Woodwardia areolata — netted chain fern
![Sori: Woodwardia areolata. ~ By Robbin Moran. ~ Copyright © 2024 Robbin Moran. ~ rmoran[at]nybg.org ~ Plant Systematics - www.plantsystematics.org/](https://newfs.s3.amazonaws.com:443/taxon-images-1000s1000/Blechnaceae/woodwardia-areolata-so-rmoran.jpg)
![Leaf: Woodwardia areolata. ~ By Arthur Haines. ~ Copyright © 2024 Arthur Haines. ~ arthur.d.haines[at]gmail.com](https://newfs.s3.amazonaws.com:443/taxon-images-1000s1000/Blechnaceae/woodwardia-areolata-le-ahaines-a.jpg)
![Leaf: Woodwardia areolata. ~ By John Lynch. ~ Copyright © 2024 New England Wild Flower Society. ~ Image Request, images[at]newenglandwild.org](https://newfs.s3.amazonaws.com:443/taxon-images-1000s1000/Blechnaceae/woodwardia-areolata-le-jlynch-b.jpg)
![Leaf: Woodwardia areolata. ~ By John Lynch. ~ Copyright © 2024 New England Wild Flower Society. ~ Image Request, images[at]newenglandwild.org](https://newfs.s3.amazonaws.com:443/taxon-images-1000s1000/Blechnaceae/woodwardia-areolata-le-jlynch-d.jpg)
![Leaf: Woodwardia areolata. ~ By John Lynch. ~ Copyright © 2024 New England Wild Flower Society. ~ Image Request, images[at]newenglandwild.org](https://newfs.s3.amazonaws.com:443/taxon-images-1000s1000/Blechnaceae/woodwardia-areolata-le-jlynch-a.jpg)
![Leaf: Woodwardia areolata. ~ By Arthur Haines. ~ Copyright © 2024 Arthur Haines. ~ arthur.d.haines[at]gmail.com](https://newfs.s3.amazonaws.com:443/taxon-images-1000s1000/Blechnaceae/woodwardia-areolata-le-ahaines-b.jpg)
![Detail of leaf and/or divisions: Woodwardia areolata. ~ By John Lynch. ~ Copyright © 2024 New England Wild Flower Society. ~ Image Request, images[at]newenglandwild.org](https://newfs.s3.amazonaws.com:443/taxon-images-1000s1000/Blechnaceae/woodwardia-areolata-ld-jlynch-c.jpg)
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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
The veins on the underside of the fronds of netted chain fern are raised and form a net-like pattern. The sterile and fertile fronds are distinctively different.
Habitat
Bogs, meadows and fields, swamps, wetland margins (edges of wetlands)
Characteristics
- Habitat
- wetlands
- New England state
-
- Connecticut
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- New Hampshire
- Rhode Island
- Leaf divisions
-
- the leaf blade is compound (divided into leaflets)
- the leaf blade is lobed
- Plant growth form
- the leaves grow from a rhizome growing at or below the ground
- Spore-bearing leaflets
- the spore-bearing fronds are dramatically different from the sterile fronds
- Sorus shape
- the sori are long and narrow, and straight
- Leaf stalk scales
- the leaf stalk has scales
- Leaf stalk hairs
- there are no hairs on the leaf stalk
- Leaf blade length
- 13–27 cm
- Leaf vein tips
-
- the veins end in small round expanded areas, and do not reach the edge of the leaf blade
- 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 dramatically different from the sterile fronds
-
Leaves
- Features of leaves
- there are no special features on the leaves
- Leaf blade length
- 13–27 cm
- Leaf blade shape
- the leaf blades are widest above the base, then taper narrowly towards the tip (lanceolate)
- Leaf blade width
- At least 6 cm
- Leaf divisions
-
- the leaf blade is compound (divided into leaflets)
- the leaf blade is lobed
- Leaf lifespan
- the leaves drop off in winter
- Leaf stalk color
- yellow to brown
- Leaf stalk hairs
- there are no hairs on the leaf stalk
- Leaf stalk length
- 37–486 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
- Leaf stalk scales
- the leaf stalk has scales
- Leaf stalk vessels
- 2 bundles
- Leaf vein branching
- the secondary veins of the leaf blade split and rejoin to form a netlike pattern
- Leaf vein tips
-
- the veins end in small round expanded areas, and do not reach the edge of the leaf blade
- 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
- 30–110 mm
- Lobe or leaflet pairs
- 7–12
- Lobe or leaflet shape
-
- the lobe or leaflet is extremely narrow, thread-like
- the lobe or leaflet is widest below the middle and tapering at both ends; lance-shaped
- Lobe or leaflet width
- 2–25 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 an edge with teeth
-
Place
- Habitat
- wetlands
- New England state
-
- Connecticut
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- New Hampshire
- Rhode Island
- Specific habitat
-
- bogs
- edges of wetlands
- meadows or fields
- swamps
-
Spores or spore cones
- Sorus features
- there are no special features on the sorus
- Sorus shape
- the sori are long and narrow, and straight
- 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
Occurs only in wetlands. (Wetland indicator code: OBL)
New England distribution and conservation status
Distribution
- Connecticut
- present
- Maine
- present
- Massachusetts
- present
- New Hampshire
- present
- Rhode Island
- present
- Vermont
- absent
Conservation status
Exact status definitions can vary from state to state. For details, please check with your state.
- Maine
- historical (S-rank: SH), potentially extirpated (code: PE)
- Massachusetts
- fairly widespread (S-rank: S4)
- New Hampshire
- extremely rare (S-rank: S1), endangered (code: E)
Native to North America?
Yes
Sometimes confused with
- Onoclea sensibilis:
- vegetative leaves with leaf lobe margins entire to undulate and with a pale, marginal membrane (vs. W. areolata, with vegetative leaves with leaf lobe margins minutely toothed and lacking a pale, marginal membrane).
Synonyms
- Acrostichum areolatum L.
- Lorinseria areolata (L.) K. Presl, an illegitimate name
- Woodwardia onocleoides Willd.
Family
Genus
From the dichotomous key of Flora Novae Angliae
1. Woodwardia areolata (L.) T. Moore N
netted chain fern. Lorinseria areolata (L.) K. Presl, nom. illeg.; Woodwardia onocleoides Willd. • CT, MA, ME, NH, RI. Acid soils of swamps, wetland borders, low fields, seeps, and bogs. Several characters set Woodwardia areolata apart from other members of the genus. On such evidence, generic segregation has been proposed (as Lorinseria areolata, an illegitimate name because Lorinseria C. Presl is considered an orthographic variant of Lorinsera Opiz). Sterile specimens are sometimes confused with vegetative leaves of Onoclea sensibilis. They can be separated through the entire or merely undulate leaflets in O. sensibilis that have a narrow, pale, marginal membrane vs. serrulate leaflets in W. areolata that lack a pale, marginal membrane.