OF THE CAROLINAS & GEORGIA

Monilophytes (ferns): Leptosporangiate Ferns (true ferns): Osmundales

WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/24/22):
Osmunda spectabilis   FAMILY Osmundaceae   Go to FSUS key



SYNONYMOUS WITH PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Osmunda regalis var. spectabilis   FAMILY Osmundaceae

SYNONYMOUS WITH Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)

Osmunda spectabilis

SYNONYMOUS WITH Flora of North America

Osmunda regalis var. spectabilis

SYNONYMOUS WITH The Ferns and Lycophytes of Texas (Diggs & Lipscomb, 2014)

Osmunda regalis var. spectabilis

SYNONYMOUS WITH VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 007-01-003:

Osmunda regalis var. spectabilis   FAMILY Osmundaceae

INCLUDED WITHIN Ferns of the Southeastern States (Small, 1938)

Osmunda regalis

 

COMMON NAME:
American Royal Fern


         To see larger pictures, click or hover over the thumbnails.

image of Osmunda spectabilis, American Royal Fern

JK Marlow    jkm080329_001

March    Pickens County    SC

Keowee Toxaway State Natural Area

Fiddleheads are smooth, wine-colored, and fairly stout, per Peterson Field Guide to Ferns of Northeastern and Central North America.

image of Osmunda spectabilis, American Royal Fern

Alan S. Weakley    asw_547490404136062

April    Orange County    NC

North Carolina Botanical Garden

image of Osmunda spectabilis, American Royal Fern

Alan S. Weakley    asw_891762611991512

April    Orange County    NC

North Carolina Botanical Garden

image of Osmunda spectabilis, American Royal Fern

JK Marlow    jkm080421_013

April    Haywood County    NC

Corneille Bryan Native Garden

Habitat includes wet woods and rocky streams. Soil usually acidic, per Field Guide to the Ferns and Other Pteridophytes of Georgia (Snyder & Bruce, 1986).

image of Osmunda spectabilis, American Royal Fern

JK Marlow    jkm160416_243

April    Lowndes County    GA

Sporangia naked, bright green when ripe, becoming rusty then dark brown, per Peterson Field Guide to Ferns of Northeastern and Central North America.

image of Osmunda spectabilis, American Royal Fern

Emily B. Sessa    ebsoregalis_9389

May        

Pinnules narrow, oblong, mostly alternate, on small distinct stalks, per Peterson Field Guide to Ferns of Northeastern and Central North America.

image of Osmunda spectabilis, American Royal Fern

Emily B. Sessa    ebsoregalis_9392

May        

image of Osmunda spectabilis, American Royal Fern

JK Marlow    jkm0305t_13

May    Haywood County    NC

Corneille Bryan Native Garden

image of Osmunda spectabilis, American Royal Fern

JK Marlow    jkm090516_117

May    Charleston County    SC

Francis Marion National Forest

image of Osmunda spectabilis, American Royal Fern

JK Marlow    jkm090516_119

May    Charleston County    SC

Francis Marion National Forest

Fertile blade similar to sterile but with sporangia-bearing pinnules at tip, per Peterson Field Guide to Ferns of Northeastern and Central North America.

image of Osmunda spectabilis, American Royal Fern

JK Marlow    jkm090516_119c

May    Charleston County    SC

Francis Marion National Forest

image of Osmunda spectabilis, American Royal Fern

JK Marlow    jkm090516_122

May    Charleston County    SC

Francis Marion National Forest

Fronds more nearly resemble the leaves of a locust tree than a fern, per Field Guide to the Ferns and Other Pteridophytes of Georgia (Snyder & Bruce, 1986).

image of Osmunda spectabilis, American Royal Fern

JK Marlow    jkm100515_036

May    Henderson County    NC

Pisgah National Forest: Pisgah Ranger District

image of Osmunda spectabilis, American Royal Fern

JK Marlow    jkm100515_036b

May    Henderson County    NC

Pisgah National Forest: Pisgah Ranger District

Sporangia in naked short-stalked clusters, green at first, later brown, per Field Guide to the Ferns and Other Pteridophytes of Georgia (Snyder & Bruce, 1986).

image of Osmunda spectabilis, American Royal Fern

JK Marlow    jkm100515_041

May    Henderson County    NC

Pisgah National Forest: Pisgah Ranger District

Cinnamon Fern on the left, Royal Fern on the right.

image of Osmunda spectabilis, American Royal Fern

JK Marlow    jkm100515_042

May    Henderson County    NC

Pisgah National Forest: Pisgah Ranger District

image of Osmunda spectabilis, American Royal Fern

JK Marlow    jkm210507_0042

May    Greenville County    SC

Blackwell Heritage Preserve

image of Osmunda spectabilis, American Royal Fern

Emily B. Sessa    ebsoregalis_0600

June        

image of Osmunda spectabilis, American Royal Fern

JK Marlow    jkm100606_142

June    Greenville County    

Chandler Heritage Preserve

image of Osmunda spectabilis, American Royal Fern

JK Marlow    jkm100606_145

June    Greenville County    

Chandler Heritage Preserve

image of Osmunda spectabilis, American Royal Fern

JK Marlow    jkm170624_253

June    Oconee County    SC

Sumter National Forest: Andrew Pickens Ranger District

image of Osmunda spectabilis, American Royal Fern

JK Marlow    jkm0511c_11

November    Haywood County    NC

Corneille Bryan Native Garden

image of Osmunda spectabilis, American Royal Fern

JK Marlow    jkm0511c_11b

November    Haywood County    NC

Corneille Bryan Native Garden

image of Osmunda spectabilis, American Royal Fern

JK Marlow    jkm0511c_15

November    Haywood County    NC

Corneille Bryan Native Garden

image of Osmunda spectabilis, American Royal Fern

Patrick D. McMillan    pdmo_regalis

Month Unknown        

 

 

WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/24/22):
Osmunda spectabilis   FAMILY Osmundaceae

SYNONYMOUS WITH PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Osmunda regalis var. spectabilis   FAMILY Osmundaceae

SYNONYMOUS WITH Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)
Osmunda spectabilis

SYNONYMOUS WITH Flora of North America
Osmunda regalis var. spectabilis

SYNONYMOUS WITH The Ferns and Lycophytes of Texas (Diggs & Lipscomb, 2014)
Osmunda regalis var. spectabilis

SYNONYMOUS WITH VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 007-01-003:
Osmunda regalis var. spectabilis   FAMILY Osmundaceae

INCLUDED WITHIN Ferns of the Southeastern States (Small, 1938)
Osmunda regalis

 

Find by SCIENTIFIC NAME:

998

Fern/Fern ally
Perennial

Habitat: bogs, marshes (including tidal), moist forests, floodplains, swamp forests, and other wetlands, per Weakley's Flora

Native to the Carolinas & Georgia

Common

map
CLICK HERE to see a map, notes, and images from Weakley's Flora of the Southeastern US.

LEAVES:
Deciduous
2-pinnate
Leaves erect in a dense crown

FRUIT:
Spring/Summer

 

TO LEARN MORE about this plant, look it up in a good book!



 


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