Taxonomy
Family: Pteridaceae
Habitat
Moist, calcareous woods that are well-shaded. Often in ravines.
Associates
Acer saccharum, Cornus alternifolia, Fraxinus americana, Lindera benzoin, Quercus rubra, Staphylea trifolia, Tilia americana, Ulmus americana
Distribution
Most of the eastern and central US except FL and TX.
Morphology
Plant to 50 cm tall. Stalk dark, dividing once before the leaves. Leaves blue-green, 5-6 coming from each division of the stalk. Sori 1-5, borne on the upper margins of the leaflets (Image 4).
Notes
Spores produced in July
Wetland Indicator: Facultative -
Listed as exploitably vulnerable in NY. The unique fan-like shape of the frond is unmistakable.
References
Cobb, B. 1984. A Field Guide to Ferns and Their Related Families.
Houghton Mifflin Co., New York, NY
Swink, F. and G.
Wilhelm. 1994. Plants of the Chicago Region.
Indiana Academy of Science. The Morton Arboretum. Lisle, Illinois.
USDA, NRCS. 2002.
The PLANTS Database, Version 3.5 (http://plants.usda.gov).
National Plant Data Center, Baton Rouge, LA 70874-4490 USA
© Michael Hough 2004 |