Project Gutenberg's The Fern Lover's Companion, by George Henry Tilton

This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or
re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.net

Title: The Fern Lover's Companion
A Guide for the Northeastern States and Canada

Author: George Henry Tilton

Release Date: February 28, 2004 [EBook #11365]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE FERN LOVER'S COMPANION ***

Produced by Charles Aldarondo, Keren Vergon, Leonard D Johnson and PG
Distributed Proofreaders

[Illustration: A Fern Lover]

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."

[Illustration]

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 (_Notholaena_)
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 (_Dennstaedtia_)
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. _Schizaea_
Cinnamon Fern. _Osmunda cinnamomea_
Sensitiv