“The Sensitive Fern Family”

Onocleaceae 4 genera Consists of 5 north temperate species with only 2 species found in North America Strongly dimorphic fronds- fertile fronds different from sterile fronds

Sensitive Fern Onoclea sensibilis Found in wet meadows and woods, swamps, and stream banks; usually in slightly acidic soil Height is inches Spores are located on separate fertile fronds, within bead-like modified leaflets Stipe (leaf stalk) is a yellow or pale tan, dark brown at the base with a few scales society.org/ferns/onocleasens society.org/ferns/onocleasens.html

Sensitive Fern - Onoclea sensibilis

Ostrich Fern Matteuccia struthiopteris Found in moist thickets, especially along streams and rivers Height is 3-5 feet Spores are located on a separate fertile frond that is dense and rigid; they are green maturing to a dark brown Stipe (leaf stalk): rigid, dark brown, and deeply grooved at the base; green and ungrooved above All 3 pictures: society.org/ferns/matteucciastru.html

Ostrich Fern - Matteuccia struthiopteris T

Gleason, Henry A., Cronquist, Arthur. Manual of Vascular Plants of Northeastern United States and Adjacent Canada. 2 nd ed. New York botanical Garden, Bronx, New York. pp Walters, Dirk R., Keil, David J., Murrell, Zack E Vascular Plant Taxonomy. 5 th ed. Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company, Dubuque, Iowa. References