Chapter I: Front Matter

The Fern Lover's Companion

A Guide for the Northeastern States and Canada

BY

GEORGE HENRY TILTON, A.M.

"This world's no blot for us
Nor blank; it means intensely and it means good
To find its meaning is my meat and drink."

DEDICATION

To Alice D. Clark, engraver of these illustrations, who has spared no pains to promote the artistic excellence of this work, and to encourage its progress, these pages are dedicated with the high regards of THE AUTHOR.

CONTENTS

List of Illustrations Preface Introduction Key to Genera Classification of Ferns The Polypodies The Bracken Group: Bracken Cliff Brakes Rock Brake The Lip Ferns (_Cheilanthes_) The Cloak Fern (_Notholæna_) The Chain Ferns The Spleenworts: The Rock Spleenworts. _Asplenium_ The Large Spleenworts. _Athyrium_ Hart's Tongue and Walking Leaf The Shield Ferns: Christmas and Holly Fern Marsh Fern Tribe The Beech Ferns The Fragrant Fern The Wood Ferns The Bladder Ferns The Woodsias The Boulder Fern (_Dennstædtia_) Sensitive and Ostrich Ferns The Flowering Ferns (_Osmunda_) Curly Grass and Climbing Fern Adder's Tongue The Grape Ferns: Key to the Grape Fern Moonwort Little Grape Fern Lance-leaved Grape Fern Matricary Fern Common Grape Fern Rattlesnake Fern Filmy Fern Noted Fern Authors Fern Literature Time List for Fruiting of Ferns Glossary Note: Meaning of Genus and Species Checklist

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

A Fern Lover Prothallium Diagram Pinnate Frond Bipinnate Frond Pinnatifid Frond Spore Cases Linen Tester Curly Grass. _Schizæa_ Cinnamon Fern. _Osmunda cinnamomea_ Sensitive Fern. _Onoclea sensibilis_ Ostrich Fern. _Onoclea Struthiopteris_ Interrupted Fern. _Osmunda Claytoniana_ Climbing Fern. _Lygodium_ Flowering Fern. _Osmunda regalis spectabilis_ Adder's Tongue. _Ophioglossum_ Grape Fern. _Botrychium_ Polypody. _Polypodium_ Beech Fern. _Phegopteris_ Cloak Fern. _Notholæna_ Filmy Fern. _Trichomanes_ Bracken. _Pteris_ Maidenhair. _Adiantum_ Cliff Brake. _Pellæa_ Lip Fern. _Cheilanthes_ Rock Brake. _Cryptogramma_ Chain Fern. _Woodwardia_ Shield Fern. _Polystichum_ Wood Fern. _Aspidium_ Bladder Fern. _Cystopteris_ Woodsia Hayscented Fern. _Dennstædtia_ Hart's Tongue. _Scolopendrium_ Walking Fern. _Camptosorus_ Asplenium Type Athyrium Type Sporangia of the Five Families Indusium Common Polypody. _Polypodium vulgare_ Sori of Polypody Polypody in mass (Greenwood) Gray Polypody. _Polypodium incanum_ Brake. Bracken. Sterile Frond Bracken. Fertile Frond Bracken, var. _pseudocaudata_ Spray of Maidenhair Sori of Maidenhair Maidenhair. _Adiantum pedatum_ Alpine Maidenhair Venus-Hair Fern. _Adiantum capillus-veneris_ Purple Cliff Brake. _Pellæa atropurpurea_ Dense Cliff Brake. _Cryptogramma densa_ Slender Cliff Brake. _Cryptogramma Stelleri_ Parsley Fern. _Cryptogramma acrostichoides_ Alabama Lip Fern. _Cheilanthes alabamensis_ Hairy Lip Fern. _Cheilanthes lanosa_ Slender Lip Fern. _Cheilanthes Féei_ Pinnæ of Slender Lip Fern Powdery Cloak Fern. _Notholæna dealbata_ Common Chain Fern. _Woodwardia virginica_ Net-veined Chain Fern. _Woodwardia areolata_ The Spleenworts Pinnatifid Spleenwort. _Asplenium pinnatifidum_ Scott's Spleenwort. _Asplenium ebenoides_ Green Spleenwort. _Asplenium viride_ Maidenhair Spleenwort. _Asplenium Trichomanes_ Maidenhair Spleenwort. _Asplenium Trichomanes_ (Fernery) Ebony Spleenwort. _Asplenium platyneuron_ Bradley's Spleenwort. _Asplenium Bradleyi_ Mountain Spleenwort. _Asplenium montanum_ Rue Spleenwort. _Asplenium Ruta-muraria_ Rootstock of Lady Fern (Two parts) Sori of Lady Fern. _Athyrium angustum_ Varieties of Lady Fern Lowland Lady Fern. _Athyrium asplenioides_ Silvery Spleenwort. _Athyrium acrostichoides_ Narrow-leaved Spleenwort. _Athyrium angustifolium_ Pinnæ and Sori of _Athyrium angustifolium_ Sori of _Scolopendrium vulgare_ Hart's Tongue. _Scolopendrium vulgare_ Walking Fern. _Camptosorus rhizophyllus_ Christmas Fern. _Polystichum acrostichoides_ Varieties of Christmas Fern Braun's Holly Fern. _Polystichum Braunii_ Holly Fern. _Polystichum Lonchitis_ Marsh Fern. _Aspidium Thelypteris_ Marsh Fern, in the mass Massachusetts Fern. _Aspidium simulatum_ New York Fern. _Aspidium noveboracense_ Sori of _Aspidium noveboracense_ Pinnæ and Sori of _Aspidium noveboracense_ Oak Fern. _Phegopteris Dryopteris_ Northern Oak Fern. _Phegopteris Robertiana_ Broad Beech Fern. _Aspidium hexagonoptera_ Long Beech Fern. _Aspidium polypedioides_ Fragrant Fern. _Aspidium fragrans_ Marginal Shield Fern. _Aspidium marginale_ Crown of Fronds of _Aspidium marginale_ Sori of _Aspidium marginale_ Male Fern. _Aspidium Filix-mas_ _Aspidium Filix-mas_ and details Goldie's Shield Fern. _Aspidium Goldianum_ _Aspidium Goldianum_, in the mass Crested Shield Fern. _Aspidium cristatum_ Crested Shield Fern. _Aspidium cristatum_ (No. 2) Clinton's Shield Fern. _Aspidium cristatum_ var. _Clintonianum_ Crested Marginal Fern. _Aspidium cristatum × marginale_ _Aspidium cristatum × marginale_, in the mass Boott's Shield Fern. _Aspidium Boottii_ Spinulose Shield Fern. _Aspidium spinulosum_ _Aspidium spinulosum_ var. _intermedium_ _Aspidium spinulosum_ var. _americanum_ Bulblet Bladder Fern. _Cystopteris bulbifera_ _Cystopteris bulbifera_ with sprouting bulb Fragile Bladder Fern. _Cystopteris fragilis_ Rusty Woodsia. _Woodsia ilvensis_ Northern Woodsia. _Woodsia alpina_ Details of Alpine Woodsia Blunt-lobed Woodsia. _Woodsia obtusa_ Smooth Woodsia. _Woodsia glabella_ Hayscented Fern. _Dennstædtia punctilobula_ Forked variety of _Dennstædtia punctilobula_ Field View of _Dennstædtia punctilobula_ Pinnæ and Sori of _Dennstædtia punctilobula_ Meadow View of Sensitive Fern Obtusilobata Forms of Sensitive Fern, Leaf to Fruit Sori of Sensitive Fern Sensitive Fern. _Onoclea sensibilis_ Sensitive Fern, Fertile and Sterile Fronds on Same Plant Ostrich Fern. _Onoclea Struthiopteris_. Fertile Fronds Ostrich Fern. Sterile Fronds Sori and Sporangia of Ostrich Fern Royal Fern. _Osmunda regalis spectabilis_ Sori of Royal Fern Interrupted Fern. _Osmunda Claytoniana_ Interrupted Fern. Fertile Pinnules Spread Open Cinnamon Fern. _Osmunda cinnamomea_ Cinnamon Fern. Leaf Gradations Two Varieties of Cinnamon Fern _Osmunda cinnamomea glandulosa_ Curly Grass. _Schizæa pusilla_ Sporangia of Curly Grass Climbing Fern. _Lygodium palmatum_ Adder's Tongue. _Ophioglossum vulgatum_ Moonwort. _Botrychium Lunaria_ Moonwort, Details Little Grape Fern. _Botrychium simplex_ Lance-leaved Grape Fern. _Botrychium lanceolatum_ Matricary Grape Fern. _Botrychium ramosum_ Common Grape Fern. _Botrychium obliquum_ _Botrychium obliquum_ var. _dissectum_ _Botrychium obliquum_ var. _oneidense_ Ternate Grape Fern. _Botrychium ternatum_ var. _intermedium_ Ternate Grape Fern. _B. ternatum_ var. _intermedium_ Rattlesnake Fern. _Botrychium virginianum_ Filmy Fern. _Trichomanes Boschianum_ Fruiting Pinnules of Filmy Fern Crosiers Noted Fern Authors Spray of the Bulblet Bladder Fern