Alpine woodsia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Alpine woodsia |
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| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Woodsia
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| Species: |
alpina
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The Alpine woodsia (scientific name: Woodsia alpina) is a cool type of fern. You can find it in cold, northern places like North America and Europe. People also call it the northern woodsia or alpine cliff fern. This fern likes to grow in rocky spots. Look for it in cracks, on slopes with loose rocks, or on cliffs. It especially loves rocks like slate and limestone.
Where Does Alpine Woodsia Grow?
This fern grows all around the northern parts of the world. You can find it in much of northern and western Canada. It also grows along the coasts of Greenland.
In the United States, the Alpine woodsia is quite rare. It is considered a threatened or endangered plant. This means it needs special protection in states like Maine, Vermont, Michigan, and New York.
You can also find it in many European countries. These include Norway and Sweden. It is scattered across Asia, too. There are many Alpine woodsia ferns in the Ural and Altai mountains. In the UK, it mainly grows in Angus, Perthshire, and Argyll in Scotland. It is also found in north Wales.
In Scotland, this fern is "near threatened." This means it could become endangered soon. It is at the edge of its natural growing area there. Because it is special, it became a protected plant in the UK in 1975. This was under the Conservation of Wild Creatures and Wild Plants Act.
How Alpine Woodsia Was Discovered
The first time this fern was mentioned was in a book called Synopsis in 1690. A scientist named John Ray wrote about it. He recorded that a rare fern was found near the top of Snowdon in Wales. This discovery was made by Edward Lhwyd.
However, the plant was first clearly identified as its own species later. This happened in 1785. A book called Filices Britannica by James Bolton described it. Bolton showed that Acrostichum ilvense and Acrostichum alpina were different. These are now known as Woodsia ilvensis and Woodsia alpina. Before this, people thought they were the same plant.
The story can be a bit confusing. Even though Lhwyd called his find A. ilvense, his actual plant was W. alpina. The group of ferns called Woodsia was named in 1810. This was done by Robert Brown. He named it after an English plant expert, Joseph Woods.
The Alpine woodsia actually started as a mix of two other ferns. These are Woodsia ilvensis and W. glabella. W. glabella is also called smooth woodsia. It does not grow in Britain. But in North America, you often find these two ferns growing together. All three of these fern types look quite similar.
Victorian Fern Collectors
In the mid-1800s, during the Victorian era, many people loved collecting ferns. This time was known as Pteridomania, or "fern-fever." Because of this, the Alpine woodsia and W. ilvensis were in great danger. Many collectors went to places like the Moffat Hills in Scotland to find them.
Collecting these ferns could be very risky. A man named John Sadler, who later worked at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, almost died. He was trying to get a fern from a cliff near Moffat. Another plant guide, William Williams, sadly died in 1861. He was collecting Alpine woodsia in Wales. His body was found at the bottom of the same cliff where Lhwyd first found the fern.
