I don't keep a life list of ferns that I've seen, but if I did, this elegant species would be a newcomer. It's known commonly as either Silvery Spleenwort or Silvery Glade Fern, and I would have missed it had I not been in the company of some really good botanists who invited me along on their survey of the plants of Avalonia's TriTown preserve. They, of course, found it right away and brought it to my attention, noting that the shape of the spore holders inspired the "spleen" part of the name, and their silvery gray color did the rest. Because the holders, which are technically known as sori (singular is sorus), cover almost the entirety of the underside of the leaf surface, the arrangement is referred to as acrostichoid, and from this term comes the scientific name, Deparia acrostichoides. By any name, it's a beautiful fern.