Rattlesnake Fern

This picture was taken on the Bruce Trail (Beaver Valley section) near Old Baldy in the summer of 2004. It shows a rattlesnake fern (Botrychium virginianum), one of eight species of grape fern (Botrychium) found in Bruce and Grey counties. This was the only specimen we found on this walk. The infertile leaf and the sporophyll, which rises above it, are clearly recognizable, though the lower stalk between the rootstock and the leaf is not. The spores were discharged in a little powdery cloud from the sporophyll when tapped.

The second picture shows two pixies (age 6) with the fern to allow for a size comparison.

The habitat in which this fern was found is a boulder-strewn deciduous forest with heavy undergrowth only few yards away from the cliff edge on top of the Niagara escarpment. The soil is rich but relatively shallow. The day was warm and sunny with partial cloud cover.

The identification is based on A Guide to the Ferns of Grey and Bruce Counties, Ontario, 2002, by the Bruce-Grey Plant Committee, with cross-referencing to B. Cobb, A Field Guide to the Ferns (Petersen Field Guides), 1963. However, all mistakes are the responsibility of this author.

The pictures were taken in July 2004 by the author of this blog. All rights are reserved. Use of the images for profit is strictly prohibited without explicit written permission. If you wish to use these images for non-profit purposes, please credit them properly and notify me.