We cannot insist too strongly upon the necessity of handling and studying the living plant. Every student needs to observe for himself the haunts, habits, and structure of real ferns. We would say to the young student, while familiarizing yourself with the English names of the ferns, do not neglect the scientific names, which often hold the key to their meaning. Repeat over and over the name of each genus in soliloquy and in conversation until your mind instantly associates each fern with its family name--"_Adiantum_," "_Polystichum_," "_Asplenium_," and all the rest. Fix them in the memory for a permanent asset. With hard study and growing knowledge will come growing attachment. How our great expert, Mr. Davenport, loved the ferns! He would handle them with gentle touch, fondly stroke their leaves, and devoutly study their structure, as if inspired by the All-wise Interpreter.
"Move along these shades In gentleness of heart: with gentle hand Touch--for there is a spirit in the woods."
This key, in illustrating each genus, follows the method of Clute in "Our Ferns in Their Haunts," but substitutes other and larger specimens. Five of these are from Waters' "Ferns" by permission of Henry Holt & Co.
As the indusium, which often determines the name of a fern, is apt in some species to wither early, it is important to secure for study not only a fertile frond, but one in as good condition as possible. For convenience the ferns may be considered in two classes.
THOSE WHICH HAVE THE FRUITING PORTION IN GREENISH, BERRY-LIKE STRUCTURES AND NOT ON THE BACK OF FRONDS
(Fertile and sterile fronds entirely unlike)
1. Fruit in a one-sided spike in two ranks; plants very small; sterile fronds thread-like and tortuous.
2. Fruit in a club-shaped, brown or cinnamon-colored spike loaded with sporangia; fruit in early spring.
3. Fruit in berry-like, greenish structures in a twice pinnate spike, which comes up much later than the broad and coarse pinnátifid sterile fronds.
4. Fruit in pod-like or necklace-like pinnæ; fertile frond pinnate; sterile frond tall, pinnátifid; fruit late.
1. Fruiting portion in the middle of the frond; two to four pairs of fertile pinnæ.
2. Fruiting portion at the apex of the frond. Sterile pinnæ palmate; rachis twining.