The Rugbeian. (Rugby, Morgan Co., Tenn.) 1881-1882, 1882-08-19
THE FERNS.
No. 1.-THE SPECIES.

States" Other botanlsts have placed two of
those sub.orders into one, making only three.
The Genera are quite numerous, and the
Species abundant. Many of the species differ
very slightly. Ferns were classed according to
their manner of fruting. This is the most
mark by which to determine the
genus: and should be closely observed. We
will begin with that fine genus, OSmunda,
called the Towering fern.
By the margins of the running streams will
be found tall, wide spreading fronds, cut into
many leaflets; this is Osmonda RECALLS. If
we examine these fronds, we find DO spores on
them but other fronds are growing up with
the green ones, of brown color with the
leaflets rolled up like feather, on the upper
part. These are the fertile trondS, and bear
the seeds, or, as we call them, spores. The
eye, but when we examine them with glass,
they are indeed things of beauty Who fully
appreciates the Importance of the magnifying
CLASP If We eliminate all that the glass
reveals to us in Astronomy, in Biology, in
Botany, and Physiology, these grand sciences
vanish like glorious dreams, or at best, become
but weird shadows of their mighty selves.
This brown dust is composed, in the case of
Osmonda, Of compact clusters of globular
bodies like grapes, with a slit cut across them.
This slit opens, dividing the body into two
hcmispheres, when the spores are discharged
in countless numbers. The spores are globu-
lar green bodies, neither male nor female.
They produce small plantlet in Which the
process of fertilization takes place. From
this strange plant springs the fern.
By the side of Osmonda RECALLS may be
found the Interrupted fern, O. Claytoniana.
The fronds are not so spreading as those of
RECALLS and the brown fertile portion of the
frond is in the middle, with green leaflets
above and below Far through the level
damp reaches of the pine forests among the tall
angular blades of the wild grasses, the orange
spikes Of the Yellow Orchis (Hobenaria) J, and
rose -colored panicles of the Phlox, wave the
rusty green fronds Of Osmonda Cinnamomea,
the Cinnamon fern. This is one of the talest
ferns on the Plateau. 1t fruits only on certain
fronds which are narrow and tall, and contain
no green leaflets.
The beautiful Climbing fern, Ligodium
paImatum, is a lone species; there being no
other ferns that resemble it enough to be
placed in the same genus, in this country.
The fertile fronds are upon the upper portion
of the plant, and look very unlike the palmate
leaves below. They are finely cut, and the
passing observer seeing those frInges spreading
all over tall bush, would not dream they
belonged to the vine with the hand-shaped
leaves under the BUSH
PteriS. the Brakes, or Bracken, still love
the mountain wild, as in the days whereof
Scott wrote:
The winds last breath had tossed in air
Pennon and plaid and plumage fair
The next but swept lone hill side,
Where heath and fern were waving wide;
The suns last glance was ginted back,
Froms spear and glaive, from large and jack, =
Inc next, all unrcHecttu SnOne
On bracken green and cold grey stone.
The distinguishing mark of the Brakes is the
folding edge Of the leaflets. The edges are
folded back over the Sporangia, as the capsules
which contain the spores are called. The
common form of brake found here is the
southern form of Pteris aquiIina, regarded
as only variety. 1t grows in dry places. and
has very wide frond parted by threes, on d
hard purple stalk.
Allied to the Brakes, is Adiantum, the
beautiful Maiden-hair fern. The genera
form of this fern is crescent, or horse shoe
shaped Only one species is found in thi
country, if we except a small and rare
species, found only in the South. Severa
large and very beautiful species are cultivated
in greenhouses. Our native species is callet
Adiantum pedatum. The frond is pedate
that u.s. it spreads over the ground like foot
1t is borne on a wire-like, nearly black stalk
The genus Asplenium may be known by TIN
fruit dots being oblong on each side of the mid
vein, and oblique to it. A common species i
Asplenium Fila tenina, with bipinat
, fronds, about two feet high, on a strong red
dish stem. This fern is dark green and stand
stifily erect. A far different fern in aspect i
14Splcnium ebeneum. with its long, marrow
f dark fronds and a dark brown wiry stem. Tw
small species of this fern grow in the seam
/ of the cliffs, Il. pinnatiidum, with small
divided fronds tapering to a point, and Il
TrichomeneS, with long slender fronds divide
f in roundish, oblique segments.
Every one must notice the yellowish- gree
feathery ferns growing in masses at the foo
of the rocks. This is Dicksonia punctilobula
The fruit is borne in cup-shaped shields, or a
they are called, InduSia. Those cups can b
seen like minute dots near the divisions of tn
E lobes.
Growing the rock and hanging like
fringe over its edge are the ever gree
, | frondc of tba Rock nolynod qoI,Jno1 ;ut