A native fern with distinctive cinnamon-colored spore-bearing fronds rising from the center of a clump of vegetative fronds.
§ Quick facts
§ Encyclopedia
Osmundastrum cinnamomeum, commonly known as the cinnamon fern or the buckhorn fern, is a species of royal fern native to the Americas and Asia. It is the sole living representative of the genus Osmundastrum, which was separated from Osmunda after modern phylogenetic studies demonstrated that Osmunda was not monophyletic. In North America it occurs from southern Labrador west to Ontario, and south through the eastern United States to eastern Mexico and the West Indies; in South America it occurs west to Peru and south to Paraguay. In Asia it occurs from southeastern Siberia south through Japan, Korea, China and Taiwan to India, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam.
Source: Wikipedia — Osmundastrum cinnamomeum Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
§ Identification
Field marks. Large clump-forming fern; separate green sterile fronds and distinct cinnamon-brown fertile fronds.
Similar species. Interrupted Fern (related). Royal Fern (different shape).
§ Diet & behavior
Diet. N/A — photosynthesis
Behavior. Named for cinnamon-colored fertile fronds emerging in spring. Common in wet woodlands.
§ Range
Eastern North America
§ Habitat
Wet woodlands, swamps, marshes
§ Threats
Wetland loss, garden monocultures.
§ Conservation status
According to the IUCN Red List, the cinnamon fern is currently classified as Least Concern.
§ What helps
Plant in wet shade gardens. Support wetland protection.
§ Further reading
- Wikipedia — Osmundastrum cinnamomeum
- www.nwf.org — authoritative profile of Osmundastrum cinnamomeum
- iNaturalist · taxon 126851
- IUCN Red List — search for Osmundastrum cinnamomeum
- GBIF occurrence records
- Encyclopedia of Life — Osmundastrum cinnamomeum
§ Sources cited
- USDA Plants Database
- Native Plant Trust
