THE BRACKEN. 
12 7 
situation influences, too, the form and development 
of this fern. But describing it under its usual 
conditions, it may be stated that the stalk of the 
frond, of a lovely green colour, is a little more than 
half the length of the latter, which, from the point 
where the stalk ends, exhibits a triangular appear- 
ance. But its uppermost tip forms the most acute 
angle of the three, the bottom of the frond being 
the shortest of its three sides. Unrolling upwards, 
the bare stalk being terminated, and the rachis — 
the main or central stem of the frond proper having 
commenced — on each side, right and left, are 
thrown out in pairs the side branches. These side 
branches continue to be thrown out in pairs as the 
fronds unroll upwards, each pair, however, dimin- 
ishing in length until the extreme point of the 
frond is attained, within a short distance of which 
the perpendicular and the lateral extensions are 
merged. Each one of the side branches is again 
divided, and bears on its midrib successive pairs of 
leaflets, sometimes placed opposite each other, and 
sometimes placed alternately. These are longest 
at the part of the branch near the central midrib of 
