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cinnamon fern
Scientific Name: Osmunda cinnamomea var. cinnamomea
Family: Osmundaceae
Category: Fern
Growth: Forb/herb
Duration: Perennial
Other Names:
Cinnamon Fern (Osmundastrum cinnamomeum)
The Cinnamon Fern, scientifically known as Osmundastrum cinnamomeum, is a striking fern admired for its elegant form and adaptability to moist environments. It is also commonly referred to as Osmunda cinnamomea.
Considerations for Pets
- The text mentions that the Cinnamon Fern rises from a "woody clump" and possesses a "semiwoody rhizome," which may be of interest to pets that enjoy chewing on plant materials.
Considerations for Children
- The text mentions "furry fiddleheads" and "cinnamon stick-like spikes," parts that may be of interest to children.
Taxonomy and Nomenclature
- Genus: Osmundastrum
- Species: Osmundastrum cinnamomeum
- Family: Osmundaceae
- Synonyms: Osmunda cinnamomea
- French Name: Osmonde cannelle
Distribution and Habitat
- Cinnamon ferns are native to North America.
- They are commonly found in eastern woodlands, swamps, moist mountain slopes, marshes, wet ditches, and along streams.
- Their distribution extends from Newfoundland to western Ontario, south to the Gulf States, and into New Mexico.
- They are also locally abundant on Nantucket, Massachusetts.
- They are noted as a native fern occurring in moist, boggy ground in the eastern Ozark region.
Morphological Characteristics and Growth Habits
- Cinnamon ferns are tall and stately, with a shuttlecock-like form when mature.
- The fronds (leaves) can grow up to six feet long and a foot wide.
- They exhibit dimorphism, with both sterile and fertile fronds.
- Sterile fronds are lance-shaped, feathery, and pale green.
- Fertile fronds are erect, narrow, and cinnamon-brown in spring.
- The plant grows in large clumps, rising from a shallow, black rootstock.
- It grows like a big shuttlecock from the ascending tips of thick, creeping semiwoody rhizomes.
- The species is deciduous, with green fronds in spring and summer.
Quirky Facts
- The common name "Cinnamon Fern" is derived from the cinnamon-colored wool on the fertile fronds, which resemble flower spikes.
- Young emerging fronds are described as "silvery, furry fiddleheads".
Further Information
- RHS (Royal Horticultural Society) offers help and information on Osmunda cinnamomea.
- Monrovia provides details and information about Cinnamon Ferns.
- USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database offers resources including photos by Robert H. Mohlenbrock.
- Dave's Garden offers a community forum for sharing tips and ideas.
- Encyclopedia of Life contains articles about Cinnamon Fern.
- Wikimedia Commons has images related to the Cinnamon Fern.