fern, ferne

[1. S. fearn; cogn. with Dut. varen; O. H. Ger. farm, farn; Ger. farn.] springing from a creeps below or on the surface of the ground, or rises into the air like the trunk of a tree. This trunk does not taper, but is of equal diameter at both ends. It is covered by a hard, cellular, fibrous rind; its wood, when any is present, consists of large, scalariform or dotted ducts; Fern. 1. Filix Mas. 2. Pair of Pinnules. the vernation of the leaves is circinate, their venation often dichotomous. Reproductive organs, consisting of spore-cases, arising from the veins on the lower surface of the leaves or from their margins. The collection of seeds are called sori. Most ferns are comparatively small, while some tree-ferns reach seventy-five feet high. The closest affinities of ferns is with Lycopodiaceae. Seventy-five genera and about 2,500 are known. divided them into three orders: Ophioglo acee, Polypod i a cere, and Danseacese (q. v.). The last-named order is now generally called Mar att i a cere (q. v.). The three are thus distinguished: Ophioglo ace have fructifications marginal, on fronds; Marattiacese have the fructifications dorsal on flat leafy fronds; Polypodiacese have the spore-cases not valvate, rarely somewhat two-valved vertically. The last has jointed spore-cases, the first two have none. (2) Spec .: The order Polypodiaceae. It contains all the Filical Alliance, with the exception of a few abnormal genera. 2. Palæo - bot .: The fronds of ferns or their impre ions are frequently met with, and in a beautiful state of preservation. In some cases even the form of the sori has been preserved. Ferns are known from about the middle of the Silurian period. They became more numerous during the Devonian period; tree-ferns (Psaronius and Cyclopteris) appearing among the rest. Ferns are quite a notable feature of Carboniferous vegetation. There are both herbaceous and tree-ferns. The genera of the former are numerous. The most important are Sphenopteris, Pec opter is, Neuropteris, Cyclopteris, . The ferns of the Permian system are le numerous; they generally resemble those of the Carboniferous. Ferns abound again in the. Oolitic rocks, after which they lose their relative importance as plants of higher organization multiply. 3. Pharm .: Filir mas, Male Fern, the dried rhizome of Aspidium filix mas . It should be collected in summer. It is of a greenish-brown color externally, yellow within; the taste is at first sweet, then bitter; the powder is yellowish-green. It is used to form Extractum filicis liquidum , fern in fine powder two pounds extracted with eighty fluid ounces of ether. It is anthelmintic, and is employed to expel tapeworms. IMG:content-1556.png:[blocks in formation] *ferne, a . & adv. [A. S. fyrn; O. Sax. fern , forn, furn ; O. H. Ger. firn i ; Goth. fairnis .] A. As adj .: Former, past. "Farewel al the snowgh of ferne yere." Chaucer: Troilus and Cre eide, v. 1,176. B. As adv.: Formerly, before. "The kyndne e that myn ever cris tene Kidde me fernyere."-P . Plowman, 3,353. fern-er-ỹ, s. [Eng. fern; -ery.] A place where ferns are artificially grown.