I've identified these ferns in the neighbourhood of our cottage in Val-des-Monts, Quebec.
Please report any errors of identification.
- Bracken
- Christmas fern
- Common polypody
- Interrupted fern
- Lady fern
- Maidenhair fern
- Marginal woodfern
- Marsh fern
- New York fern
- Ostrich fern
- Royal fern
- Rusty woodsia
- Sensitive fern
- Spinulose woodfern
- How I tell ferns apart
Bracken
Common large three-leaf ferns often seen in large colonies.
Common large three-leaf ferns often seen in large colonies.
Bracken
Christmas fern
These are still green in winter.
These are still green in winter.
Christmas fern
Common polypody
These are small, one-time divided ferns that are often seen on rock walls and in crevices. Reasonably common on rocks.
These are small, one-time divided ferns that are often seen on rock walls and in crevices. Reasonably common on rocks.
Common polypody
Common polypody sori
Interrupted fern
A two-cut large fern. Some show a major interruption of leaflets along the stalks, replaced by spore-bearing tissue.
A two-cut large fern. Some show a major interruption of leaflets along the stalks, replaced by spore-bearing tissue.
Interrupted fern
Lady fern
A medium-size fern with little to distinguish it from other ferns except for scattered black scales along the stalk. The stalk is quite long. Fairly lacy appearance but is actually two-divided though with much indentated. Very common. Said to be quite variable in appearance.
A medium-size fern with little to distinguish it from other ferns except for scattered black scales along the stalk. The stalk is quite long. Fairly lacy appearance but is actually two-divided though with much indentated. Very common. Said to be quite variable in appearance.
Lady fern basket
Lady fern sori. Can vary from snail-like to herring-bone.
Lady fern
Not 100% sure this is lady fern but quite likely
Not 100% sure this is lady fern but quite likely
Lady fern stalk
Maidenhair fern
This fern has a characteristic appearance.
This fern has a characteristic appearance.
Maidenhair fern
Marginal woodfern
This is a middle-size fern often occurring in clumps. along tree trunks or rocks The stem is brown-scaly at the base. It is most easily confused with spinulose woodfern but can be differentiated as follows:
The spore cases dotting the underside always lie along the edges (margin) of the leaflet. I also find that the appearance of the upper side is different: the marginal woodfern has a more uniform, smooth and almost rubbery look to it.
Common.
This is a middle-size fern often occurring in clumps. along tree trunks or rocks The stem is brown-scaly at the base. It is most easily confused with spinulose woodfern but can be differentiated as follows:
The spore cases dotting the underside always lie along the edges (margin) of the leaflet. I also find that the appearance of the upper side is different: the marginal woodfern has a more uniform, smooth and almost rubbery look to it.
Common.
Marginal woodfern
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Marginal woodfern (underside)
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Marsh fern
Found by water's edge, large colonies, in a somewhat twisted form. The stalks are notably long, darkening towards the ground and otherwise look to be olive green or green brown with a narrow shallow groove. Fruit dots appear on a separate distinct form of the fern as shown below.
Reasonably common.
Found by water's edge, large colonies, in a somewhat twisted form. The stalks are notably long, darkening towards the ground and otherwise look to be olive green or green brown with a narrow shallow groove. Fruit dots appear on a separate distinct form of the fern as shown below.
Reasonably common.
Marsh fern
Marsh fern colony
Marsh fern fruit dots under the microscope
Marsh fern - non-fertile leaf
Marsh fern - fertile leaf
Marsh fern - fertile leaflet edges curl over dots.
New York fern
Characteristic is the strong tapering of leaflet toward the base of New York fern. The other fern showing this feature is ostrich fern which is a much larger and coarser fern that grows in tidy round baskets. New York fern is more delicate, doesn't grow in baskets though usually three per clump, often in widespread colonies. It is medium height, about knee-high. Ostrich fern has a strong groove in the axis.
New York fern has a smooth or slightly hairy stalk. The leaflets are spread far apart toward the base, unlike ostrich fern.
Characteristic is the strong tapering of leaflet toward the base of New York fern. The other fern showing this feature is ostrich fern which is a much larger and coarser fern that grows in tidy round baskets. New York fern is more delicate, doesn't grow in baskets though usually three per clump, often in widespread colonies. It is medium height, about knee-high. Ostrich fern has a strong groove in the axis.
New York fern has a smooth or slightly hairy stalk. The leaflets are spread far apart toward the base, unlike ostrich fern.
New York fern shown against lake backdrop for detail but didn't grow there.
New York fern
New York fern fruit dots
New York fern
The single fern shown above was taken from this grove of NY ferns.
Oak fern
This is a small fern, triangular tilted with a characteristic black wire-like stem.
This is a small fern, triangular tilted with a characteristic black wire-like stem.
Ostrich fern
This is a large fern, growing in a basket formation. The characteristic feature is the tapering leaflets which get smaller and smaller as one descends the stem. Fairly common.
This is a large fern, growing in a basket formation. The characteristic feature is the tapering leaflets which get smaller and smaller as one descends the stem. Fairly common.
Ostrich fern
Royal fern
Royal fern does not look like a fern. It is mainly found in wet places. Common by water.
Royal fern does not look like a fern. It is mainly found in wet places. Common by water.
Royal fern
Rusty woodsia
I am not entirely sure this is a correct identification but it likely is. A very small fern similar in size to common polypody growing as several separated distinct tight clumps. Quite hairy and scaly. It has been dry here and the lower photo shows how the fern reacts.
I am not entirely sure this is a correct identification but it likely is. A very small fern similar in size to common polypody growing as several separated distinct tight clumps. Quite hairy and scaly. It has been dry here and the lower photo shows how the fern reacts.
Sensitive fern
This medium-size fern has quite a characteristic appearance. It is often found in wet places but not exclusively. Common.
This medium-size fern has quite a characteristic appearance. It is often found in wet places but not exclusively. Common.
Sensitive fern
Spinulose woodfern
This medium-size fern is commonly found at the base of trees and rocks. It often grows in a basket formation. It has many brownish scales at the base of the stem, like marginal woodfern with which it can be confused. However the spore cases are not restricted to the margins. Common.
This medium-size fern is commonly found at the base of trees and rocks. It often grows in a basket formation. It has many brownish scales at the base of the stem, like marginal woodfern with which it can be confused. However the spore cases are not restricted to the margins. Common.
Spinulose woodfern
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Spinulose woodfern - scaly stalk
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Spinulose woodfern - leaf underside
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How I tell ferns apart
Ferns recognizable on sight
Common polypody
Royal fern
Sensitive fern
Bracken
Long beech fern
Christmas fern
Ferns recognizable on sight but need a bit of confirmation
Oak fern - thin black stalk, tri-partite
Marsh fern - sometimes tricky but always close to the lake or river shore, twisting form, colonies
Marginal woodfern - grows in a basket at base of trees, at rocks; rubbery look and feel, uniform usually dark blue-green color; confirm by seeing marginal spore cases on underside
Ostrich fern - big fern, 2-cut, clear basket arrangement. Verify by seeing ever-smaller leaflets down the stalk.
Interrupted fern - only difficult if it's not interrupted
Cinnamon fern - only difficult if no "cinnamon"; wet places
Spinulose woodfern - base of trees or rock, basket-like form; lacy; giveaway is very scaly and non-marginal spore cases
New York fern - fields of them, light green, in sunlight; verify by seeing tapering leaflets
Lady fern - non-descript, an untidy basket form but few dark scales on stalk is giveaway; roughish feel, lacy
Silvery spleenwort - similar size as lady fern but: distinctly two-cut, so not lacy; no groove on whitish rachis, more widely spread leaflets, fuzzy stem and herring bone spore cases are visible even on overside of leaf
Ferns needing a closer look
Hay-scented fern - can be difficult; minimal to no stalk scales
About stalk scaliness
Very scaly - spinulose woodfern, marginal woodfern, Christmas fern
Some scales or hairy - lady fern, New York fern, silvery spleenwort, maidenhair fern
Minimal to no scales - common polypody, hay-scented fern, ostrich fern, sensitive fern, Bracken, royal fern, interrupted fern, cinnamon fern
Ferns recognizable on sight
Common polypody
Royal fern
Sensitive fern
Bracken
Long beech fern
Christmas fern
Ferns recognizable on sight but need a bit of confirmation
Oak fern - thin black stalk, tri-partite
Marsh fern - sometimes tricky but always close to the lake or river shore, twisting form, colonies
Marginal woodfern - grows in a basket at base of trees, at rocks; rubbery look and feel, uniform usually dark blue-green color; confirm by seeing marginal spore cases on underside
Ostrich fern - big fern, 2-cut, clear basket arrangement. Verify by seeing ever-smaller leaflets down the stalk.
Interrupted fern - only difficult if it's not interrupted
Cinnamon fern - only difficult if no "cinnamon"; wet places
Spinulose woodfern - base of trees or rock, basket-like form; lacy; giveaway is very scaly and non-marginal spore cases
New York fern - fields of them, light green, in sunlight; verify by seeing tapering leaflets
Lady fern - non-descript, an untidy basket form but few dark scales on stalk is giveaway; roughish feel, lacy
Silvery spleenwort - similar size as lady fern but: distinctly two-cut, so not lacy; no groove on whitish rachis, more widely spread leaflets, fuzzy stem and herring bone spore cases are visible even on overside of leaf
Ferns needing a closer look
Hay-scented fern - can be difficult; minimal to no stalk scales
About stalk scaliness
Very scaly - spinulose woodfern, marginal woodfern, Christmas fern
Some scales or hairy - lady fern, New York fern, silvery spleenwort, maidenhair fern
Minimal to no scales - common polypody, hay-scented fern, ostrich fern, sensitive fern, Bracken, royal fern, interrupted fern, cinnamon fern