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- Matteuccia struthiopteris
Matteuccia struthiopteris — fiddlehead fern, ostrich fern
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New England distribution
Adapted from BONAP data
Native: indigenous.
Non-native: introduced (intentionally or unintentionally); has become naturalized.
County documented: documented to exist in the county by evidence (herbarium specimen, photograph). Also covers those considered historical (not seen in 20 years).
State documented: documented to exist in the state, but not documented to a county within the state. Also covers those considered historical (not seen in 20 years).
Note: when native and non-native populations both exist in a county, only native status is shown on the map.
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Facts
The sterile fronds of ostrich fern are large and arching and resemble ostrich feathers. It is often used as a landscaping plant, and its fiddleheads are eaten and collected for commercial sale.
Habitat
Anthropogenic (man-made or disturbed habitats), forests, shores of rivers or lakes
Characteristics
- Habitat
-
- terrestrial
- wetlands
- New England state
-
- Connecticut
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- New Hampshire
- Rhode Island
- Vermont
- Leaf divisions
-
- the leaf blade is compound (divided into leaflets)
- the leaf blade is twice compound (divided into leaflets, which are further divided into leaflets)
- Plant growth form
- the leaves grow from a rhizome growing at or below the ground
- Spore-bearing leaflets
- the spore-bearing fronds are dramatically different from the sterile fronds
- Sorus shape
- there are no sori, or they are concealed in leaf segments or hardened, capsule-like structures derived from a modified leaflet
- Leaf stalk scales
- the leaf stalk has scales
- Leaf stalk hairs
-
- the leaf stalk has hairs
- there are no hairs on the leaf stalk
- Leaf blade length
- 30–130 cm
- Leaf vein tips
- the veins go all the way to the edge of the leaf blade
-
Growth form
- Life form
- the plant is herbaceous and terrestrial
- Life stage
- the plant is visible as a typical leaf-bearing fern (sporophyte)
- Spore-bearing leaflets
- the spore-bearing fronds are dramatically different from the sterile fronds
-
Leaves
- Features of leaves
- there are no special features on the leaves
- Leaf blade length
- 30–130 cm
- Leaf blade shape
- the leaf blades are widest above the base, then taper narrowly towards the tip (lanceolate)
- Leaf blade tip shape
- the tip of the leaf blade is a blunt point (obtuse)
- Leaf blade width
- At least 12 cm
- Leaf divisions
-
- the leaf blade is compound (divided into leaflets)
- the leaf blade is twice compound (divided into leaflets, which are further divided into leaflets)
- Leaf lifespan
- the leaves drop off in winter
- Leaf stalk color
- green
- Leaf stalk hairs
-
- the leaf stalk has hairs
- there are no hairs on the leaf stalk
- Leaf stalk length
- 45–460 mm
- Leaf stalk relative length
-
- the leaf stalk is more than three quarters as long as the blade
- the leaf stalk is up to a quarter as long as the blade
- Leaf stalk scale location
-
- the scales are present on both the lower and upper halves of the leaf stalk
- the scales are present only on the lower half of the leaf stalk
- Leaf stalk scales
- the leaf stalk has scales
- Leaf stalk vessels
- 2 bundles
- Leaf vein branching
- the secondary veins of the leaf blade branch dichotomously (two equal branches at each branch point)
- Leaf vein tips
- the veins go all the way to the edge of the leaf blade
- Leaflet relative size
- the bottom leaflets are less than half as long as the leaflets from the middle of the frond
- Leaflet stalks
- the leaflets do not have stalks
- Lobe or leaflet length
- 20–135 mm
- Lobe or leaflet pairs
- 20–60
- Lobe or leaflet shape
- the lobe or leaflet is extremely narrow, thread-like
- Lobe or leaflet width
- 12–27 mm
- Plant growth form
- the leaves grow from a rhizome growing at or below the ground
- final leaf segment margin
- the topmost lobe or leaflet of the leaf blade has a smooth or lobed edge
-
Place
- Habitat
-
- terrestrial
- wetlands
- New England state
-
- Connecticut
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- New Hampshire
- Rhode Island
- Vermont
- Specific habitat
-
- forests
- man-made or disturbed habitats
- shores of rivers or lakes
-
Spores or spore cones
- Sorus features
- there are no special features on the sorus
- Sorus shape
- there are no sori, or they are concealed in leaf segments or hardened, capsule-like structures derived from a modified leaflet
- Sporangia location
- the spores are hidden inside hardened, rolled-under leaf segments
- Sporangium type
- the sporangia are opaque without an annulus and usually without a stalk (leptosporangiate)
- Spore forms
- there is only one type of spore present
Wetland status
Occurs in wetlands or non-wetlands. (Wetland indicator code: FAC)
New England distribution and conservation status
Distribution
- Connecticut
- present
- Maine
- present
- Massachusetts
- present
- New Hampshire
- present
- Rhode Island
- present
- Vermont
- present
Conservation status
Exact status definitions can vary from state to state. For details, please check with your state.
- Maine
- unranked (S-rank: SNR)
ssp. pensylvanica
- Massachusetts
- fairly widespread (S-rank: S4S5)
- Rhode Island
- extremely rare (S-rank: S1), concern (code: C)
var. pensylvanica
- Maine
- unranked (S-rank: SNR)
Native to North America?
Yes
Synonyms
- Matteuccia pensylvanica (Willd.) Raymond
- Matteuccia struthiopteris var. pensylvanica (Willd.) Morton
- Matteuccia struthiopteris var. pubescens (Terry) Clute
- Onoclea struthiopteris (L.) Hoffmann, in part
- Pteretis pensylvanica (Willd.) Fern.
- Struthiopteris pensylvanica Willd.
Family
Genus
Notes on subspecies and varieties in New England
Our subspecies is Matteuccia struthiopteris (L.) Todaro ssp. pensylvanica (Willd.) A. & D. Löve.
From the dichotomous key of Flora Novae Angliae
1. Matteuccia struthiopteris (L.) Todaro ssp. pensylvanica (Willd.) A. & D. Löve N
fiddlehead fern. Matteuccia pensylvanica (Willd.) Raymond; M. struthiopteris (L.) Todaro var. pensylvanica (Willd.) Morton; M. struthiopteris (L.) Todaro var. pubescens (Terry) Clute; Onoclea struthiopteris (L.) Hoffmann, pro parte; Pteretis pensylvanica (Willd.) Fern. • CT, MA, ME, NH, RI, VT. Rich, mesic soil of riparian and upland forests, sometimes bordering drainages.