BBY005 :: Athyrium filix-femina

Lady fern. Ferns are so beautiful and complex, but the simplicity of my art reflects my knowledge of these plants. I had no idea where to start in identifying this one. I still don’t understand exactly what “pinnatifid” means but it’s a start! The leaf structure is bipinnate-pinnatifid if anyone was wondering. Another clue was hidden under the leaf. The sori, or spore structures used to reproduce, are intricately shaped and sometimes protected by a tiny tissue. The sori of this lady fern (pictured here in mid-September) are kidney shaped.

Specimen recorded July 24, 2020, 18:09 under the alder tree from last week.

Art by Nelson Spies, September 24, 2020. Acrylic and ink on 65 lb green cardstock.