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June 30, 2012
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NH Forest Society (lower trail, on right side of trail, 50 yards before turning left
to walk through planted forest), Portsmouth Street, Concord, New Hampshire
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I found this fern in May 2011 in fiddlehead form, but I wasn't able to identify it.
A research botanist told me at the time that it was Evergreen Wood Fern. The is my
first real identification of the plant (at a new location). Here are a few things
to remember about Evergreen Wood Fern:
- Lower pinnules (leafules) are larger than the upper pinnules on the same pinna (leaflet).
- Veins do not reach the margin.
- Circular sori (collection of spores), not on the margins.
- Medium-sized brown/copper scales on the stipe (leaf stem).
- Bipinnate, pinnatifid (slightly lobed) leaves.
- Gland-tipped hairs on the costa (leaflet stem).
- On the lowest pinna (leaflet), the inner and bottom pinnule (leafule) is much smaller
than the adjacent pinnule (See picture on the right of the first row, above.)
- Leaves stay green through Winter, but die out in the Spring.
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