Quick Guide to the Common Ferns of New England
by Arieh Tal
Other occasionally-common or locally-common ferns not covered in this guide include: Oak fern (Gymnocarpium dryopteris), Fragile fern (Cystopteris fragilis), Bulblet fern (Cystopteris bulbifera), Mountain Woodfern (Dryopteris campyloptera), Maidenhair spleenwort (Asplenium trichomanes), Massachusetts fern (Thelypteris simulata).
Numbers in parentheses refer to page numbers in Boughton Cobb, A Field Guide to Ferns and their related families, Houghton Mifflin Co., Boston, 1984. Where more than one scientific name for a species is given, the current name is listed first, followed by the previous name.
Height Characteristics (typical for species.): Tall = Greater than 2 feet. Medium = 10 inches to 2 feet. Short = Less than 10 inches.
Growth Forms: Symmetrical clump, Asymmetrical clump, or Random (Rhizomatous).
| Frond (Leaf) Attributes | Spore Attributes | ||||||||
| Fern Name | Ever- green |
Height | Growth Form |
No. Cuts |
Shape | Stem Surface |
Stem Groove |
Location of Spore Cases | Shape/Color of Spore Clusters |
| Royal (168) (Osmunda regalis) |
N | Tall | Sym. Clump |
2 | Very large; Longer than Broad | Green; Smooth, with whitish "bloom" |
No groove | At end (terminal) of fronds | Globular in clusters |
| Cinnamon (172) (Osmunda cinnamomea) |
N | Tall | Sym. Clump |
2 | Plume; Lanceolate; slight taper at base |
Green; Pale brown fuzz, diminishing later in season to smooth stem | No groove | Separate fertile frond | Globular in clusters; green turning tan |
| Interrupted (170) (Osmunda claytoniana) |
N | Tall | Sym. Clump |
2 | Plume; Lanceolate; slight taper at base |
Green; Smooth, except when frond unfurls early in season | No groove | In middle of fronds, forming an "interruption" | Globular in clusters; green turning brown |
| Hayscented
(116) (Dennstaedtia punctilobula) |
N | Med. | Random; Rhizom. |
3 | Plume; Lanceolate; slight taper at base or no taper |
Green; Finely downy | Shallow groove or none | Underside of Frond | Nest shaped |
| Bracken (134) (Pteridium aquilinum) |
N | Med- Tall |
Random; Rhizom. |
2-3 | Triangular; three segments | Dark Green; Finely downy | Shallow groove | Underside of Frond on leaf margins | In narrow lines under folds of leaflets |
| Polypody (130) (Polypodium virginianum) |
Y | Short | Random; Rhizom. |
1 | Plume; Lanceolate; slight taper at base |
Dark green;
New frond: scattered, thin scales Late frond: smooth |
No groove | Underside of Frond | Red-brown; Round with no indusium (cover) |
| Long
Beech (82) (Phegopteris connectilis) (Thelypteris phegopteris) |
N | Short | Random; Rhizom. |
2 | Triangular; lowest 2 pinnae bent inward | Green; Light tan scales throughout | No groove | Underside of Frond | Spores in round clusters; No indusium (cover) |
| New
York (86) (Thelypteris noveboracensis) |
N | Short | Random; Rhizom. |
2 | Plume; Lanceolate; sharply tapered at base |
Green; Sparse, very fine, scales and/or hairs | Shallow groove or none | Underside of Frond near margins | Kidney-shaped; pale |
| Marsh (84) (Thelypteris palustris) |
N | Short | Random; Rhizom. |
2 | Plume; Lanceolate; slight tapered at base or none; often twisted at apex |
Green above, black at base; Smooth; Longer than blade | No groove | Separate fertile frond; often taller than sterile fronds; Spores on upper leaflets in rows on main vein | Narrow, kidney-shaped; Pale; Slightly hairy or ciliate |
| Ostrich (118) (Matteuccia struthiopteris) |
N | Tall | Sym. Clump |
2 | Plume; Lanceolate; strongly tapered tip & base |
Green; Smooth throughout | Deep, pronounced groove at base | Separate fertile frond | Spores completely covered by leaf margins |
| Sensitive (120) (Onoclea sensibilis) |
N | Short- Med. |
Random; Rhizom. |
1-2 | Triangular; lowest 2 pinnae bent inwards | Green, shade varies; Smooth | No groove | Separate fertile frond | Enveloped completely by fertile leaflet |
| Christmas (126) (Polystichum acrostichoides) |
Y | Med. | Asym. Clump |
2 | Plume; Lanceolate; slight taper at base |
Dark green; Dense, broad, light tan scales | Shallow groove; base may be ungrooved | Underside of Frond, close to leaf axis | Red-brown; Round, in rows |
| Lady (110) (Athyrium filix-femina) |
N | Med. | Asym. Clump |
2-3 | Plume; Lanceolate; tapered at base |
Green & red varieties; Narrow, dark scales at base | Grooved | Underside of Frond; at oblique angle to main vein | Narrow; curved |
| Marginal Wood (64) (Dryopteris marginalis) |
Y | Med. | Sym. Clump |
2 | Plume; Lanceolate; slight taper at base or no taper |
Green; Dense, light brown scales at base | Grooved | Underside of Frond near leaflet margins | Kidney- shaped; Gray, turning brown |
| Intermediate Wood (68) (Dryopteris intermedia) |
Y | Med. | Sym. Clump |
3 | Plume; Lanceolate; slight taper at base or no taper |
Green; Dense, light brown scales at base; Glandular hairs near tip | Grooved | Underside of Frond between margins & main vein | Kidney-shaped; Indusium (cover) glandular |
| Spinulose Wood (68) (Dryopteris carthusiana) (Dryopteris spinulosa) |
N | Med. | Sym. Clump |
3 | Plume; Lanceolate; slight taper at base or no taper |
Green; Dense, light brown scales at base | Grooved | Underside of Frond, near tips of veins | Kidney-shaped; Indusium (cover) smooth |
| Maidenhair (140) (Adiantum pedatum) |
N | Med. | Random; Rhizom. |
3 | Oval; segments lanceolate | Dark brown to black; thin; Fine scales near base | No groove | Underside of Frond | Linear-shaped spores covered by leaf margins; White or yellow-green |
© 2002 Arieh Tal. All rights reserved.