The Fern Lover's Companion Part 17

Rootstocks creeping, filiform, stipes ascending, one to three inches long, thin, very delicate, pellucid, much divided, oblong-lanceolate, bipinnatifid. Rachis narrowly winged. Sporangia cl.u.s.tered around the slender bristle, which is the prolongation of a vein, and surrounded by a vase-like, slightly two-lipped involucre.

On moist, dripping sandstone cliffs, Kentucky to Alabama. Often called the "Killarney fern," as it grows about the lakes of Killarney in Ireland.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fruiting Pinnules of Filmy Fern (From Waters's "Ferns."

Henry Holt & Co.)]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Ostrich Fern]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Cinnamon Fern]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Marginal Shield Fern]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Lady Fern Crosiers]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fiddleheads or Crosiers of Christmas Fern]

NOTED FERN AUTHORS

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES

[The works of these authors are listed under "Fern Literature" in the following pages.]

EATON, DANIEL CADY. Born at Gratiot, Mich., September 12, 1834. His grandfather was Amos Eaton, noted botanist and author. Studied botany under his friend, Prof. Asa Gray, who had studied with Prof. John Torrey, who in turn was a pupil of Amos Eaton. Daniel C. was professor of botany in Yale College, for more than thirty years. A man of graceful and winsome personality, an authority on ferns, and widely known by his writings. His masterpiece was "The Ferns of North America" in two large, quarto volumes, beautifully ill.u.s.trated. He died June 29, 1895.

CLUTE, WILLARD NELSON. Born at Painted Post, N.Y., February 26, 1869.

Education informal; common schools, university lectures and private study.

Manifested early a keen interest in birds and flowers. Was founder and first president of the American Fern Society. Collected in Jamaica more than three hundred species of ferns. Has written extensively on the ferns and their allies, besides publishing several standard volumes. His great distinction is in founding and editing the _Fern Bulletin_ through its twenty volumes, when he combined this publication with _The American Botanist_, which is now on its twenty-eighth volume, the whole a prodigious achievement of great scientific value.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Noted Writers on Ferns W.N. CLUTE, D.C. EATON, F.T. PARSONS, G. DAVENPORT, J. WILLIAMSON, L.M. UNDERWOOD, W.R MAXON, A.A. EATON, C.E.

WATERS, R. DODGE]

UNDERWOOD, LUCIUS MARCUS. Born at New Woodstock, N.Y., October 26, 1853.

Spent early life on a farm. Was graduated from Syracuse University in 1877.

After teaching several years in his alma mater and elsewhere, he became Professor of Botany in Columbia University. He contributed numerous articles to the _Torrey Bulletin_, _Fern Bulletin_, and other scientific journals. His scholarly book, "Our Native Ferns and Their Allies,"

continued unexcelled through six editions. He died November 16, 1907.

DAVENPORT, GEO. EDWARD. Born in Boston, August 3, 1833. A promoter and officer of the Middles.e.x Inst.i.tute. An accurate and diligent student of the ferns, his numerous articles were published in the _Fern Bulletin_, in the _Torrey Bulletin_, _Rhodora_, and in separate monographs. He was a leading authority on the pteridophyta, and collected a large and choice herbarium of the native ferns, which he donated to the Ma.s.sachusetts Horticultural Society. By his gentle manners and kindly spirit he won many friends, all of whom were proud to recognize his distinguished ability. He cultivated many of our rare native ferns in his Fellsway home, at Medford, Ma.s.s., and freely gave specimens to his friends. He died suddenly of heart failure, November 29, 1907.

WATERS, CAMPBELL EASTER. Born in Baltimore County, Md., September 14, 1872.

Was graduated at Johns Hopkins University in 1895. Ph.D. in 1899. Was for a time a close student of ferns, and issued his notable book, "Ferns," in 1903, containing his "a.n.a.lytical Key Based on the Stipes." A chemist by profession, he has pursued that branch of science for the last eighteen years. His address is Bureau of Standards, Washington, D.C.

MAXON, WILLIAM RALPH. Born at Oneida, N.Y., February 27, 1877. Was graduated at Syracuse University in 1898. Began as aid in cryptogamic botany, United States National Herbarium, 1899, and is now a.s.sociate curator of the same. Has specialized in scientific work on the pteridophyta, distinguishing himself by the excellence as well as by the large number of his publications, the more important being "Studies of Tropical American Ferns," Nos. 1 to 6. The _Fern Bulletin_, _Torrey Bulletin_, _American Fern Journal_, _Fernwort Papers_, et al., have profited from his expert and up-to-date knowledge. He is president of the American Fern Society.

PARSONS, FRANCES THEODORA. Born in New York, December 5, 1861. _Nee_ Smith.

Married Commander William Starr Dana of the United States Navy, who was lost at sea. As Mrs. Dana, she published, "How to Know the Wild Flowers,"

in 1893, and within ten years more than seventy thousand copies of the book had been sold. "According to Season" appeared in 1894. In February, 1896, she married Prof. James Russell Parsons, treasurer of the University of the State of New York. In 1899 she published, "How to Know the Ferns." She combined a thorough knowledge of her subject with an easy and graceful style.

DODGE, RAYNAL. Born at Newburyport, Ma.s.s., September 9, 1844. Civil War veteran. Wounded at Port Hudson, June 28, 1863. A machinist by trade. A careful observer and student of nature, he discovered _Aspidium simulatum_ at Follymill, Seabrook, N.H., in 1880. (Whittier's "My Playmate," verse 9.) He discovered also the hybrid _Aspidium cristatum Marginale_. He published his little book, "Ferns and Fern Allies of New England," in 1896.

Died October 20, 1918.

EATON, ALVAH AUGUSTUS. Born at Seabrook, N.H., November 20, 1865. Studied at the Putnam School in Newburyport, but was largely self-educated. He took up teaching for several years, spending three years in California.

Returning East, he became a florist and began to write for various fern journals, giving special attention to the fern allies. He prepared the genera _Equisetum_ and _Isoetes_ for the seventh edition of "Gray's Manual." He proved the keenness of his observing powers by discovering several ferns new to the United States. Died at his home in North Easton, Ma.s.s., September 29, 1908.

WILLIAMSON, JOHN. Born in Abernathy, Scotland, about the year 1838. He came to Louisville, Ky., to live in 1866. A wood-carver by trade, he could work skillfully in wood or metal, and after a time established a bra.s.s foundry.

His friend, George E. Davenport, writes of him: "He caught as by some divine gift or inspiration the innermost life and feelings of the wild flowers and ferns, and his marvelously accurate needle transfixed them with revivifying power on paper or metal." His "Ferns of Kentucky," issued in 1878, was the first handbook on ferns published in the United States. He died June 17, 1884, in the mountains of West Virginia, whither he had gone for his health.

FERN LITERATURE

AMERICAN FERN JOURNAL. 1910. The American Fern Society. (Annual subscription, $1.25.)

BELAIRS, NONA. Hardy Ferns. Smith, Elder and Co. London, 1865.

BRITISH FERN GAZETTE.

BRITTEN, JAMES. European Ferns. Colored Plates. Ca.s.sell & Co. London.

Quarto.

b.u.t.tERS, F.K. Athyrium. Study of the American Lady Ferns. Rhodora, September, 1917.

CAMPBELL, D.H. Structure and Development of the Mosses and Ferns. Macmillan & Co. 1905. Ed. 2.

CLUTE, WILLARD N. Our Ferns in Their Haunts. Frederick A. Stokes Co. New York, 1901.

Fern Collector's Guide. Frederick A. Stokes Co. New York, 1902.

The Fern Allies. Frederick A. Stokes Co. New York, 1905.

The Fern Bulletin. Founder and Editor. 20 vols. 1893-1912.

Combined with The American Botanist. Joliet, Ill. 1912.

CONARD, HENRY S. Structure and History of Hayscented Fern. Washington, 1908.

COOK, M.C. Fern-book for Everybody. E. Warne & Co. London.

DAVENPORT, GEO. E. Catalog of Davenport Herbarium, Ma.s.sachusetts Horticultural Society. 1879. Numerous Monographs and Notes on New England ferns in Torrey Bulletin, Fern Bulletin, and Rhodora. The following monographs are in single booklets by Ma.s.sachusetts Horticultural Society.

Aspidium cristatum marginale, Aspidium simulatum, Aspidium spinulosum and its Varieties, Botrychium ternatum and its Varieties, Notes on Botrychium simplex.