New York fern (Wasp32/CC BY-SA 4.0)
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s 83-page guide, Native Plants for Wildlife Habitat and Conservation Landscaping: Chesapeake Bay Watershed, recommends 19 fern species for planting. Here are descriptions of four of these species.
Cinnamon fern: One of the first ferns to appear each spring, this plant gets its name from its woolly (in wet areas), reddish-brown, fertile fronds. In the wild, this 2– to 5-foot drought-tolerant fern is found in woods, marshes, swamps and along streams. It was long ago eaten by Native Americans but has since been found to potentially cause cancer. Ruffed grouse eat its fiddleheads. Yellow warblers and hummingbirds line their nests with the downy wool from its fronds. Brown thrashers and veeries use the whole plant, nesting in the center of it.
Hay-scented fern: This is a yellowish green fern, 1–3 feet tall, with feathery fronds that give off a scent of crushed hay in late summer. Found in meadows and sunny openings in the forest canopy, it turns golden yellow in the fall. White-tailed deer apparently do not relish this fern, in part because its foliage is covered with tiny hairs that excrete a sticky substance. This allows hay-scented ferns to form dense colonies in the forest understory, in some cases shading out tree seedlings. Common throughout northeastern and central North America, it is considered a “native invasive” because of its ability to dominate a forest floor under some conditions. It proliferates in acidic soils, giving it an advantage in the Northeast, where soils have become increasingly acidic over the past 60 years.
Sensitive fern: This fern’s common name is derived from its early sensitivity to frost. Its stalks are said to have a decorative, “beaded” appearance, lending the plant one of its common alternative names, bead fern. Salamanders and frogs will take shelter underneath the foliage and in the cool soil, and its fertile fronds produce a feast of spores for birds. Sensitive fern is poisonous to horses if eaten in large amounts. Deer like to nibble on the infertile fronds, but usually not to ill effect. The sensitive fern has broad, almost triangular fronds, which contrast with the lacy appearance of many ferns. Its fiddleheads, which emerge in the spring, are a pale red.
Hay-scented fern (Jaknouse/CC BY-SA 3.0)
New York fern: Found in forested wetlands, dry to damp woods and thickets, the New York fern is drought tolerant and often grows in colonies of hundreds of plants. It is a soft, deciduous, yellow-green fern that stands 1–2 feet high. It grows in clumps and its fronds, up to 4 inches wide, are distinctive as they taper sharply at both the base and the tip. It can spread rapidly but is relatively easy to control. It is found throughout the eastern United States and Canada but is most concentrated within Appalachia and the Atlantic Northeast.
Fronds are the feathery leaves of ferns, which are non-flowering, seedless plants. They can be found in moist areas: forests, fields, swamps and near streams. Ferns can survive in various climates and at many altitudes. How wide-ranging is your knowledge of ferns? Answers are below.
1. The study of ferns comes from the Greek name for the plant. What is it?
A. Brackenology
B. Fernitology
C. Pteridology
D. Sporanatilology
Cinnamon fern (Antepenultimate/CC BY-SA 4.0)
2. Ferns have been around for at least 360 million years and have been found in fossil records all over the Earth. They were an important part of herbivorous dinosaurs’ diets. Which of these dinosaurs ate ferns? (More than one answer.)
A. Ankylosaurus
B. Diplodocus
C. Stegosaurus
D. Triceratops
3. There are at least 12,000 species of ferns in the world (441 in North America). During their prehistoric heyday, before the appearance of flowering plants, they were even more diverse. For every known modern species of fern, how many more species have been found in the fossil record?
A. 3
B. 5
C. 7
D. 9
4. The water fern grows so quickly that some scientists are exploring its potential as a tool in fighting climate change. (During photosynthesis, plants take in carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, from the air and release oxygen.) Brake fern absorbs arsenic and has been planted in areas to decontaminate soil. Boston fern fights indoor air pollution, removing formaldehyde from the air better than any other plant. It also removes xylene, toluene and benzene. What is the term for the process in which plants are used to remove pollution in the air, soil and water? (Note: The ferns used as examples here are not native to the Bay watershed.)
A. Biotranspiration
B. Phytoremediation
C. Plant therapy
D. Verdurepurification
5. How many feet can the tallest fern grow?
A. 15
B. 30
C. 45
D. 60
Sensitive fern (peganum/CC BY-SA 2.0)
6. Ferns reproduce by means of spores, powdery masses of single-cell “seeds” released from capsules under the fronds. Spores can be which of these colors? (More than one answer.)
A. Blackish
B. Brownish
C. Reddish
D. Yellowish
7. Long ago, in some cultures, it was believed that eating ferns would allow someone to:
A. Become invisible
B. Fly
C. Read minds
D. Talk to animals
Answers
1. Pteridology
2. Ankylosaurus, diplodocus, stegosaurus, triceratops
3. Nine
4. Phytoremediation
5. Thirty
6. Blackish, brownish, reddish, yellowish
7. Become invisible
[ad_2]
Originally Appeared Here