A distinctive native fern confirmed growing in a Hudson Valley park
iNaturalist: smnature
Native Plants
If you hike Harriman State Park's woods, this fern's odd trick, growing fertile leaflets in the middle of its fronds that make the leaf look interrupted, is an easy way to identify a genuinely ancient plant lineage on your next walk.
Someone out walking in Harriman State Park found and photographed a fern called interrupted fern, and other naturalists confirmed the identification, making it a verified sighting. This fern gets its name from the odd gap in the middle of its fronds, where spore-producing leaflets interrupt the normal leafy ones. It's one of the older fern lineages still around today, and spotting one is a small reminder of how much wild plant life persists in parks close to home.
Key Findings
Observation was verified as 'research-grade' on iNaturalist, meaning the identification was confirmed by the community
Location: Harriman State Park, Stony Point, New York
Species identified: Osmunda claytoniana (interrupted fern), named for its distinctive fertile leaflets that interrupt the sterile frond
chevron_right Technical Summary
A citizen scientist spotted and confirmed an interrupted fern growing in Harriman State Park, New York, adding a verified data point for this native fern's presence in the region.
Abstract Preview
Original paper
interrupted fern (Osmunda claytoniana) observed in Harriman State Park, Stony Point, NY, US
Research-grade observation of interrupted fern in Harriman State Park, Stony Point, NY, US.
open_in_new Read full abstractAbstract copyright held by the original publisher.
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Claytosmunda is a genus of fern. It has only one extant species, Claytosmunda claytoniana, the interrupted fern, native to Eastern Asia, Eastern United States, and Eastern Canada.