Ferns

Ferns and Fern allies like mosses, quillworts, rushes,
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  • Netted Chainfern

    Netted Chainfern

    Netted Chain Fern in Campbell County, TN by the little green spring pond. Sundquist WMA. Woodwardia aereolata Woodwardia family

  • Possum Paw Fern or Climbing Fern Check out the delicate baby fronds dangling down! Honey Creek Loop Hike Big South Fork Recreation Area Scott County, TN

    Possum Paw Fern or Climbing Fern Check out the delicate baby fronds dangling down! Honey Creek Loop Hike Big South Fork Recreation Area Scott County, TN

  • Rattlesnake Fern (Botrychium virginianum) Ophioglossaceae Whiteoak Sink April 3 2007 GSMNP

    Rattlesnake Fern (Botrychium virginianum) Ophioglossaceae Whiteoak Sink April 3 2007 GSMNP

  • Maidenhair Fern Adiantum pedatum Cucumber Gap Trail Great Smoky Mountains National Park TN

    Maidenhair Fern Adiantum pedatum Cucumber Gap Trail Great Smoky Mountains National Park TN

  • Cinnamon Fern Osmunda cinnamomea Osmundacea Alarka, NC 6/5/07

    Cinnamon Fern Osmunda cinnamomea Osmundacea Alarka, NC 6/5/07

  • Southern Adders Tounge Fern growing in Maryville College Woods-first time sighting for me this year. This fern is one of the easy to identify types since nothing else looks quite like it! It grows in the Smokies, but I have not found it there so far. It likes disturbed places with a partial canopy and steady moisture. This and the next three ferns are all members of the Adders Tounge family. Ophioglossum vulgatum Ophioglossaceae Blount Co, TN 4/09

    Southern Adders Tounge Fern growing in Maryville College Woods-first time sighting for me this year. This fern is one of the easy to identify types since nothing else looks quite like it! It grows in the Smokies, but I have not found it there so far. It likes disturbed places with a partial canopy and steady moisture. This and the next three ferns are all members of the Adders Tounge family. Ophioglossum vulgatum Ophioglossaceae Blount Co, TN 4/09

  • Reindeer Lichen is found in great quantities here in the Red Spruce Bog. It grows in areas of tundra and is an important food for caribou up north. There is a zone of tundra here as well as one more taiga like. Cladonia rangiferina Cladoniaceae Fern allie Nantahala National Forest, NC 5/8/09

    Reindeer Lichen is found in great quantities here in the Red Spruce Bog. It grows in areas of tundra and is an important food for caribou up north. There is a zone of tundra here as well as one more taiga like. Cladonia rangiferina Cladoniaceae Fern allie Nantahala National Forest, NC 5/8/09

  • Southern Grape Fern --later in Summer this will send up a fertile complex that looks like a snake tounge in July or August. Botrychium biternatum Ophioglossaceae Maryville College Woods, TN 4/09

    Southern Grape Fern --later in Summer this will send up a fertile complex that looks like a snake tounge in July or August. Botrychium biternatum Ophioglossaceae Maryville College Woods, TN 4/09

  • Broad Beech Fern--Dan and I saw lots of these unfurling along Beard Cane Creek Trail and weren't sure what species they were! On this trip along the manway I found the ferns in many stages so I was able to tell. Interestingly this is in the Marsh fern family. A "marsh" is supposed to be a wetland without trees, but that is certainly not the case here. The forest here is very moist with too many trees to count. Phegopteris hexagonoptera Thelypteridaceae Blount Co. TN 5/09

    Broad Beech Fern--Dan and I saw lots of these unfurling along Beard Cane Creek Trail and weren't sure what species they were! On this trip along the manway I found the ferns in many stages so I was able to tell. Interestingly this is in the Marsh fern family. A "marsh" is supposed to be a wetland without trees, but that is certainly not the case here. The forest here is very moist with too many trees to count. Phegopteris hexagonoptera Thelypteridaceae Blount Co. TN 5/09

  • Southern Running Cedar another fern allie along Walton Trail. Saw lots of this growing especially in the more boreal forest areas of this trail. It grows from Eastern Canada southward to mountainous areas of South America. Diphasiastrum digitatum Lycopodiaceae Fern allie Alarka Laurel Nantahala National Forest, NC 5/8/09

    Southern Running Cedar another fern allie along Walton Trail. Saw lots of this growing especially in the more boreal forest areas of this trail. It grows from Eastern Canada southward to mountainous areas of South America. Diphasiastrum digitatum Lycopodiaceae Fern allie Alarka Laurel Nantahala National Forest, NC 5/8/09

  • Here is a shot of Common Grape Fern growing along Balsam Mountain Road. It isn't the best shot for distinguishing the difference between the leaves of Common and Southern Grape Fern, but if you look closely.. you can see the leaves are more divided. This photo shows the fertile spike that both have which bear the spores for reproduction. Botrychium dissectum Ophioglossaceae GSMNP NC 6/07

    Here is a shot of Common Grape Fern growing along Balsam Mountain Road. It isn't the best shot for distinguishing the difference between the leaves of Common and Southern Grape Fern, but if you look closely.. you can see the leaves are more divided. This photo shows the fertile spike that both have which bear the spores for reproduction. Botrychium dissectum Ophioglossaceae GSMNP NC 6/07

  • Ebony Spleenwort growing in the moist cedar woods This is a pretty easy to recognize fern. It is distinguished by the end fronds being staggered while it's cousin the Black stemmed Spleenwort has paired, opposite fronds all the way along it. Asplenium platyneuron Aspleniaceae Kugler Farm, Va. 5/25/09

    Ebony Spleenwort growing in the moist cedar woods This is a pretty easy to recognize fern. It is distinguished by the end fronds being staggered while it's cousin the Black stemmed Spleenwort has paired, opposite fronds all the way along it. Asplenium platyneuron Aspleniaceae Kugler Farm, Va. 5/25/09

  • Unfurling Sensitive Fern

    Unfurling Sensitive Fern

  • Foxtail Club Moss along Walton Trail near the Shining Club Moss. Though they look similar and are related they are different species. This is a bog club moss. Lycopodiella alopecuroides Lycopodiaceae Another fern allie Alarka Laurel Nantahala National Forest, NC 5/8/09

    Foxtail Club Moss along Walton Trail near the Shining Club Moss. Though they look similar and are related they are different species. This is a bog club moss. Lycopodiella alopecuroides Lycopodiaceae Another fern allie Alarka Laurel Nantahala National Forest, NC 5/8/09

  • Shining Club Moss in the forest along the Walton Trail This is a fir moss Huperzia lucidula Lycopodiaceae This is a fern allie. Alarka Laurel Nantahala National Forest, NC 5/8/09

    Shining Club Moss in the forest along the Walton Trail This is a fir moss Huperzia lucidula Lycopodiaceae This is a fern allie. Alarka Laurel Nantahala National Forest, NC 5/8/09

  • Mountain Wood Fern growing along a stream near the Little Brier Gap Trail This fern is more difficult to identify by appearance alone. I carried a magnifying glass and took photos of the underside of the leaf for the shape of the divisions of the leaflets and the pattern of the sporangia and indusia. Dryopteris campyloptera Dryopteridaceae GSMNP TN 5/09

    Mountain Wood Fern growing along a stream near the Little Brier Gap Trail This fern is more difficult to identify by appearance alone. I carried a magnifying glass and took photos of the underside of the leaf for the shape of the divisions of the leaflets and the pattern of the sporangia and indusia. Dryopteris campyloptera Dryopteridaceae GSMNP TN 5/09

  • Broom Moss along the manway out of the park. This is a Fern Ally or a related vascular plant that reproduces by spores rather than seeds similar to the way ferns do. Dicranum scoparium Dicranaceae Blount County, TN 5/09

    Broom Moss along the manway out of the park. This is a Fern Ally or a related vascular plant that reproduces by spores rather than seeds similar to the way ferns do. Dicranum scoparium Dicranaceae Blount County, TN 5/09

  • Sensitive Fern fully opened Onoclea sensibilis Dryopteridaceae These like moist areas of rich black loamy soil. Notice how much simpler the leaf form is on these compared to Marginal Wood Fern? On the degrees of frond dissection these are much less cut. They are "pinnately" divided and the edges of the leaves are "smooth" instead of toothed. These have only ruffles down the leaf sides. This is another way ferns are ID'd. This one is along Little Brier Gap Trail. These can grow to be huge. GSMNP TN 5/09

    Sensitive Fern fully opened Onoclea sensibilis Dryopteridaceae These like moist areas of rich black loamy soil. Notice how much simpler the leaf form is on these compared to Marginal Wood Fern? On the degrees of frond dissection these are much less cut. They are "pinnately" divided and the edges of the leaves are "smooth" instead of toothed. These have only ruffles down the leaf sides. This is another way ferns are ID'd. This one is along Little Brier Gap Trail. These can grow to be huge. GSMNP TN 5/09

  • Mountain Wood Fern along Walton Trail Dryopteris campyloptera Dryopteridaceae Alarka Laurel Nantahala National Forest, NC 5/8/09

    Mountain Wood Fern along Walton Trail Dryopteris campyloptera Dryopteridaceae Alarka Laurel Nantahala National Forest, NC 5/8/09

  • Cutleaf Grape Fern --sterile frond. Per Alan Cressler. (Thanks Alan) found growing along the Porters Creek Trail in the Great Smoky Mountains, TN

    Cutleaf Grape Fern --sterile frond. Per Alan Cressler. (Thanks Alan) found growing along the Porters Creek Trail in the Great Smoky Mountains, TN

    Cutleaf Grape Fern Sceptridium dissectum Ophioglossaceae

  • Round Branch Ground- Pine in the Red Spruce Bog area Lycopodium hickeyi Lyocopodiaceae Fern allie Alarka Laurel Nantahala National Forest, NC 5/8/09

    Round Branch Ground- Pine in the Red Spruce Bog area Lycopodium hickeyi Lyocopodiaceae Fern allie Alarka Laurel Nantahala National Forest, NC 5/8/09

  • Walking Fern growing on the boulders at the base of the cliffs in White Oak Sinks. They are called walking ferns because they seen to move where they want to go. They send out shoots from the tip of the leaf. This will take root and a new part of the plant takes off from there. Asplenium rhizophyllum Aspleniaceae GSMNP TN 3/09

    Walking Fern growing on the boulders at the base of the cliffs in White Oak Sinks. They are called walking ferns because they seen to move where they want to go. They send out shoots from the tip of the leaf. This will take root and a new part of the plant takes off from there. Asplenium rhizophyllum Aspleniaceae GSMNP TN 3/09

  • British Soldiers Lichen growing along Connellys Creek Road Not sure what the other club moss is. Cladonia cristatella Cladoniaceae Fern allie Nantahala National Forest, NC 5/8/09

    British Soldiers Lichen growing along Connellys Creek Road Not sure what the other club moss is. Cladonia cristatella Cladoniaceae Fern allie Nantahala National Forest, NC 5/8/09

  • Some sort of lip fern.

    Some sort of lip fern.

  • Intermediate Wood Fern along Beard Cane Trail Tricky to identify, but common in the mountains. Dryopteris intermedia Dryopteridaceae GSMNP TN 4/09

    Intermediate Wood Fern along Beard Cane Trail Tricky to identify, but common in the mountains. Dryopteris intermedia Dryopteridaceae GSMNP TN 4/09

  • Lowland Brittle Fern along Porters Creek Trail Cystopteris protrusa Dryopteridaceae GSMNP TN 4/09

    Lowland Brittle Fern along Porters Creek Trail Cystopteris protrusa Dryopteridaceae GSMNP TN 4/09

  • Ostrich Ferns

    Ostrich Ferns

    Ostrich Ferns Matteuccia struthiopteris Royal Blue WMA-East Caryville, TN They are about 3 ft high

  • Sensitive Fern

    Sensitive Fern

    Sensitive Fern found along Little Brier Gap Trail Onoclea sensibilis Onocleaceae Great Smoky Mountains National Park, TN 5/08

  • Bracken Fern Pteridium aquilinum Dennstaedtiaceae Alarka, NC 6/08

    Bracken Fern Pteridium aquilinum Dennstaedtiaceae Alarka, NC 6/08

  • Appalachian Rock Polypody cluster in the rocks below Fern Branch Falls This is a really good trail for a fern walk. GSMNP TN 4/09

    Appalachian Rock Polypody cluster in the rocks below Fern Branch Falls This is a really good trail for a fern walk. GSMNP TN 4/09

  • Christmas Fern along Kimsey Creek Trail Nantahala NF, NC

    Christmas Fern along Kimsey Creek Trail Nantahala NF, NC

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    Reindeer Lichen is found in great quantities here in the Red Spruce Bog. It grows in areas of tundra and is an important food for caribou up north. There is a zone of tundra here as well as one more taiga like. Cladonia rangiferina Cladoniaceae Fern allie Nantahala National Forest, NC 5/8/09
    Southern Grape Fern --later in Summer this will send up a fertile complex that looks like a snake tounge in July or August. Botrychium biternatum Ophioglossaceae Maryville College Woods, TN 4/09
    Broad Beech Fern--Dan and I saw lots of these unfurling along Beard Cane Creek Trail and weren't sure what species they were! On this trip along the manway I found the ferns in many stages so I was able to tell. Interestingly this is in the Marsh fern family. A "marsh" is supposed to be a wetland without trees, but that is certainly not the case here. The forest here is very moist with too many trees to count. Phegopteris hexagonoptera Thelypteridaceae Blount Co. TN 5/09