Woodwardia areolata
Encyclopedia
Woodwardia areolata is a species of fern
native to eastern North America
. It is usually treated in the genus Woodwardia
, but sometimes transferred to the monotypic genus Lorinseria as Lorinseria areolata (L.) C.Presl, on the basis of its anastamosing veins and lobed frond
form, as well as its more marked frond dimorphism
; however, the genus name Lorinseria is invalid, being an orthographical variant of Lorinsera Opiz (Flora of North America).
The sterile fronds are 40-60 cm long, and the fertile fronds 50-70 cm long. It requires wet, acid conditions, often growing in seeps. It is most common along the Atlantic coastal plain
, being an avid colonizer of acid mine seeps in the eastern United States
, one of the few plants to benefit from acid mine drainage
.
It is superficially similar to Onoclea sensibilis and sometimes confused with it.
Fern
A fern is any one of a group of about 12,000 species of plants belonging to the botanical group known as Pteridophyta. Unlike mosses, they have xylem and phloem . They have stems, leaves, and roots like other vascular plants...
native to eastern North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
. It is usually treated in the genus Woodwardia
Woodwardia
Woodwardia is a genus of 14-20 species of ferns in the family Blechnaceae, native to warm temperate and subtropical regions of the Northern Hemisphere. They are large ferns, with fronds growing to 50-300 cm long depending on the species.-External links:****Huxley, A., ed. . New RHS Dictionary of...
, but sometimes transferred to the monotypic genus Lorinseria as Lorinseria areolata (L.) C.Presl, on the basis of its anastamosing veins and lobed frond
Frond
The term frond refers to a large, divided leaf. In both common usage and botanical nomenclature, the leaves of ferns are referred to as fronds and some botanists restrict the term to this group...
form, as well as its more marked frond dimorphism
Frond dimorphism
Frond dimorphism refers to a difference in ferns between the fertile and sterile fronds. Since ferns, unlike flowering plants, bear spores on the leaf blade itself, this may affect the form of the frond itself...
; however, the genus name Lorinseria is invalid, being an orthographical variant of Lorinsera Opiz (Flora of North America).
The sterile fronds are 40-60 cm long, and the fertile fronds 50-70 cm long. It requires wet, acid conditions, often growing in seeps. It is most common along the Atlantic coastal plain
Coastal plain
A coastal plain is an area of flat, low-lying land adjacent to a seacoast and separated from the interior by other features. One of the world's longest coastal plains is located in eastern South America. The southwestern coastal plain of North America is notable for its species diversity...
, being an avid colonizer of acid mine seeps in the eastern United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, one of the few plants to benefit from acid mine drainage
Acid mine drainage
Acid mine drainage , or acid rock drainage , refers to the outflow of acidic water from metal mines or coal mines. However, other areas where the earth has been disturbed may also contribute acid rock drainage to the environment...
.
It is superficially similar to Onoclea sensibilis and sometimes confused with it.