CHAPTER V. 
THE ROYAL FERN. 
Osmunda regalis. 
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o F royal and noble aspect, indeed, is the 
Royal or Flowering Fern. It is the largest 
and grandest of our native species, and approaches 
more nearly than any other to the form of a 
tree fern. Its favourite habitats are the banks 
of moorland streams where it can secure abundant 
moisture, and a soft, spongy, peaty soil. Often- 
times it is found in damp woods, growing in such 
situations to an average height of four, five, or six 
feet. It is, however, found in greatest luxuriance 
in parts of Ireland ; and on the banks of the 
lakes of Killarney it sometimes attains a height 
of twelve feet, and presents a singularly grand 
and beautiful aspect. The root-stock in most 
of our native ferns is seldom raised more than a 
