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deer fern

Stems

slender, short-creeping or ascending, not climbing.

Leaves

dimorphic, cespitose, erect or spreading, fertile leaves more erect and longer than sterile leaves.

Petioles

of fertile leaves reddish brown to purple-black, 15-60 cm, coarsely scaly proximally.;

petioles of sterile leaves reddish brown, 2-30 cm, coarsely scaly proximally.

Fertile

blades erect, narrowly rhombic, 1-pinnate, without conform terminal pinna, 25-65 × 3-15 cm, glabrous.;

fertile pinnae not articulate to rachis, sessile, decurrent and surcurrent to rachis;

larger pinnae slightly curved, linear, 25-32 × 1.5-2 mm;

margins entire, slightly to moderately revolute;

costae with indument of a few small scales abaxially, often concealed by sori.

Sterile

blades spreading, narrowly oblanceolate to linear-lanceolate, pinnatifid to apex and so without conform terminal pinna, 20-75 × 3-14 cm, tapering at base, glabrous.;

sterile pinnae closely spaced, not articulate to rachis, base fully adnate;

larger pinnae curved, linear to oblong-linear or barely wider beyond middle, 15-35 × 3.5-5 mm;

margins entire.

Rachises

of fertile and sterile leaves with indument of filiform, spreading scales abaxially.

2n

= 68.

Blechnum spicant

Habitat Wet coniferous woods and swamps
Elevation 0-1400 m (0-4600 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AK; CA; ID; OR; WA; BC
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Blechnum spicant is found primarily along the coast and in coastal mountain ranges.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Source FNA vol. 2.
Parent taxa Blechnaceae > Blechnum
Sibling taxa
B. occidentale, B. serrulatum
Synonyms Osmunda spicant, Struthiopteris spicant
Name authority (Linnaeus) Roth
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