[Illustration: Goldie's Shield Fern. _Aspidium Goldianum_ (Vermont, 1874.
C.G. Pringle) (Herbarium of G.E. Davenport)]

[Illustration: Goldie's Fern (From Woolson's "Ferns," Doubleday, Page &
Co.)]

(4) THE CRESTED FERN

_Aspidium cristàtum_. THELÝPTERIS CRISTÀTA

_Dryopteris cristàta. Nephrodium cristàtum_

Fronds one to two feet long, linear-oblong or lanceolate, pinnate, acute.
Pinnæ two to three inches long, broadest at the base, triangular-oblong,
or the lowest triangular. Divisions oblong, obtuse, finely serrate or
cut-toothed, those nearest the rachis sometimes separate. Fruit-dots large,
round, half way between the midvein and the margin. Indusium smooth, naked,
with a shallow sinus.

The short sterile fronds, though spreading out gracefully, are conspicuous
only in winter; while the fertile fronds, tall, narrow and erect, are found
only in summer.

It is one of our handsomest evergreen ferns and even the large sori, with
their dark spore cases and white indusia, are very attractive. The fertile
pinnæ have a way of turning their faces upward toward the apex of the frond
for more light. In moist land, Canada to Kentucky.

Var. _Clintoniànum_. Clinton's Wood Fern. Resembles the type, but is in
every way larger. Divisions eight to sixteen pairs. Fruit-dots near the