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Plants Interrupted Fern, Osmunda claytoniana  There are three species of Osmunda, flowering fern, in Vermont: Interrupted Fern, Osmunda claytoniana, Cinnamon Fern, Osmunda cinnamomea and Royal Fern, Osmunda regalis. Each species grows in clumps and the roots form large hummocks that lift the plants above the surrounding ground level. Osmundas like moist conditions and occur throughout Vermont in sunny wetlands, beaver meadows, roadside ditches, along streams where there is sufficient sunlight and at the edges of mowed areas. They are long-lived perennials and a fern mound that measures 36” across is believed to be 100 years old. Tropical members of the Genus grow very large and the dead roots are harvested to make excellent potting mix for growing tropical ephiphytic orchids in clay pots. We may first enjoy Osmundas in late April and through the month of May. The earliest Osmunda species to emerge is Interrupted Fern with rapidly expanding crosiers, or fiddleheads, that are covered with soft tan wool. Soon the fronds unfurl and the bright fresh green of the maturing fronds appears. The Interrupted Fern gets its name from the interesting placement of spore-bearing structures, fertile pinnules, at the middle of a mature frond. Many fern species produce spores on the underside of the frond in structures that look like little dots, called sori. Each sorus produces hundreds of spores. From a distance, the frond looks like it has been interrupted. At first, the fertile pinnules are a black-green color and are very beautiful under the hand lens, looking like bunches of grapes. When they turn to a rusty brown color, a light tap to the stem will release hundreds of dust-sized spores.  Cinnamon Fern grows early as well and takes its name from the coloring of its fertile frond. The crozier is covered with bright cinnamon-colored wool. There is a patch of cinnamon-colored wool on the underside of the frond at the base of each pinna or branch. The spores are produced on a separate frond which grows toward the middle of the clump and looks like a cinnamon-colored club. When the spores are ripe, wind will send the spores to land in another place with appropriate conditions to start new plants. By mid-June the fertile fronds have withered but can still be found by looking down the center of the plant at the ground level.  Royal Fern soon follows the emergence of the first two species and its crosiers are often a dark reddish color. All three Osmundas have simple pinnules or leaflets and do not appear as lacy as other ferns. Royal Fern looks the least fern-like of the three and forms beautiful large spreading clumps of bronzy-green fronds that, like the other two species, also place their fertile pinnules in an interesting manner. The tips of the most mature fronds abruptly change from green sterile pinnules, which make food for the plant, to contracted fertile pinnules with clusters of sori that mature from an initial color of green-purple to rusty brown when the mature spores are released by the wind.It is a wonderful time of the year to go outdoors and look at the suite of Osmunda ferns that are expanding rapidly with every Spring rain shower. Be sure and take along a hand lens. - Deborah Benjamin This page was last updated on January 1, 2009 |
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Hazen's Notch Association l P.O. Box 478 l Montgomery Center VT 05471 l info@hazensnotch.org l 802.326.4799 |