Question: Hi -- Last week I attended the "fern walk" at Weeks State Park in Lancaster NH. Elizabeth Farnsworth, the tour …
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Question
Hi -- Last week I attended the "fern walk" at Weeks State Park in Lancaster NH. Elizabeth Farnsworth, the tour leader, showed us Goldie's Fern. I found a similar fern in an area of rich mesic forest on our land where we have previously identified maidenhair fern, blue cohash and squirrel corn. Some images of the fern are uploaded below. Can you advise whether this is Goldie's Fern? Thanks in advance for your help! Best, Sandy
Answer
Dear 15milefalls, the fern you've collected is Athyrium angustum (narrow lady fern). Notice the elongate sori that open like a flap (rather than +/- circular sori) and narrow, dark scales on the petiole (rather than broader scales with a dark central stripe). Athyrium angustum is a common, native fern that inhabits a wide variety of moist to somewhat wet soils.
