Osmunda claytoniana L.

• Authority

  Gleason, Henry A. & Cronquist, Arthur J. 1991. Manual of vascular plants of northeastern United States and adjacent Canada. lxxv + 910 pp.

• Family

  Osmundaceae

• Scientific Name

  Osmunda claytoniana L.

• Description

  Species Description - Much like no. 2 [Osmunda cinnamomea L.]; lvs soft, dull blue-green, foreshortened and blunt at the tip, as also the individual pinnae; rachis soon glabrate; segments of the sterile pinnae slightly hairy but not ciliate; outer lvs usually sterile, the inner larger and with 1–5 pairs of fertile pinnae near the middle of the blade; fertile pinnae to 6 × 2 cm, much smaller than the vegetative ones above and below; sporangia dark brown; 2n=44. Open, moist woods and margins of swamps, in subacid or neutral soil; Nf. to Ont. and Minn., s. to Ga., Tenn., and Ark.; e. Asia. Ours is var. claytoniana. A hybrid with no.1 is O. ×ruggii R. M. Tryon.

• Common Names

  interrupted fern