Ferns List |
Hard-Fern Family [Blechnaceae] |
Fronds: overwintering |
Spores: |
29th May 2018, Derwent Moors, Ladybower, Dark Pk dist. | Photo: © RWD |
A little colony of fronds. |
10th July 2009, In woodland, Rosthwaite, Borrowdale, Cumbria. | Photo: © RWD |
Another colony of male fronds. Typically grows in darker places within a woods and deep shade on a dry-stone wall rather than in full sunshine. |
10th July 2009, In woodland, Rosthwaite, Borrowdale, Cumbria. | Photo: © RWD |
Prefers acid soil, here on leaf litter. The sterile fronds are a paler green, the fertile fronds a darker green and with narrower pinnae and up to thrice as long as sterile fronds. |
10th July 2009, In woodland, Rosthwaite, Borrowdale, Cumbria. | Photo: © RWD |
The typical set of sterile fronds with leaves radiating away from a centre. |
29th May 2018, Derwent Moors, Ladybower, Dark Pk dist. | Photo: © RWD |
The leaves try to avoid lying on the ground. |
29th May 2018, Derwent Moors, Ladybower, Dark Pk dist. | Photo: © RWD |
Leaflets more or less in opposite pairs when young about a central axis (the rachis). From the top a groove goes along the centreline of each leaflet but stops well short of the tip. The tips of each leaflet have a small point. |
10th July 2009, In woodland, Rosthwaite, Borrowdale, Cumbria. | Photo: © RWD |
The fertile fronds are darker green and have pinnae that are curled under at the edges making them look narrower from above. |
10th July 2009, In woodland, Rosthwaite, Borrowdale, Cumbria. | Photo: © RWD |
A single mid-rib (rachis) runs the entire length, It is a simple 1-pinnate design. The flatter sterile frond above. The fronds with the darker-green leaflets which are curled over at the edges curled- are the female fertile fronds beneath. |
Photo: © RWD |
Leaflets all packed closely together when young, if not all are quite opposite. The leaflets are always simple on Hard Fern. |
29th May 2018, Derwent Moors, Ladybower, Dark Pk dist. | Photo: © RWD |
This specimen is more upright. The fronds here are still unfurling at the top. |
29th May 2018, Derwent Moors, Ladybower, Dark Pk dist. | Photo: © RWD |
The tip at the top is still unfurling, mostly off-screen. Leaflet shape seems to vary a little; these are long-triangular. |
7th June 2018, Burbage Rocks, Hathersage, Dark Peaks. | Photo: © RWD |
The tall female fronds are up to thrice as long as infertile fronds nearer the ground. Even these are still unfurling at the summit. In addition, the fertile fronds tend to stand more vertical than the flopped-over infertile fronds. The fronds grow to 10 to 40cm long, with female fronds being the taller, up to thrice as long as infertile ('male') fronds. |
7th June 2018, Burbage Rocks, Hathersage, Dark Peaks. | Photo: © RWD |
One characteristic of Hard Fern is that the fronds are widest somewhere near the centre and taper at each end. This is a female frond. |
7th June 2018, Burbage Rocks, Hathersage, Dark Peaks. | Photo: © RWD |
Most leaflets here are curled in two dimensions. This is a female frond. |
10th July 2009, In woodland, Rosthwaite, Borrowdale, Cumbria. | Photo: © RWD |
The reverse side of a sterile frond. |
4th Sept 2009, Hanging Gate PH, Wildboarclough, Derbyshire. | Photo: © RWD |
The reverse side of a fertile (female) frond which are curled up at the edges. The fertile 'spores' are still not visible in this specimen, it must still be too early in the year. The spores ripen August to November. |
Not to be confused with: Hard Shield-Fern [a plant with similar name] Hard Fern has simple leaflets (not compound) and lack teeth. It grows in woods, heaths and moors, mostly on acidic or peaty soils. It is widespread and common, but less frequent in the South and East of England. Photos of the spores are still required.
|
Blechnum | spicant | ⇐ Global Aspect ⇒ | Blechnaceae |
Blechnum (Hard-ferns) |
Hard-Fern Family [Blechnaceae] |