THE BRISTLE FERN 
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continue through them, and project beyond their outer edges, 
thus giving a bristly appearance to a frond fully ripe, and 
originating the name of this Fern. Trichomanes comes from 
two Greek words, thrix ‘ hair,’ and memos ‘ soft,’ and appa- 
rently refers to the hair-like bristles and to the soft-looking 
and delicate texture of the fronds. Badiccms refers to the 
‘rooting’ of this Fern from its creeping rhizoma. This 
species is evergreen, and is the only one which we possess of 
the genus Trichomanes, which includes Ferns having their 
fructification borne on the margins of their fronds, in little 
cup-shaped or urn-shaped receptacles, which are in reality 
expansions of the substance of the fronds. 
Distribution. — Trichomanes radicans is, on the continent 
of Europe, found only in Spain. But it is found in the 
Canary Islands, the Azores and Madeira ; in the islands 
of the Atlantic, where it is very abundant ; in India, in 
Jamaica, Granada, and Martinique ; in Mexico, Panama, 
Venezuela, and Brazil. In the Pacific Ocean it inhabits 
Galapagos and the Society Islands. It is said that in the 
year 1758 it grew abundantly near the town of Bingley, 
in Yorkshire. But even by the year 1782 it had almost 
disappeared from that habitat; and there is no other 
part of Great Britain where it has been found. It has 
been affirmed that it grows not only in abundance, but 
with great luxuriance, in one part of Wales ; but its 
precise habitat in that country is a profound secret, 
known only to a few persons. Its actually known habitats 
are confined to Ireland ; and from the circumstance 
that amongst the chief of these is the neighbourhood of 
Killarney, has arisen the name given to this charming- 
plant of the ‘Killarney Fern.’ The counties of Cork, 
Kerry, Limerick, Waterford, and Wicklow, are the only 
counties where it grows. The localities named are as 
follows : in the county of Cork, in Glendine Wood ; at 
