French names:
Osmonde cannelle Family: Flowering Fern Family (Osmundaceae) Distinctive features:
Whitish velvety coating on lower stems and fiddleheads. Swamps. Central cinnamon-colored fertile frond. Similar species: • Ostrich Fern (Matteuccia struthiopteris) - all fronds grow from a single black knob; grows in areas that are not as wet; fertile frond is black later in the year; lower stems are not white-velvety. • Interrupted Fern (Osmunda claytoniana) - grows in drier places; lacks a separate fertile frond. • Marsh Fern (Thelypteris palustris) - also grows in wet areas; lacks the small tufts at the base of the leaflets; fronds grow singly. • Virginia Chain Fern (Woodwardia virginica) - uncommon; fronds grow singly.
Fronds: Twice divided; Long, classic fern shape; small tufts at the base of the leaflets. Height:
1-2 m (3-5 ft) Habitat:
Open areas in swamps and wet areas Uses:
Fiddleheads are edible. But limit the quantity that you eat, as all ferns contains some carcinogens. Edible:
Edible, but Ostrich Fern (Matteuccia struthiopteris) is much better. Native/Non-native:
Native Status:
Very common.
Notes:
Frequently confused with Ostrich Fern (Matteuccia struthiopteris). Photographs:
229 photographs available, of which 27 are featured on this page. SCROLL DOWN FOR PHOTOGRAPHS.
Close-up of the leaves on a herbarium specimen. Note the crooked stem - Cinnamon Fern can be mistaken for Marsh Fern (Thelypteris palustris) because of this.
(Royal Botanical Gardens herbarium, Burlington, Ontario).
Note the small tufts at the base of each leaflet - this is a strong indicator for Cinnamon Fern.
Fiddleheads in the early spring. Some people eat these fiddleheads.
For more info on edibility of fiddleheads, please visit the Wildwood Survival website, Edible Plants.
Cinnamon Ferns in fall (early November)
Cinnamon Ferns in early winter.
Cinnamon Ferns in winter.
And let's conclude with a final photo of Cinnamon Ferns in a swamp. Beautiful!
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