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Woodwardia virginica (L.)Sm.
Virginia Chain Fern
Florida native
A common fern of swamps, marshes and wet hammocks in nearly all of Florida. Distributed throughout the states east of the Mississippi River except Wisconsin and also in Louisiana, Arkansas and Texas. The range includes Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia.
This is one of the chain ferns, which refers to the veins, most prominent on the underside, that form what are called areoles along each side of the midvein of the pinnae and most pinnules. This chain-like appearance is also noticeable in the pattern of the sori when present. The erect, deciduous fronds are 50-130cm (20 to 51 in.) tall with 10-60cm (4 to 24 in.) long petioles that are straw-colored to greenish above, darkening to various colors towards the base and sometimes having some reddish-brown scales. The rachis is straw-colored, often darker thatn the petiole. The pinnate-pinatifid blade is elliptic to lanceolate in outline, 25-70cm (10 to 28 in.) long and up to 30cm (12 in.) wide. The linear-shaped sori are arranged in parallel rows along the midrib of the pinnae and the midveins of the pinnules.
Woodwardia virginica is a member of the Blechnaceae - Chain Fern family.
Atlas of Florida Vascular Plants (Institute for Systemic Botany) profile for this species
iNaturalist profile for this species
USDA Plant Profile for this species
Date record last modified: Apr 05, 2024
