Southern Appalachian Digital Collections

Western Carolina University (20) View all

Ferns of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park

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Item’s are ‘child’ level descriptions to ‘parent’ objects, (e.g. one page of a whole book).

  • THRICE-CUT FERNS 34 BRACKEN 36" D Pteridium aquilinum is a common fern of dry, sunny woodlands and forest openings. The sori occur along the margins of the leathery leaflets, which curl under to form a long, continuous indusium. The blade-like tip of the leaflets is distinctive. Both the Eastern bracken (wide tipped) and Southern bracken (narrow tipped) occur here. 35 RATTLESNAKE FERN 22" D Botrychium virginianum has a branching stem, one branch for the fertile leaflet and the other for the sterile one. This fern is one of the grape ferns, but it is larger than the others, apparently does not intergrade with them, is deciduous rather than evergreen, and fruits in the spring rather than in the fall. It is common in the Park in woodlands at low elevations. 36 GRAPE FERNS 6" E Botrychium spp. are of two or more species that intergrade considerably, making identification a challenge to the professional and unsafe for the amateur. The spore clusters appear in the fall. The ferns may be found in damp locations throughout the Park. REPRODUCTIVE STRUCTURES KEY Sori in grape-like clusters Royal Sensitive Adder's-tongue Rattlesnake Grape Sori without indusia Common polypody Resurrection Beech Indusium flat, round Christmas indusium flat, kidney-shaped Common wood Giant wood Marginal wood Mountain wood Sori under recurved margins Bracken Cliff-brake Lipfern Maidenhair Sori in cup, soon disentegrating Common Woodsia Brittle Bulblet Sori in a persistent cup Hayscented Indusium flat, oblong, oblique Spleenworts (all four) Lady Glade Silvery Glade Indusium flat, oblong, parallel Netvein chain 14
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Object’s are ‘parent’ level descriptions to ‘children’ items, (e.g. a book with pages).