Blunt-lobed grapefern facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Blunt-lobed grapefern |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Sceptridium
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| Species: |
oneidense
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The blunt-lobed grapefern (scientific name: Sceptridium oneidense) is a type of fern. Ferns are ancient plants that don't have flowers or seeds. Instead, they reproduce using tiny spores. This specific fern belongs to the Ophioglossaceae family, which is a group of ferns often called "adder's-tongue ferns" or "grapeferns" because of how their spore-producing parts look.
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What Does It Look Like?
The blunt-lobed grapefern has leaves that are divided into three main sections. Each of these sections is then divided again into smaller parts. This gives the leaf a very complex, branched look.
How It Reproduces
This fern produces its spores in late fall. The spores grow on special stalks called panicles. These panicles stand tall, rising above the green, leafy parts of the fern. When the spores are ready, they are released to grow new ferns.
How Scientists Classify This Fern
Scientists use a system called taxonomy to name and group living things. For a while, the blunt-lobed grapefern had a bit of a confusing history in how it was classified.
A Changing Identity
At first, some scientists thought S. oneidense was just a different type or "variety" of another fern called Sceptridium dissectum. Later, it was seen as a "form" of that fern. There was even a time when people thought it might be a hybrid species, meaning it was a mix of two different ferns.
Becoming Its Own Species
However, after a careful study in 1961 by a scientist named Wagner, it was finally decided that the blunt-lobed grapefern was unique enough to be considered its very own species. This means it's a distinct type of plant, not just a variation of another.
Where Does This Fern Grow?
The blunt-lobed grapefern likes to grow in damp, wooded areas. You can find it in many parts of eastern United States and Canada.
Its Home Range
In the United States, it grows as far south as North Carolina. In Canada, its range extends from New Brunswick all the way to Ontario.
A Rare Find in Canada
While it grows in both countries, the blunt-lobed grapefern is quite rare in Canada. When it is found there, it often grows near large groups of another similar fern called Botrychium obliquum.
