This is a Hard Fern Blechnum spicant a new species for me.
It was by the track side in the wood at Harehope. I dont think its a rare plant, its just that ferns are new to me, so I'm pleased to have identified one!
On Sunday gone we took a walk up here and back over the moor. We didn't see too much but the clear sunny conditions made the views even more spectacular than usual.
On the way back to the car, I side stepped to avoid a descending cyclist, and a movement in a bush caught my attention - a Waxwing. A lone immature bird eating rosehips.
Welcome to the world of Pteridophytes, Stewart. With luck you'll have noticed that Hard Fern has two types of frond. The greener ones with the broader pinnules (leaflets) are the normal sterile shoots while the ones with the darker stalks and the narrow pinnules are the reporoductive spore-bearing ones.
ReplyDeleteHi Richard, I did indeed notice that but thought some fronds were fresher than others! Thats the beauty of blogging, you learn from the experts...
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