FERNS AND FERN ALLIES. 
107 
of our species has this sort of leaf, and is, besides, extremely rare, 
the name “ grape-fern ” is preferable here. 
It may be a matter of surprise to many to be told that beauti¬ 
ful specimens of the grape-fern may be found in late fall and 
early winter, in fact until low plants are covered with snow. 
The species “ ternatum/’ “ ternate grape-fern,” begi ns to fruit in 
September and is at its best in CLiober and November. It may 
be found in almost any damp wood 
or field, especiali) iu] the narrow 
strips of land between wet and dry 
places, or wherever there are ac¬ 
cumulations of leaf mold. The 
stalk of the plant is partly under 
ground so that all that can be seen 
is a horizontal leaf and, when the 
plant has succeeded in producing 
truit, a^slender spike, more or less 
branched, bearing the spore cases- 
This season the proportion of fruit¬ 
ing to non fruiting plants has betm 
in this vicinity about one to six 
If the plant is carefully dug up it 
will be found ii.a it has a large 
root ot thick, fleshy fibres. (See 
Fig. i.) From the root rises a 
somewhat stout stem, which is in 
reality the leaf stalk In fruiting 
plants this stalk divides quite near 
the base into two portions or “seg¬ 
ments” called the sterile andffertile 
segments. The fertile segment is 
erect and forms a" branched spike, 
but the sterile segment is horizon¬ 
tal and very variously cut in different plants, though it always 
has the three principal branches which the name “ternate” im¬ 
plies. (See Fig. 2.) This various cutting of the feat has given 
botanists a great deal of trouble. 
'' ** 
FIG. I. 
