvardia radicaus, when fully grown, has strong 

 stalks eight to twelve inches long. The fronds stand 

 from three to five feet high, their pinnae being from 

 eight to fifteen inches long, and from two to four inches 

 broad. The sori are oblong. This fern is found from 

 Long Valley to southern California. The type is found 

 in Madeira, and along the Mediterranean in India and 

 Java. In our ow-n country it is found in almost every 

 state. It bears transplanting readily, as the roots are 

 always vigorous. 



The Lady-Ferns. — One of our most graceful ferns, 

 delicate and finely serrated, is the lady-fern. Asplci/ium 

 /■i/ix-/\vmi?/a and commune are the ones most com- 

 mon, but they are not found in every locality. Like 

 several other kinds of ferns they choose their own com- 

 pany. Some fine specimens have been gathered along 



