136 
COMMON HARD FERN. 
The venation of the barren fronds is distinct, a stout 
midrib or vein producing lateral veins once or twice 
forked, the venules extending parallel towards the 
margin, and terminating in a small club-shaped head. 
The venation of the fertile frond, not so distinct on 
account of the contractions of the parts, differs in 
having a longitudinal venule on each side the midvein, 
forming the receptacle to which the spore-cases are 
attached. The spore-cases are arranged in too linear 
sori, one on each side of the midvein, distinct while 
young, but often becoming confluent and covering all 
the under-surface. The indusia, when mature, burst 
toward the midrib, and become split, here and there, 
at points opposite some of the venules. The Hard 
Fern is an evergreen, not large, but strong and very 
distinct-looking ; growing in heaths and rough stony 
places, in woods and shady bottoms, preferring mois- 
ture, but careless of situation, and growing in Cumber- 
land at an elevation of 3,000 feet, in Scotland a 
thousand feet above that. From Lapland to the Cape 
of Good Hope, from Japan to the Azores, from Chili 
to Brazil, it grows everywhere, and is one of our most 
common Ferns, yet a very elegant plant, not by any 
means to be despised because it is hardy and easy of 
cultivation. Coniston, Ambleside, and Ullswater are 
named as special places of its inhabiting in this Lake 
Country. 
