The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-07-20
FAIRIESOF THE WOOD
The Ferns That Grow in the
State of Washington.
LARGE AND STRIKING FAMILY.
The Lfcorice Plant = A Fern That il
Pound Only in the Crcvices 81 Port
AngeIes-The Species.

The soil of the new and virgin state of
Washington Is especially adapted to the
development of the fIicines-that is, OF
ferns. The humid climate. the rich and
powerful vegetation, the abundance OF
creeks, ravines, canyons and cavities, the
presence of lakes, ponds and pools, all that
favors in the highest degree the growth OF
that strange aud curious family OF plants,
which is known under the
name of ferns, is present here.
These beautiful productions of nature at
tract more general attention than any
other family of the botanical world-not
because they are brilliant or stupendous.
but because, though fowerless, they make
our woods lovely. and they clotne our
earth, and especially this Northwest. with
a mantle of emerald green. They live in
darkness, but they relieve that darkness of
its gloomy aspect. and cast certain ray of
lovely though subdued light. The creeks
and rivers would be lonely without them,
the roar OF the Snoquaimie falls would lose
a part of its sublimity without the green
covering OF rugged rocks the silvery music
OF streamlet would not sound so gentle,
and the shores of Washington lake would
have the glare of MONDAY without the
fairy world of the graceful and delicate
forms of the fiIcinee. The ferns are the
only plants which grow in darkness, and
which make the darkness soft and dreamy.
Though they live sheltered, they adapt
themselves to their new abode If trans
planted. Taken from the rocks of the crys-
talline schists of the island OF Vancouver
and transferred to the miocene soil OF Port
Townsend or to the cretaceous formation
of Seattle, or vice versa. they make des-
perate effort to adapt themselves to their
new surroundings. and they succeed.
They are modified, however. and the char
acter Of the soil has influence on their size
and their development. They may differ
under these circumstances from the origi.
nal type; still, their descent IS traceable to
the primitive form, and the so-called vari-
cites revert to the normal species and to
the parent plant.
The ferns are divided into two orders:
Ophioglossdces, when the leaves or fronds,
simple or hranched, are developed from
underground buds; and Fiiices. when the
leaves or fronds rise from rootstock.
The frst-named are but few in Washing
ton. The second are very numerous and
highly developed in the Northwest. Both
of these orders are herewith described.
Il
ticle is written by special request of the
PosT-IETELLrGEScER,a and, If am not mis-
taken. it is the first one and the most COM
plete ever published on the ferns of Wash
ington. The author does not claim to give
to the readers perfect description; it may
be said, however. that neither time, money
nor opportunity was spared to make it as
perfect as possible.
nfo crsa In
ington was ascertained, secured and CLASH
fed by tho author, the most careful data
collected and many publications on foreign
ferns consulted, as for instance. canadian
Filicinee," by Macoun and Burgess, and
some notes OF DR.. Lorenzo Yates, in Santa
Barbara. and Charles X. circuit, editor of
the West American Scientist
From the order of Ophioglossaces, the
first form we meet in Washington is the
so-called grape fern, genus Bof,ychium.
A variety of this fern, the moonwort
(Bofyychium lunoria), grows only in the
eastern counties of this state, and espe-
cially in the meadows, though sometimes
1t is found also on mountain slopes. The
moonwort is feshy, but not evergreen
plant, and is never more than ten inches
high, the common stalk forming sometimes
three-fourths of the total height The
Indians credit this fern with mysterious
powers and are firm believers in its power
of healing wounds. Another little speci-
men of this fern, the Bot,ychium simpler,
growing in damp localities, is also to be
found together with the previous one.
The ternate grape-fern (Bohychium ter
nasum) is very feshy, half-evergreen and
somewhat hairy plant. Though rare on
the slopes OF the Olympic mountains, it
grows in profusion about Seattle, among
the bushes near Lake Washington, and is
found also in other swampy localities on
the margin of Puget sound. This fern is
from five TO twelve inches in height The
variation dusfyule which is larger than the
previous one. and the sub-variation inter.
medium, much decompound, are to be
found near Fairhaven and Whatcom.
The rattlesnake fern. sometimes called
the Virginian grape-fern tBotrychium Pir-
gigianunt1, is q magnificent fern, its leaves
resembling the foliage of some of the UNI
beiliferous plants. Its size varies. Some
times 1t is only few inches in height:
sometimes again. as on the 0kanogan
river, south of the Canadian boundary, it
reaches the height of two feet. Ii grows
IN rich woods, it is not evergreen, and its
leaves or fronds are of a very pale green.
Near Seattle it is found here and there on
the north shores of Green lake
From the order of flices would give
the first place to the genus Aaiantura. or
maidenhair, on account of its beauty.
Everyone knows the madenhair. Though
not evergreen, il 10 the most ornamental
OF our ferns, and its delicate, featberly
fronds have no equal among other species.
1t grows usually in low, rich woods.
though sometimes is to be met with on
somewhat exposed places. It attains a
height of five inches 10 two feet The scjen-
tifie name OF this glorious fern is AIianf,trn
peiatsm.
II the maidenhair fern is the prettiast
the brake or bracken, genus Pseyis. is the
coarsest OF our native ferns. The common
brake or hrscken. sometimes called the
eagle fern (Pevtis aquil,aal, and its yaria-
ton tGnngfResd. is the commonest. and
grows everywhere on sand or sandy loan, ON
rocks, or in rich soil. In swampv thiekets in
Washington it reaches the height of eight
feet. while on dry gound is about the
usual size, that is, from one to five feet
high. Though not evergreen. il can stand
more frost than other ferns, and its leaves
or fronds remain the greater part of the
year dull-green and leathery. The zen
eral outline of its fronds is tri-
angular and the rootstock Greens
widely at n considerable depth under
ground. Though the coarsest, the com.
mon brake Is the most useful of all the fill
einem. In medicine the root Is valuable "a
vermifuse. The young fronds and root
stocks can be used as food, while the dried