Bedford Oblique Grape Fern Information
Fundamentals of Discovery
Date-Time
Discovered: September 10, 2012, 5:25 PM ET
GPS Location: N 41°22.640, W 81°34.128
Directions: Follow Tinkers Creek trail east from Hemlock Creek Picnic Area, past CCC wall.
Identification: Oblique Grape Fern Botrychium dissectum var obliquum
Pictures: http://www.flickr.com/photos/flosi/sets/72157631515036939/
Below are notes that led to the identification. Credit to Warren Douglas Hauk for identification assistance and images below.
GPS Location: N 41°22.640, W 81°34.128
Directions: Follow Tinkers Creek trail east from Hemlock Creek Picnic Area, past CCC wall.
Identification: Oblique Grape Fern Botrychium dissectum var obliquum
Pictures: http://www.flickr.com/photos/flosi/sets/72157631515036939/
Below are notes that led to the identification. Credit to Warren Douglas Hauk for identification assistance and images below.
Evaluated Grape Fern Types
- Oblique Grape Fern Botrychium dissectum var obliquum
- Dissected Grape Fern Botrychium dissectum var dissectum
- Blunt-lobed Grape Fern Botrychium oneidense
- Leathery Grape Fern Botrychium multifidum
Oblique/Dissected Grape Fern Common Characteristics
- Ultimate pinnules of sterile segment lanceolate-ovate, acute, sub-coriaceous
- Tending to turn bronzy in autumn
- Pinnules obliquely trowel-shaped or linear, margins denticulate to lacerate or coarsely cut, apex acute; trophophore blades bronze in winter if exposed.
- Trophophore stalk 3--15 cm, 1.5--2.5 times length of trophophore rachis; blade shiny green, often bronze in winter, plane to convex, 3--4-pinnate, to 20 × 30cm, leathery. Pinnae to 10 pairs, approximate to remote, slightly ascending, distance between 1st and 2d pinnae not or slightly more than between 2d and 3d pairs, undivided except in proximal 2/3--3/4. Pinnules usually obliquely angular--trowel-shaped to widely trowel-shaped to obliquely round-lanceolate to ovate and pointed, margins denticulate to lacerate to coarsely cut halfway or wholly into linear-divergent segments in some populations, venation pinnate. Sporophores 2--3-pinnate, 1.5--2.5 times length of trophophore. 2 n =90.
- New leaves appearing in late spring
- Young individuals of both may resemble B . oneidense (W.H. Wagner Jr. 1961b)
B. oneidense on left, B. dissectum on right, Vinton Co., OH
Blunt-lobed Grape Fern Characteristics
- Like Botrychium dissectum var obliquum
- 2-3 times pinnate blade
- Mostly obtuse or rounded ultimate segments
- Persistently green through winter
- Terminal pinnule larger than lateral pinnules (terminal end of pinnae is not fully divided)
- Pinnules rounded at tip; margins finely toothed or blunt toothed.
- Pinnules obliquely ovate, margins finely denticulate to crenulate, apex rounded to acute; trophophore blades green in winter
- Trophophore stalk 2--15 cm, 1.5--2.5 times length of blade rachis; blade dull bluish green, ± plane, 2--3-pinnate, to 15 × 20 cm, ± leathery. Pinnae to 5 pairs, usually remote, horizontal to ascending, distance between 1st and 2d pinnae not or slightly more than between 2d and 3d pairs, undivided except in proximal 2/3--3/4. Pinnules obliquely ovate, margins finely crenulate to denticulate, apex rounded to acute, venation pinnate. Sporophores 2--3-pinnate, 1.5--2.5 times length of trophophore. 2 n =90.
- new leaves appearing in spring
Useful Links
http://www.plantsystematics.org/imgs/robbin/r/Ophioglossaceae_Botrychium_oneidense_24345.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Botrychium_oneidense_drawing.png
http://gobotany.newenglandwild.org/species/botrychium/oneidense/
B. oneidense, Vinton Co., OH
Leathery Grape Fern Characteristics
- State Listed - Endangered
- Ultimate pinnules of sterile segment obvate, obtuse, coriaceous
- Terminal pinnule not larger than the lateral pinnules (the terminal end of the pinnae is fully divided).
- Margins of blade divisions rounded.
- Segments of blades rounded, nearly entire, plane; texture leathery; n North America
- Trophophore stalk 2--15 cm, 0.3--1.2 times length of trophophore rachis; blade shiny green, plane, ternate, 2--3-pinnate, to 25 × 35 cm, leathery. Pinnae to 10 pairs, approximate to remote, horizontal to ascending, distance between 1st and 2d pinnae not or slightly more than between 2d and 3d pairs, divided to tip. Pinnules obliquely ovate, rounded, margins usually ± entire to shallowly crenulate, sometimes inconspicuously and shallowly denticulate, apex rounded, venation pinnate. Sporophores 2--3-pinnate, 1.2 times length of trophophore. 2 n =90.
- Leaves green over winter, appearing in spring.
References
- http://www.uwgb.edu/biodiversity/herbarium/pteridophytes/botmul01.htm
- http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=104332
- http://plants.usda.gov/java/ClassificationServlet?source=profile&symbol=BOTRY&display=63
- http://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fsm91_054149.pdf
Sceptridium oneidense vs Botrychium oneidense
Updated 8/9/2014 Bronze Fern
