rd to the last member
of the group, the narrow-leaved spleenwort, there is more doubt. The sori
taken separately would place it with the _Aspleniums_, but considering its
size, structure, habits of growth and all, it seems more closely allied to
the two larger ferns than to the little rock species. We shall group the
three together as the large spleenworts, or for the sake of being more
definite adopt Clute's felicitous phrase.

THE LADY FERN AND ITS KIN

1. THE LADY FERNS

Fronds one to three feet high, broadly lanceolate, or ovate-oblong,
tapering towards the apex, bipinnate. Pinnae lanceolate, numerous. Pinnules
oblong-lanceolate, cut-toothed or incised. Fruit-dots short, variously
curved. Indusium delicate, often reniform, or shaped like a horseshoe, in
some forms confluent at maturity.

Widely distributed, common and varying greatly in outline. The newer
nomenclature separates the lady fern of our section into two distinct
species, which should be carefully studied.[A]

[Footnote A: See monograph by F.K. Butters in _Rhodora_ of September,
1917.]

(1) THE UPLAND LADY FERN. ATHYRIUM ANGUSTUM

_Asplenium Filix-femina_

The rootstock or rhizome of the Upland Lady Fern here pictured shows how
the thick, fleshy bases of the old fronds conceal the rootstock itself. In
the Lowland Lady Fern the rootstock is but slightly concealed by old stipe
bases, and so may be distinguished from its sister fern.

One design of such rootstocks is to store up food (mostly starch), during
the summer to nourish the young plants as they shoot forth the next spring.
The undecayed bases of the old stipes are also packed with starch for the
same purpose.

[Illustration: Rootstock of the Upland Lady Fern]

[Illustration: The same split lengthwise (From Waters's "Ferns," Henry Holt
& Co.)]

[Illustration: Sori of Lady Fern. _Athyrium angustum_]

Rootstocks horizontal, quite concealed by the thick, fleshy bases of old
fronds. Scales of the long, tufted stipes dark brown. Indusium curved,
often horseshoe-shaped, usually toothed or fringed with fine hairs, but
without glands. Fronds bipinnate, one to three feet high, widest near the
middle.

This is the common species of northern New England and the Canadian
Provinces. The fronds differ very widely in form and a great many varieties
have been pointed out, but the fern student, having first learned to
identify the species, will gradually master the few leading varieties as h