Daily Honolulu press. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1886, 1886-02-25

striking into side road, we are soon
on the edge of the kukui-tree forest
and can ride under their shade foi
some distance Penetrating well into
the depths of the wood we dismount
and note the ferns growing about lis
here.
KUKU1-TREE FERNS.
The most conspicuous Of all the
ferns growing on the kukui trees is the
Asbleninm aidns of which we have seen
specimens growing in Honolulu. The
plant well deserves its name of "nest"
fern 1t loves to grow in the crotches
of trees, especially the kukui, the wood
of which is soft and decays quickly,
thus furnishing food to the fern. The
indus sends out a circle of fronds from
the center of its growth, each frond un-
rolling as a long lance-head-shaped
Leaf, smooth and without any cuttings"
or divisions. AT first the circle Of
fronds are erect and form crown of
slender, fiat, lancet shaped leaves.
Then, as they increase in size they
bend outward and give room for an
other circle inside of their circum-
ference. The fronds keep on growing in
width and length until the outside ones
sometimes extend over a radius of
seven feet, with circle after circle of
fronds inside each other diminishing to
the first crown of tender frondlets.
The color of the mature fronds is
rich, lively green, and on the under sur
face of each, from the tip to about one
third down the length Of the frond, the
veining, which is arranged in parallel
lines at sharp angle with the midrib,
is covered with brown seed vessels.
AS the nidns fern increases in size
the outer fronds decay and are replaced
by others, the mass of fibrous roots in
creasing each year and soon affording a
favorite home for other ferns especially
the Ophioglossnm pendulum, and Vitfa-
ria clongata The first of these is a
sister of the little fern mentioned in a
previous article as growing on the sea-
shore, but in appearance is totally un-
like it, except in its bearing its spores
in pod. The Ophloglossum we are
now looking at is known elsewhere as
the ladders tongue" and its fronds
are produced as long, thin green rib
bons springing almost directly from the
mass of indus roots in which it grows.
These ribbons are often forked, and
from their midribs spring short stalk
bearing a pod-shaped arrangement Of
capsules in which are the spores.
With the Ophioglossums are punches
Of what might be taken for a coarse
grass, were it not that down the edges
of each narrow, fiat frond is seen line
of dark brown indicating the seed yes
sels, which in this class of ferns the
Vittatfas-- are set in the manner seen,
the grass-like frond being split to hold
them. Here, we find the Vittarias
twelve and fourteen inches long and
quarter of an inch wide, and very
flexible. 1t is then called elengata. In
other localities, where it is dryer and
cooler this fern is found only three or
four inches long and very stiff and
erect, and such specimens take the
name rigida, but it is doubtful whether
it is ''gocd" variety.
Close at hand, occupying notch in
a tree by itself, is fine cluster of As
Plsninm q6fne. The fronds of this
plant are narrow and pointed, quite
deeply cut into segments and diminish
ing in size from the lower ones, which
are three inches long, to the tip. The
seeding on the under side of each
pinnule is very profuse and of deep,
rich reddish brown. The slender
stems are smooth and almost black,
and the whole plant resembles a sheaf
of graceful green feathers.
On the outstretched branches of the
trees about us are many R0lybodinms.
The Pellneiaum is especially conspicu-
Gus as the fronds stand singly along
the line of the creeping root that clings
to the bark of the tree and extends
itself further each year. Without dis
turbing the plant we can distinguish its
clear transparent veins from which it
takes its name and admire the regular
ity with which the firm, horizontal pin
mules are dotted with conspicuous round
groups of seed vessels. Near the pellu-
cidums are the Hnea,7 or aneeolatums
belonging to the same family. These
fronds are erect and quite leathery in
texture; narrow and long, and are decor
ated on each side of the mdrib with a
row of round spore spots sometimes a
sixth of an inch in diameter. 1t is often
called the "button" fern on account of
his double row of spots, and it can
BOAST of an almost endless list of syno-
lyms, each botanist who has hurried |
over the grouphaving seen and named it.
Growing all about us are the Asplen-
ums 6re0Is0rxm and SaadaOicheaax,1,
md Polypodiums c,Tnale, and bnneta-
'Hm. These are all large ferns and
orm, with others, dense brakes as high
IS ones head On the ground in the
1ollows at the bases of the trunks of
rees are clusters of Asplenfum e,eetum
and fragile. They are both delicately
cut little ferns with shining black stems
and prettily shaped pinnules with well
marked seedlings. Il eysctnm has the
habit Of producing young ferns from
near the apex Of its fronds and as these