the Bulblet Bladder Fern is so individual that there can be no
difficulty in identifying the full-sized fertile fronds, even in the
absence of the little bulbs which grow on the under side of the frond,
usually at the base of the pinnæ. The sterile fronds are shorter and
broader in proportion, and not so easily identified.
[Illustration: PLATE XXXVIII
FRAGILE BLADDER FERN
_a_ Portion of fertile pinna
_b_ Tip of fertile pinna
_c_ Magnified fruit-dot showing indusium]
53. FRAGILE BLADDER FERN. COMMON BLADDER FERN
_Cystopteris fragilis_
A rock and wood fern, found from Newfoundland to Georgia.
Six to eighteen inches long, with slender and brittle
stalks, green except at the base.
_Fronds._--Oblong-lanceolate, thin, twice to thrice-pinnate
or pinnatifid; _pinnæ_ lance-ovate, irregularly cut into
toothed segments which at their base run along the midrib
by a narrow margin; _fruit-dots_ roundish, often abundant;
_indusium_ early withering and exposing the sporangia,
which finally appear naked.
This plant may be ranked among the earliest ferns of the year. In May
or June, if we climb down to the brook where the columbine flings
out her brilliant, nodding blossoms, we find the delicate little
fronds, just uncurled, clinging to the steep, moist rocks, or perhaps
beyond, in the deeper woods, they nestle among the spreading roots of
some great forest tree. Their "fragile greenness" is very winning.
As the plant matures, attaining at times a height of nearly two
feet, it loses something of this first delicate charm. By the end
of July its fruit has ripened, its spores are discharged, and the
plant disappears. Frequently, if not always, a new crop springs up
in August. We are enchanted to discover tender young fronds making
patches of fresh green in every crevice of the rocks among which the
stream forces its precipitous way. Once more the woods are flavored
with the essence of spring. In our delight in this new promise we
forget for a moment to mourn the vanishing summer.
The outline of the Common Bladder Fern suggests that of the Obtuse
Woodsia. The two plants might be difficult to distinguish were it not
for the difference in their indusia. At maturity the indusium of the
Common Bladder Fern usually disappears, leaving the fruit-dot naked,
while that of the Obtuse Woodsia is fastened underneath the fruit-dot
and splits apart into jagged, spreading lobes.
The sterile fronds of the Slender Cliff Brake also have been thought
to resemble this fern, in whose company it often grows.
Williamson says that the Common Bladder Fern is easily cultivated
either in mounds or on rock-work.
[Illustration: PLATE XXXIX
RUSTY WOODSIA]
54. RUSTY WOODSIA
_Woodsia Ilvensis_
From Labrador and Greenland south to North Carolina and
Kentucky, usually on exposed rocks in somewhat mountainous
regions. A few inches to nearly one foot high.
_Fronds._--Oblong-lance-shaped, rather smooth above, the
stalk and under surface of the frond thickly clothed with
rusty chaff, once-pinnate; _pinnæ_ oblong, obtuse, sessile,
cut into oblong segments; _fruit-dots_ round, near the
margin, often confluent at maturity; _indusium_ detached by
its base under the sporangia, dividing into slender hairs
which curl above them.
Last Decoration Day, while clambering over some rocky cliffs in the
Berkshire Hills, I found the Rusty Woodsia growing in masses so
luxuriant to the eye and so velvety to the touch that it hardly
suggested the bristly looking plant which one finds later in the
summer.
This fern reverses the usual order of things, being gray-haired in
youth and brown-haired in old age, with the result that in May its
effect is a soft, silvery green. But even in August, if you chance
upon a vigorous tuft springing from some rocky crevice, despite its
lack of delicacy and its bristle of red-brown hairs or chaff, the
plant is an attractive one.
Environment has much to do with the charm of ferns. The first plant of
this species I ever identified grew on a rocky shelf within a few feet
of a stream which flowed swift and cold from the near mountains. Close
by, from the forked branches of a crimson-fruited mountain maple, hung
the dainty, deserted nest of a vireo. Always the Rusty Woodsia seems
to bring me a message from that abode of solitude and silence.
[Illustration: PLATE XL
BLUNT-LOBED WOODSIA
_a_ Portion of pinna
_b_ Fruit-dot magnified, showing indusium]
55. BLUNT-LOBED WOODSIA
_Woodsia obtusa_
Canada to Georgia and Alabama and westward, on rocks. Eight
to twenty inches high, with stalks not jointed, chaffy when
young.
_Fronds._--Broadly lanceolate, nearly twice-pinnate;
_pinnæ_ rather remote, triangular-ovate or oblong,
pinnately parted into obtuse, oblong, toothed segments;
_veins_ forked; _fruit-dots_ on or near the minutely
toothed lobes; _indusium_ conspicuous, splitting into
several jagged lobes.
The Blunt-lobed Woodsia is not rare on rocks and stony hill-sides in
Maine and Northern New York. It is found frequently in the valley
of the Hudson. Though not related to the Common Bladder Fern (_C.
fragilis_), it has somewhat the same general appearance. Its fronds,
however, are usually both broader and longer, and its stalk and pinnæ
are slightly downy. Its range does not vary greatly from that of the
Common Bladder Fern, but usually it grows in more exposed spots and
sometimes basks in strong sunshine.
Meehan says the Blunt-lobed Woodsia is found along the Wissahickon
Creek, Penna., on dry walls in shady places. "One of its happiest
phases," he continues, "is toward the fall of the year, when the
short, barren fronds which form the outer circle bend downward,
forming a sort of rosette, in the centre of which the fertile fronds
somewhat erectly stand."
The sterile fronds remain fairly green till spring.
56. NORTHERN WOODSIA. ALPINE WOODSIA
_Woodsia hyperborea_ (_W. alpina_)
Northern New York and Vermont, and northward from Labrador
to Alaska, on rocks. Two to six inches long, with stalks
jointed near the base.
_Fronds._--Narrowly oblong-lanceolate, nearly smooth,
pinnate; _pinnæ_ triangular-ovate, obtuse, lobed; _lobes_
few; _fruit-dots_ somewhat scattered; _indusium_ as in _W.
Ilvensis_.
This rare little fern has been found by Dr. Peck in the Adirondacks
and by Horace Mann, jr., and Mr. Pringle in Vermont. In his delightful
"Reminiscences of Botanical Rambles in Vermont," published in the
Torrey _Bulletin_, July, 1897, Mr. Pringle describes his first
discovery of this species:
"I was on the mountain [Willoughby] on the 4th of August
and examined the entire length of the cliffs, climbing
upon all their accessible shelves. Among the specimens
of _Woodsia glabella_ brought away were a few which I
judged to belong to a different species. Mr. Frost, to
whom they were first submitted, pronounced them _Woodsia
glabella_. Not satisfied with his report, I showed them to
Dr. Gray. By him I was advised to send them to Professor
Eaton, because, as he said, _Woodsia_ is a critical genus.
Professor Eaton assured me that I had _Woodsia hyperborea_,
... another addition to the flora of the United States."
Later in the year Mr. Pringle made a visit to Smugglers' Notch on
Mount Mansfield, when he was "prepared to camp in the old Notch House
among hedgehogs, and botanize the region day by day." This visit was
rich in its results. The most notable finds were _Aspidium fragrans_,
_Asplenium viride_, _Woodsia glabella_, and _Woodsia hyperborea_.
[Illustration: PLATE XLI
NORTHERN WOODSIA]
57. SMOOTH WOODSIA
_Woodsia glabella_
Northern New York and Vermont, and northward from Labrador
to Alaska, on moist rocks. Two to five inches long, with
stalks jointed at base.
_Fronds._--Very delicate, linear or narrowly lanceolate,
smooth on both sides, pinnate; _pinnæ_ roundish ovate,
obtuse, lobed, lobes few; _fruit-dots_ scattered;
_indusium_ minute.
The Smooth Woodsia closely resembles the Northern Woodsia, and one may
expect to find it in much the same parts of the country. In texture it
is still more delicate; its fronds are almost perfectly smooth, its
outline is narrower, and its pinnæ are but slightly lobed.
[Illustration: PLATE XLII
SMOOTH WOODSIA
_a_ Fertile pinna]
Mr. Pringle tells us that a letter from Mr. George Davenport, asking
him to look for _Woodsia glabella_, awakened his first interest in
ferns. His own account of these early fern hunts is inspiring in its
enthusiasm:
"In 1873 George Davenport was beginning his study of ferns.
A letter from him, asking me to look for _Woodsia glabella_
... started me on a fern hunt. The species had been found
on Willoughby Mountain, Vt., and at Little Falls, N. Y.;
might it not be growing in many places in Vermont? When I
set out I knew, as I must suppose, not a single fern, and
it was near the close of the summer. You can imagine what
delights awaited me in the autumn woodlands. I made the
acquaintance of not a few ferns, though it was too late
to prepare good specimens of them. In this first blind
endeavor I got, of course, no clew to _Woodsia glabella_.
The next summer the hunt was renewed and persistently
followed up. I found pleasure in securing one by one nearly
all our Vermont ferns. At the time I thought it worthy of
remembrance that a single field of diversified pasture and
woodland on an adjoining farm yielded me thirty species.
Although the two common species of _Woodsia_ were near
at hand, _Woodsia glabella_ was still eluding my search.
I sent a friend to the summit of Jay Peak in a fruitless
quest for it. Finally, on September 1st, I joined Mr.
Congdon at its old station on Willoughby Mountain, and made
myself familiar with its exquisite form.
"During the first two years of my collecting in earnest,
1874 and 1875, several visits were made to Camel's Hump,
the peak most accessible to me. In this way some time
was lost, because its subalpine area is limited, and
consequently the number of rare plants to be found there
is small. Yet, with such dogged persistence as sometimes
prevents my making good progress, my last visit to that
point was not made till the 20th of June, 1876. On that
day I clambered, I believe, over every shelf of its great
southern precipice and peered into every fissure among the
rocks. At last, as I was climbing up the apex over the
southeastern buttress, my perilous toil was rewarded by the
discovery not only of _Woodsia glabella_, but of _Aspidium
fragrans_.... There were only a few depauperate specimens
of each which had not yet succumbed to the adverse
conditions of their dry and exposed situation."
In the following passage Mr. Pringle describes his pleasure, some
years later, in the companionships fostered by a common interest in
his pet hobby:
"... my delight in this preserve of boreal plants was
shared with not a few genial botanists. Charles Faxon came
before any of us suspected that he possessed undeveloped
talent for a botanical artist of highest excellence.
Edwin Faxon followed his young brother, and with me made
the tedious ascent to Stirling Pond, a day of toil well
rewarded. Thomas Morong came, before the hardships of his
Paraguayan journey had broken him down.... Our honored
President came.... In those days, as now, ... he was
often my companion to add delight to my occupation and to
reinforce my enthusiasm.... The gentle Davenport came at
last to behold for the first time in their native haunts
many of the objects of his first love and study. When I
had found for him yet once more in a fifth Vermont station
(this was under Checkerberry Ledge, near Bakersfield) the
fern he at first desired, and, together with that, had
discovered within our limits three or four others quite
as rare and scarcely expected, I might feel that I had
complied with the request of his letter. But that letter
initiated a warm friendship between us and association
in work upon American ferns, which has continued to the
present time. During these twenty-three years of botanical
travel on my part my hands have gathered all but thirty-six
of the one hundred and sixty-five species of North American
ferns, and from the more remote corners of our continent I
have sent home to my friend for description and publication
sixteen new ones. Yet I trust that the fern hunt upon which
he started me in 1873 is still far from its close."
The above quotations illustrate fairly the enthusiasm aroused by a
pursuit which is full of peculiar fascination. Almost anyone who has
made a study of our native ferns will recall hours filled with delight
through their agency, companions made more companionable by means of a
common interest in their names, haunts, and habits.
INDEX TO LATIN NAMES
Adiantum Capillus-Veneris, 108
Adiantum emarginatum, 110
Adiantum pedatum, 108
Adiantum tenerum, 110
Aspidium acrostichoides, 96
Aspidium aculeatum, 182
Aspidium aculeatum var. Braunii, 182
Aspidium Boottii, 168
Aspidium Braunii, 182
Aspidium cristatum, 170
Aspidium cristatum, var. Clintonianum, 172
Aspidium fragrans, 178
Aspidium Goldianum, 174
Aspidium marginale, 176
Aspidium Noveboracense, 159
Aspidium spinulosum, 166
Aspidium spinulosum, var. dilatatum, 168
Aspidium spinulosum, var. intermedium, 166
Aspidium Thelypteris, 160
Asplenium acrostichoides, 124
Asplenium angustifolium, 98
Asplenium Bradleyi, 144
Asplenium ebeneum, 134
Asplenium ebenoides, 140
Asplenium Felix-fœmina, 120
Asplenium montanum, 130
Asplenium pinnatifidum, 142
Asplenium platyneuron, 134
Asplenium Ruta-muraria, 126
Asplenium thelypteroides, 124
Asplenium Trichomanes, 136
Asplenium viride, 138
Botrychium dissectum, 81
Botrychium gracile, 80
Botrychium lanceolatum, 86
Botrychium Lunaria, 84
Botrychium matricariæfolium, 86
Botrychium simplex, 81
Botrychium ternatum, 81
Botrychium Virginianum, 80
Camptosorus rhizophyllus, 146
Cheilanthes lanosa, 112
Cheilanthes vestita, 112
Cystopteris bulbifera, 194
Cystopteris fragilis, 198
Dicksonia pilosiuscula, 114
Dicksonia punctilobula, 114
Dryopteris acrostichoides, 96
Dryopteris aculeata, 182
Dryopteris Boottii, 168
Dryopteris Braunii, 182
Dryopteris cristata, 170
Dryopteris cristata Clintoniana, 172
Dryopteris fragrans, 178
Dryopteris Goldieana, 174
Dryopteris marginalis, 176
Dryopteris Noveboracensis, 159
Dryopteris simulata, 164
Dryopteris spinulosa, 166
Dryopteris spinulosa dilatata, 168
Dryopteris spinulosa intermedia, 166
Dryopteris Thelypteris, 160
Lygodium palmatum, 75
Onoclea sensibilis, 54
Onoclea sensibilis, var. obtusilobata, 56
Onoclea Struthiopteris, 56
Ophioglossum vulgatum, 77
Osmunda cinnamomea, 60
Osmunda cinnamomea, var. frondosa, 62
Osmunda Claytoniana, 72
Osmunda regalis, 67
Pellæa atropurpurea, 90
Pellæa gracilis, 87
Pellæa Stelleri, 87
Phegopteris Dryopteris, 190
Phegopteris hexagonoptera, 188
Phegopteris Phegopteris, 187
Phegopteris polypodioides, 187
Polypodium vulgare, 184
Pteris aquilina, 105
Pteris esculenta, 107
Schizæa pusilla, 63
Scolopendrium scolopendrium, 150
Scolopendrium vulgare, 150
Woodsia Alpina, 203
Woodsia glabella, 206
Woodsia hyperborea, 203
Woodsia Ilvensis, 200
Woodsia obtusa, 202
Woodwardia angustifolia, 102
Woodwardia Virginica, 156
INDEX TO ENGLISH NAMES
Adder's Tongue, 77
Alpine Woodsia, 203
Beech Fern, Broad, 188
Beech Fern, Long, 187
Bladder Fern, Bulblet, 194
Bladder Fern, Common, 198
Bladder Fern, Fragile, 198
Blunt-lobed Woodsia, 202
Boott's Shield Fern, 168
Bracken, 105
Bradley's Spleenwort, 144
Brake, 105
Braun's Holly Fern, 182
Caterpillar Fern, 156
Chain Fern, Net-veined, 102
Chain Fern, Virginia, 156
Christmas Fern, 96
Cinnamon Fern, 60
Cliff Brake, Purple, 90
Cliff Brake, Slender, 87
Clinton's Wood Fern, 172
Climbing Fern, 75
Common Polypody, 184
Creeping Fern, 75
Crested Shield Fern, 170
Curly Grass, 63
Eagle Fern, 105
Ebony Spleenwort, 134
Evergreen Wood Fern, 67
Flowering Fern, 67
Fragile Bladder Fern, 198
Fragrant Shield Fern, 178
Goldie's Fern, 174
Grape Fern, Lance-leaved, 86
Grape Fern, Little, 82
Grape Fern, Matricary, 86
Grape Fern, Ternate, 81
Grape Fern, Virginia, 80
Green Spleenwort, 138
Hairy Lip Fern, 112
Holly Fern, Braun's, 182
Hartford Fern, 75
Hart's Tongue, 150
Hay-scented Fern, 114
Interrupted Fern, 72
Lady Fern, 120
Lance-leaved Grape Fern, 86
Little Grape Fern, 82
Lip Fern, Hairy, 112
Long Beech Fern, 187
Maidenhair, 108
Maidenhair Spleenwort, 136
Marginal Shield Fern, 176
Marsh Fern, 160
Massachusetts Fern, 164
Matricary Grape Fern, 86
Moonwort, 84
Mountain Spleenwort, 130
Narrow-leaved Spleenwort, 98
Net-veined Chain Fern, 102
New York Fern, 159
Northern Woodsia, 203
Oak Fern, 190
Ostrich Fern, 56
Pinnatifid Spleenwort, 142
Polypody, Common, 184
Prickly Shield Fern, 182
Purple Cliff Brake, 90
Rattlesnake Fern, 80
Royal Fern, 67
Rue Spleenwort, 126
Rusty Woodsia, 200
Scott's Spleenwort, 140
Shield Fern, Boott's, 168
Shield Fern, Crested, 170
Shield Fern, Fragrant, 178
Shield Fern, Marginal, 176
Shield Fern, Prickly, 182
Seaweed Fern, 156
Sensitive Fern, 54
Silvery Spleenwort, 124
Slender Cliff Brake, 87
Smooth Woodsia, 206
Snake Fern, 184
Spinulose Wood Fern, 166
Spleenwort, Bradley's, 144
Spleenwort, Ebony, 134
Spleenwort, Green, 138
Spleenwort, Maidenhair, 136
Spleenwort, Mountain, 130
Spleenwort, Narrow-leaved, 98
Spleenwort, Pinnatifid, 142
Spleenwort, Rue, 126
Spleenwort, Silvery, 124
Spleenwort, Scotts', 140
Ternate Grape Fern, 81
Virginia Chain Fern, 156
Virginia Grape Fern, 80
Walking Fern, 146
Walking Leaf, 146
Wall Rue, 126
Wood Fern, Clinton's, 172
Wood Fern, Evergreen, 176
Wood Fern, Spinulose, 166
Woodsia, Alpine, 203
Woodsia, Blunt-lobed, 202
Woodsia, Northern, 203
Woodsia, Rusty, 200
Woodsia, Smooth, 206
INDEX TO TECHNICAL TERMS
Antheridia, 34
Archegonia, 34
Alternation of generations, 33
Asexual generation, 34
Frond, 28
Fertile frond, 3
Fertilization, 34
Indusium, 31
Once-pinnate frond, 30
Pinnatifid frond, 29
Pinnæ, 30
Pinnules, 30
Prothallium, 34
Rachis, 30
Rootstock, 28
Sexual generation, 33
Simple frond, 29
Sori, 30
Sporangia, 30
Spore, 30
Sterile frond, 31
Twice-pinnate frond, 30
Veins, free, 30
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