Osmunda claytoniana
opdehaar | 25-5-2010 09:24
Photos taken on 23rd May 2010 on the "beech arch" path.
Osmunda claytoniana (interrupted fern) is a fern native to eastern North America and eastern Asia. In eastern North America it occurs from southern Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec (up to the tree-line), east to Newfoundland and south through the Appalachian mountains down to Georgia and west to the Mississppi River. In Asia, it is found in the Himalaya, southern China, Japan, Korea and Taiwan. Fragmentary foliage resembling O. claytoniana has been found in the fossil record as far back as the Triassic, and is known as Osmunda claytoniites
Osmunda claytoniana (interrupted fern) is a fern native to eastern North America and eastern Asia. In eastern North America it occurs from southern Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec (up to the tree-line), east to Newfoundland and south through the Appalachian mountains down to Georgia and west to the Mississppi River. In Asia, it is found in the Himalaya, southern China, Japan, Korea and Taiwan. Fragmentary foliage resembling O. claytoniana has been found in the fossil record as far back as the Triassic, and is known as Osmunda claytoniites
It is named after the English-born Virginian botanist John Clayton.
The fronds are bipinnate, 40-100 cm tall and 20-30 cm broad, the blade formed of alternate segments forming an arching blade tightening to a pointed end. The lower end is also slightly thinner than the rest of the frond because the first segments are shorter. Three to seven short, cinnamon-colored fertile segments are inserted in the middle of the length, giving the plant its name. In their absence, the plant in all its stages appears similar to Osmundastrum cinnamomeum (Cinnamon Fern). To distinguish them, look at the base of the segments; where O. cinnamomeum has typical felt-like hairs, the few hairs present on O. claytoniana are extremely short, usually requiring a magnifying glass to see well. (from Wikipedia)