THE AMERICAN BOTANIST, 
cnder apex, rejoice. Tlie wliole plant may 
know that looks nmch like it. 
\.e'Av\u<r tlie i-aritic^^, k: ii. glance at ^..ine of the 
■ymmnn tbin-s he-innin- ^^ith the very cmnnionest. If 
on have ever seen a swamp in s]>ring with Icrns growing 
•les of fr( mcls tiiere appeared 
No other fern can be nii.-itakcn for it when r\m< in trnit. bnt 
relative, the interrupted fern {O. claytoiiiana.) Its trnit- 
ing frond is noi wholly bnnvn. but iias green leatlets at both 
base and apex. Se\eral pairs of the middle leafle:s are 
turned to fruiting bocHes and by this sij-n. alone, you shall 
know it. The royal fern or fl>'wering fern ^OsniunJa re- 
gal is) is another of this family, but in tins only tiie upper 
part of the frond l>ears fruit. l-"ri;:!i its ap; .arance it i= 
called the llowering fern though no fern>. of course, ever 
bear tlo\ver>. Xo otliei ferii fruits in this way. Lo<.>k for 
it in swamps and wet woodlands. 
There are several fern^ with triangular fronds thai 
for our pur^K >e may well l^e classed together, though neither 
Nature nor the scie-.ri-^t u-.r.ld >ubscril)e to such an arrange- 
ment. In dryish woodkuuh and along roadsides one is 
sure to fmd the largest of these triangular species. It 
belongs to the bracken {Uteris aqiiilhnr) so familiar to 
reaflers of English s<3ng and story. Often the fronds are 
three feet across. The fruit is b-.rne in a narrow line on 
the border^ ..^ 'c ''K"--. \n moist w(xvl5 occurs another 
trSangul.-'.r "" ' rattlesnake fern {Botrych- 
iutn I ' '-^ ::tr fleshy species, and may 
further ' rhe bracken by producing 
