Blechnum spicant |
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deer fern |
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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 |
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Habitat | Wet coniferous woods and swamps |
Elevation | 0-1400 m (0-4600 ft) |
Distribution |
AK; CA; ID; OR; WA; BC
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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 | |
Synonyms | Osmunda spicant, Struthiopteris spicant |
Name authority | (Linnaeus) Roth |
Web links |