The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1895-08-09

America.
When Thoreau wrote Mature made
Germs for pure leaves to show what she
could do in that line" he doubtless
has the Dicksonian fern in mine. It
was one of his favorites. and is often
mentioned in his journals Other
writers on out-of-door topics seldom
mention this fern. although it is one
that we should naturally expect to find
mentioned wherever mountain scenery
is described. Those who have seen the
Dicksonia in its native haunts will
readily agree that its beauty is not ex-
aggerated; it is doubtless our most
beautiful fern. Others may surpass it
in stature, but none can equal it in del
icacy and gracefulness.
What the bracken is to English
moors, the Dicksonian fern is to the
mountains of northeastern America
Although it is to be found growing in
the thickets and woods Of our low
lands, it can only be seen at its best
amid the wilderness and granduer OF
the mountain solitudes. Here it at
once becomes noticeable-a distinct
feature of the landscape. Slightly
changing SCOTS lines to the lady fern.
we may well say:
Where the copse wood is the greenest,
Where the fountain glistens sheenest,
Where the mountains dew lies longest
There Dicksonia is strongest.
Few ferns take such compile te pos
session of the soil. Many large areas
on the mountains are almost given up
to it. For miles upon miles in all ci-
rections it is spread. the principal un-
dergrOwth in open woods adding its
share to the tangle of brush and briar
in the thickets. and fringing every
rock and bowlder in the mountain
pastures. AS our eyes wander over
such a scene the old poet Twomley's
stauza comes into mind:
Oh. then. most gracefully they wave
In the forest like sea,
And dear as they are beautiful
Are these fern leaves TO me.
The Dicksonia is often called the
fine-haired mountain fern, its name
particularly appropriate. Another
of its common names is hay-scented or
sweet-scented fern, given in allusion
to the fact that the foliage when
bruised gives off strong, sweetish
odor, akin to the smell of new-mown
hay. The fragrance is frequently no.
tIced as one walks through the ferny
dells. This should be the true sweet
fern"
The root stock Of the mountain fern
is slender and creeps extensively, send
ing up its handsome fronds at short
intervals all summer These are
lanceolate or spear-shaped in. out
line, and apparently endlessly divided
In reality, each frond consists of
about twenty-five pairs of pinnae.
which gradually decrease in size as
they approach the apex Each pima
is divided into nearly fifteen pairs of
pinnuels, and the latter are again d.
vided into many lobes, which are
toothed at the apex
The under side of the frond is mi
nutely hairy and glsndular. the latter
organs doubtless producing the pecul-
lar o6or OF the crushed frond. There
is no noticeable difference between the
fertile and sterile fronds of this spe-
clce- ln0cc1. TIC sOri are sd sm1-i tNAs
one has 20 look rather closely 20 see
them az all, and q magniie- Of some
kind is necessary TO show them % per
fiction Then IL is seen that refexed
toothlet of the ultimate segmen.s- US
ually on the upper side Of each lobe. -
holding fast tiny green cup.in which
the spore cases are piled
The genus TO which the Dickson u
belongs was named in honor OF James
Dickson. az English bo;anist There
IS but one species in North America.
and this IS found only in suitable situ-,
ations. from Canada 10 Tennessee. and |
frem New England 20 Minnesota
There are upward Of ffty species Of |
this genus scattered throughout the !
world. principally in warmer ooun- |
tries The majority o. them are
q borescent, or tree ferns one Of the !
tree ferns mos; coEazsosiy seen IN cus- /
ti~ation belongs 70 this FANNY. and IS !
called Dicizsonia AntzrcticA Popular /,
Science Monthly.