Newman's lady-fern facts for kids

The Athyrium flexile, often called Newman's lady-fern or the flexile lady fern, is a special type of fern. It grows only in Scotland, which means it is endemic to that country. Some people think it's its own unique species, but many experts believe it's actually a special kind of ecotype (a variety that has adapted to a specific environment) of the Alpine lady fern.

This fern is usually a pale to yellow-green color. It has leaves that are shaped like an oval and are "double pinnate," meaning they have smaller leaflets arranged on both sides of a central stem, and then those leaflets have even smaller ones. These leaves are also deciduous, which means they fall off in the autumn, just like the leaves on many trees. Newman's lady-fern grows and matures faster than the Alpine lady fern, especially in places where the soil doesn't have many nutrients. However, in other types of soil, the Alpine lady fern grows better.

What is Newman's Lady-Fern?

Newman's lady-fern is a small plant with leaves that drop off each year. It has a pale to yellow-green color. Its leaves are shaped like an oval and are divided twice, making them look feathery. This fern is known for growing quickly and reaching maturity faster than its close relative, the Alpine lady fern, especially in rocky areas with poor soil.

Where Does Newman's Lady-Fern Grow?

This fern prefers to live in high mountain areas, usually above 750 meters (about 2,460 feet). You can find it on rocky slopes called screes, which are made of hard, siliceous rocks like quartzite and granite. It lives in the Scottish Highlands, but only in a few specific spots – just four known places!

Newman's lady-fern is good at handling snow. The snow actually helps protect it from very cold frosts. This small fern likes cool, shady spots that face north-east or north-west. It particularly thrives where there are large, acidic rocks and where snow stays on the ground late into spring. The melting snow creates trickling water in gullies, which the fern seems to enjoy.

Is It a Special Kind of Fern?

Scientists first described Athyrium flexile in 1853. However, there's a debate about whether it's a completely separate species or just a smaller, stunted version of the Alpine Lady-fern (A. distentifolium). Some experts think that the difference between the two might be caused by just a single gene mutation. Because of this, many consider it a variety of the Alpine Lady-fern, calling it Athyrium distentifolium' var. flexile, rather than its own distinct species.

Why Is Newman's Lady-Fern Important?

Newman's lady-fern is considered "nationally scarce" and "vulnerable" in Scotland. This means there aren't many of them left, and they are at risk. More than 75% of all Newman's lady-ferns live in the high Cairngorm mountains. This includes the rocky plateau of Braeriach and the upper parts of Glen Doll. It can be found as high as 900 meters (about 2,950 feet) in Glen Einich. Protecting these areas is very important to help this unique fern survive.