Parathelypteris simulata — Massachusetts 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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enlargeFacts
Massachusetts fern usually occurs in acid soils of swamps and wetlands, often with sphagnum moss or other bryophytes.
Habitat
Bogs, fens, marshes, swamps, wetland margins (edges of wetlands)
Characteristics
- Habitat
- 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 similar in size and shape to the sterile fronds
- Sorus shape
- the sori are circular or kidney-shaped
- Leaf stalk scales
-
- the leaf stalk has scales
- there are no scales on the leaf stalk
- Leaf stalk hairs
-
- the leaf stalk has hairs
- there are no hairs on the leaf stalk
- Leaf blade length
- 10–40 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 similar in size and shape to the sterile fronds
-
Leaves
- Features of leaves
- there are no special features on the leaves
- Leaf blade length
- 10–40 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 rounded
- Leaf blade width
- At least 15 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
- yellow to brown
- Leaf stalk hairs
-
- the leaf stalk has hairs
- there are no hairs on the leaf stalk
- Leaf stalk length
- 120–450 mm
- Leaf stalk relative length
- the leaf stalk is more than three quarters 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
- there are no scales on the leaf stalk
- Leaf stalk scales
-
- the leaf stalk has scales
- there are no scales on the leaf stalk
- Leaf stalk vessels
- 2 bundles
- Leaf vein branching
- the secondary veins of the leaf blade are not branched
- Leaf vein tips
- the veins go all the way to the edge of the leaf blade
- Leaflet relative size
- the bottom leaflets are about half as long as, to slightly longer than, the leaflets from the middle of the frond
- Leaflet stalks
- the leaflets do not have stalks
- Lobe or leaflet length
- 30–100 mm
- Lobe or leaflet pairs
- 16–34
- Lobe or leaflet shape
- the lobe or leaflet is rectangular but with rounded ends (oblong)
- Lobe or leaflet width
- 10–20 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
- wetlands
- New England state
-
- Connecticut
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- New Hampshire
- Rhode Island
- Vermont
- Specific habitat
-
- bogs
- edges of wetlands
- fens
- marshes
- swamps
-
Spores or spore cones
- Sorus features
- there are no special features on the sorus
- Sorus shape
- the sori are circular or kidney-shaped
- Sporangia location
- the spores are clustered on sori on the lower surface of the leaf blade
- 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
Usually occurs in wetlands, but occasionally in non-wetlands. (Wetland indicator code: FACW)
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.
- Massachusetts
- widespread (S-rank: S5)
- Vermont
- rare (S-rank: S2)
Native to North America?
Yes
Sometimes confused with
- Parathelypteris noveboracensis:
- lower leaflets gradually reduced so that the lower ones are much shorter than the middle ones and leaf blade lacking resin glands (vs. P. simulata, with lower leaflets only somewhat reduced in size and leaf blade with minute red to orange resin glands).
- Thelypteris palustris:
- abaxial surface of costae with small, tan scales, veins of ultimate segments of vegetative blades usually forking near margin, and leaf blades lacking red to orange glands (vs. P. simulata, with abaxial surface of costae without scales, veins of ultimate segments not forking near margin, and leaf blades with red to orange resinous glands).
Synonyms
- Dryopteris simulata Davenport
- Thelypteris simulata (Davenport) Nieuwl.
Family
Genus
From the dichotomous key of Flora Novae Angliae
2. Parathelypteris simulata (Davenport) Holttum N
Massachusetts fern. Dryopteris simulata Davenport; Thelypteris simulata (Davenport) Nieuwl. • CT, MA, ME, NH, RI, VT. Low-pH soil of swamps, peatlands, and mixed shrub-graminoid wetlands, often found in areas with high proportion of bryophyte cover (especially Sphagnum).