Thelypteris palustris
Thelypteris palustris marsh fern
The marsh fern is bright yellow-green, soft-textured with a light pubescence along the stipe and rachis. This fern is much less common than the New York fern and is found in various wetland areas. It produces fronds throughout the summer.
Habitat & Range
Moist, sunny areas in full sun and partial shade; rich, muddy soil of swamps, bogs, marshes, open woodlands, wet meadows, and also along streams or ditches.
Range is from Newfoundland to Florida and west to Manitoba, the Dakotas, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas.
| EMP: | FACW |
|---|---|
| NCNE: | FACW |
Phenology
Does not overwinter.
Characteristics
Fronds 7 to 36 in. long. Fertile fronds erect, with longer stipes than sterile fronds and constricted pinnae margins rolled over the sori.
Blade 2 to 8 in. wide. Lance-shaped with a pointed tip and widest above the base near middle, tapering only slightly at the base. Does not overwinter. Delicate, green or yellowish-green.
Pinnae lance-shaped, cut nearly to midvein into 12 or so rounded or blunt-tipped lobes; margins not toothed. Widest at the rachis. Fertile pinnae appear narrow and constricted because the margins curve over the sori. Veins of sterile pinnae mostly forked.
Rachis green, slender, smooth or with sparse small hairs.
Stipe 5 to 28 in. long. Longer than blade; smooth, slender, pale green or straw-colored above, dark brown to black at base; very few or no tan scales. Stipes of fertile fronds are longer than those of sterile ones.
Rhizome slender, black, with few scales; widely creeping, branching.
Sori numerous, round, mostly on upper pinnae in close rows near midvein. Indusium pale, narrow, kidney-shaped, often hairy, but not glandular.
Plant Codes
S-rank: No rank
G-rank: G5 (Secure)
Thelypteris palustris marsh fern
