Ferns

Fiddleheads emerging in late April

(Barton)

Visitors to Morristown National Historical Park are likely to find several species of ferns along the park's trails and roadsides in cool, moist shaded areas.

Twenty-one species of ferns and fern allies have been identified in the park. The most common ferns found in the park are New York and Christmas ferns. Christmas Fern is one of the most familiar ferns in New Jersey. Its distinctive evergreen leaves make it easy to recognize

 

Species	Family	Common Name
Adiantum pedatum	Adiantaceae	Maidenhair Fern
Athyrium filix-femina	Aspleniaceae	Lady Fern
Athyrium thelypteroides	Aspleniaceae	Silvery Spleenwort
Botrychium sp.	Ophioglossaceae	Grape Fern
Botrychium virginiana	Ophioglossaceae	Virginia Grape Fern
Dennstaedtia punctilobula	Dennstaedtiaceae	Hay-Scented Fern
Dryopteris austriaca	Aspleniaceae	Shield Fern
Dryopteris carthusiana	Aspleniaceae	American Shield fern
Dryopteris sp.	Aspleniaceae	Shield Fern
Equisetum sp.	Equistaceae	Horsetails
Gymnocarpium dryopteris	Aspleniaceae	Oak Fern
Lycopodium clavatum	Lycopodiaceae	Trailing Clubmoss
Lycopodium sp.	Lycopodiaceae	Clubmoss
Onoclea sensibilis	Aspleniaceae	Sensitive Fern
Osmunda cinnamomea	Osmundaceae	Cinnamon Fern
Osmunda claytoniana	Osmundaceae	Interrupted Fern
Osmunda regalis	Osmundaceae	Royal Fern
Polystichum acrostichoides	Aspleniaceae	Christmas Fern
Thelypteris hexagonoptera	Aspleniaceae	Broad Beech Fern
Thelypteris noveboracensis	Aspleniaceae	New York Fern
Thelypteris palustris	Aspleniaceae	Marsh Fern
Thelypteris phegopteris	Aspleniaceae	Northern Fern