Ferns on the Macnamara Trail

After a short lesson on fern identification, Lis Allison led us to 16 species of fern on our Sunday afternoon walk. This is a very good species count and on our very own trail!  We learned some easy ways to ID each species and we also learned how variable and tricky these plants can be.  One of the very special ferns on the trail is the Walking Fern which loves to grow on the exposed Precambrian marble on a little escarpment at one point along the trail.

Below is the list compiled by Lis with pictures from Janet Mason.

Ferns and Allies Seen at Macnamara Trail, July 3, 2016

Common Name Botanical Name Comment
Bracken Pteridium aquilinum
Northern Lady Fern Athyrium angustum
Sensitive Fern Onoclea sensibilis
Cinnamon Fern Osmundastrum cinnamomeum
Oak Fern Gymnocarpium dryopteroides
Marsh Fern Thelypteris palustris
Bulblet Fern Cystopteris bulbifera
Royal Fern Osmunda regalis
Narrow Beech Fern Phegopteris connectilis
Spinulose Wood Fern Dryopteris carthusiana
Evergreen Wood Fern Dryopteris intermedia
Marginal Wood Fern Dryopteris marginalis
Crested Fern Dryopteris cristata
Clinton’s Fern, possibly Dryopteris clintoniana possible an immature Crested
Walking Fern Asplenium rhizophyllum
Maidenhair Adiantum pedatum
Christmas Fern Polystichum acrostichoides Not seen on the walk but has been observed on the trail
 Allies
Southern Ground Cedar Diphasiastrum digitatum Clubmoss
Scouring Rush Equisetum hyemale Horsetail
Dwarf Scouring Rush Equisetum scirpoides Horsetail
Woodland Horsetail Equisetum sylvaticum Horsetail
Field Horsetail Equisetum arvense Horsetail

Walking Fern Lis with Clinton Fern IMG_1579