Spring 2011 Marilandica

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Spring 2011 A Publication of the Maryland Native Plant Society Volume 2, Issue

TinaiemeBrown


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CONTACTS

MembershipKaryn Molines, [email protected] EditorCarolyn Fulton, [email protected] Mars, [email protected] Inquiries

[email protected]

MNPS CHAPTERS

CatoctinJim and Teresa Gallion, [email protected] Metzger, [email protected]

Eastern ShoreLeslie Hunter-Cario, [email protected]

Greater BaltimoreAnn Lundy, [email protected]

Montgomery [email protected]

North EastMatthew Bazar, [email protected]

Prince Georges/Anne Arundel CountiesMatt T. Salo, [email protected]

Southern MarylandKaryn Molines, [email protected]

Washington, DCMary Pat Rowan, [email protected]

Western MountainsLiz McDowell, [email protected]

EXECUTIVE OFFICERS

Kirsten Johnson, [email protected]

Marney Bruce, Vice PresidentLinda Keenan, Vice PresidentMarc Imlay, Vice President

Ginny Yacovissi, SecretaryMatt Cohen, Treasurer

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Ken BawerMatthew BazarCarole BergmannMelanie Choukas-BradleyCris FlemingCarolyn FultonAlbert HartleyBrett McMillan

A Publication of theMaryland Native Plant Society

Letter from the President

Dear Members,

Welcome to the second issue of our new Marilandica. Youll notice the focus is on ferns, sinceweve declared 2010 to be ourYear of the Fern see details below. We hope to continue eachyear with the study a dierent specic group of plants.

In 2010, the boards emphasis was on updating communications with our members and the

public. We started a MeetUp group and a Facebook page, instituted Upcoming Events emails,switched to a new web server and began updating the website, and last but not least, we startedthis publication. Of course, our regular activities meetings, eld trips, and advocacy havcontinued. Ive been especially pleased at the steadily increasing attendance at monthly meetinin Silver Spring and can recommend arriving on time if you want to get a seat. is year,starting with the Year of the Fern project, we hope to emphasize and expand on those coreactivities, oering frequent and free opportunities for our members and the public to learnabout native plants and native habitats in the company of like-minded friends.

MNPS members dont agree on everything, and we dont all have the same priorities. Someare mostly interested in enhancing their own knowledge of botany. Some derive spiritual solacfrom the outdoors. We have members devoted to native plant gardening who rarely ventureinto natural areas. Some of us insist on locally derived species for our gardens; others seenothing wrong with planting cultivars. We have members in the business of restoring meadow

streams, and wetlands, and others who question the value of such eorts. Some members abhothe use of herbicides; others insist theyre necessary to eradicate invasive plants. What binds ustogether as a cohesive group is our shared passion for native plants and habitats, along with oudetermination to spread that passion and conserve those habitats.Welcome to new Board members, Brett McMillan and Ken Bawer. Brett is Assistant Professo

of Biology at McDaniel College, and teaches Field Botany and Ecology. We got to know Brettwhen he generously invited MNPS members to join the eld trips for his eld botany class, anwe were immediately taken with his infectious enthusiasm for his subject. Ken Bawer, an ITspecialist with a biology education, has had a life-long interest in natural history. Weve cometo know him from his frequent participation in MNPS eld trips and invasive removal eorts.anks to both of you for joining our Board!

Kirsten Johnso

With fronds like these, who needs anemones?

No, were not really suggesting that you ignore the wood anemones or the thimbleweeds. Butthis year were paying special attention to the ddleheads and not just for supper. MarylandNative Plant Society has an in with some intrepid naturalists who are not afraid of fern ID, anthey are guiding us during a year-long quest to learn the Maryland native ferns. e good newis that all of us are in this together. With a bit of luck and perhaps a bead of sweat we ardetermined to learn to identify the native ferns of Maryland between the time the rst ddlehunfurls and the snow ies. Will you accept the challenge and join our Circle of Fronds? Star

with the easy ones: royal fern (Osmunda regalis L. var. spectabilis), illustrated on our cover; NewYork fern (elypteris noveboracensis), which, like a typical New Yorker, burns its candle at bot

ends; and Christmas fern (Polystichum acrostichoides), with its pinnae shaped like Santas bootsLearn to distinguish the sterile fronds of interrupted fern (Osmunda claytoniana) from those ofcinnamon fern (Osmunda cinnamomea) by looking for tufts of hair at the base of a cinnamonferns pinnae. By the middle of autumn, youll even know the woodferns (Dryopteris ssp.). Andyou might be lucky enough to have spotted a walking fern (Asplenium rhizophyllum) on itsmarch across a limestone boulder.

To help, were printing in this issue Dwight Johnsons easy-to-use key to 24 common ferns ofMaryland and Dwight and Kirsten Johnsons one-page guide to fern structure and terminologyey are also downloadable from our website. Dwight will give us an overview of fern ID at th

April monthly meeting in Silver Spring, and we have at least four fern-focused eld trips comiup. (See Coming Events in this issue.)

page

www.mdflora.orgP.O. Box 4877 Silver Spring, MD 20914

Karyn MolinesGlenn RiceMary Pat RowanRoderick SimmonsGary SteeleLou Aronica, EmeritusJoe Metzger, Ermeritus

Marilandica Spring 2011


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Osmunda regalis L. var. spectabilisWilld. A. Graye Royal Fern Family(Osmundaceae)Melanie Choukas-Bradley

hen I call to mind the Royal Fern, I picture a rustic road

bordered on one side by a racing woodland creek and onthe other by a lush seepage swamp. In the swamp, cinna-mon ferns lift their gracefully curved fronds toward the

fragrant overhanging boughs of fringe-tree and the wild azalea knownas pinxter ower. In their midst are slender, late-blooming Jack-in-the-pulpits. Along the dirt road, at the edge of the cinnamon ferns,small white Canada Mayowersalso called wild lily-of-the-valley-carpet the ground beneath branchlets of arrowwood Vibur-num. In the center of it all, as if holding court, are the tall and spread-ing Royal Ferns.

Although Tina ieme Brown and I call this ethereal landscape thefairy land, it is a very real place on the lower western slopes of Sugar-loaf Mountain along the pristine creek called Bear Branch. One of themany things we plant people seem to have in common is the indeliblememory we carry of the rst place where we have seen and identieda beloved plant. is is my Royal Fern place.

oreau described ferns as tender and delicate, but perfect in alltheir details, far more than any lace workthe most elaborate leaf wehave. With feathered fronds of tender green and spores as light asfairy dust, ferns have inspired mystics, romantics and poets through-out time, in the Old World and the New. eir ancient lineage seems

to add to their mythic appeal. According to a University of Massachu-setts biology website: e Royal Fern is one of the most widespreadof all living species and is found on every continent except Australia[and Antarctica]. Osmundashave witnessed the rise of the reptiles, theourishing and eventual extinction of the dinosaurs, the origin andadaptive radiation of the mammals, and the rise to dominance of anobscure genus of hominids named Homo. Yet when aesthetic appre-ciation turns to ID attempt, romance can quickly fade, with seriousfern frustration setting in. at is why we, as a native plant society, arevowing to learn more about the native ferns of Maryland during 2011as a collective project, with some of the botanists among us who reallyknow the ferns sharing their expertise during MNPS monthly

meetings and eld trips. It is also why Tina and I have chosen aspecies that is among the more easily identiable for Fern in Focus, afeature usually devoted to wildowers.

To begin with, the Royal Fern doesnt look like a typical fern. In thewords of naturalist Dwight Johnson, who will address our Aprilmonthly meeting and lead a Gunpowder Falls eld trip in June:Royal Fern is an interesting plant because, especially when it growsin clusters, it doesnt look fern-like when you glance at it. It looksmore shrub-like. MNPS board member, teacher and author CrisFleming, who will lead us on a fern walk at Snyders Landing in May,says: It is easy to identify for those of us who know it is a fern, but I

have had people on walks, who, seeing it without the fertile frond,think it is some kind of shrub. e 2005 Peterson Ferns Guide says itresembles a locust and indeed it does! When the fertile frond ispresent, its easy to understand a more obscure common name for thisfern: owering fern. Tinas art depicts the oral appearance of the

Royal Ferns fertile pinnae.Fronds: Royal Fern fronds may be three feet or more in length andduring the growing season they are a fresh pale green, looking likeblack locust leaves. Fronds are bipinnately divided with suboppositelyarranged, widely spaced and ascendingpinnae, and alternate, nearlyentire or just barely toothedpinnules. e pinnules are oblong (like

black locust leaets) withblunt apices and rounded orslightly oblique bases. eyare very short-stalked, almostsessile. e fertile (sporangia-bearing) pinnae grow fromthe tops of some of the

fronds. ey are green at rst,turning brown, and theyappear tightly clustered andpanicle-like. Spores areproduced in spring and earlysummer. e Peterson FieldGuides Ferns notes: RoyalFern easily remembered bycrown of fertile pinnae attop of fertile fronds. Resort-ing to a contemporary image,

the Peterson authors write of the Osmundagenus: e sporangiumopens through a long slit on the top, looking like Pac-Man on theattack. (Special thanks to Cris Fleming for bringing the Petersondescriptions to my attention!)Rachis: slender and round; pinkish, golden or green.Stipe: Smooth and 8-24 inches long; pinkish, reddened at the baseand slightly winged.Rhizome: Massive, somewhat erect and partially above ground; oldstipe bases woven together.Height and Growth Habit: Approximately 3-6 feet. Grows inclusters.Habitat and Range: Swamps, bogs, stream sides and other moist,often acidic soils; eastern U.S. and Canada, and on every continentbut Australia and Antarctica.Locations in Maryland: According to Brown and Browns Herba-ceous Plants of Maryland, Royal Fern is found throughout the state.Kirsten and Dwight Johnson see Royal Fern along the GunpowderRiver and at North Point Park in Baltimore County, at PocomokeRiver State Park in Worcester County, and in Bear Branch Bog inPrince Georges County. Dwight says: In Maryland, I see Royal Fernmore in the coastal plain, obviously hand in hand with CinnamonFern. Wesley M. Knapp, Eastern Region Heritage Ecologist andBotanist with Maryland DNRs Wildlife and Heritage Service alsonotes: [Royal Fern] is very common in coastal areas of the state andMNPS board member Karyn Molineswho will lead us on a Jug Bayfern walk in the fallsays: it is easily found at the southern end ofthe marsh boardwalk at Jug Bay Wetlands (continued page 7)

Fern in FocusRoyal Fern

Royal Fern is an interesting plant

especially when it grows in clusters,

it doesnt look fern-like when you glance at it.

It looks more shrub-like.


Osmunda regalis


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From the Field

R.H.Simmons

MNPS member, Bill Morgante,talks with visitors to the Society'sbooth at the Baltimore Home &Garden Show in March.

2010 Travilah Barrens Winter Solstice Walk participants gathered in Post Oak (Quercus stellata) glade.

Forty-one of us from Maryland Native Plant Society, Virginia Native Plant Society,and Arlington Regional Master Naturalists or members of all three as CrisFleming pointed out! met on a cold December 19th for a hike and traditionalsolstice hooley at the exceptional Travilah Serpentine Barrens in MontgomeryCounty, MD, the mid-Atlantic region's finest example of a globally-rare, forested

serpentinite community. Thanks to all who braved the cold and brought goodcheer to the walk and toasting ceremony. This year's offerings were the heavily-peated, bog-and-sea coast inspired Ardbeg and Clynelish drams, as well asKnappogue Castle Single Malt Irish Whiskey and a fine French rum (complimentsof Tom Raque). We were also glad to have the MNPS and VNPS state andPotowmack Chapter presidents with us.

Much of the vegetation that occurs on the olivine-rich serpentinite (dunite) atthe Travilah Serpentine Barrens in Montgomery County is probably mostappropriately classified as "Ultramafic Woodlands and Barrens", which is a naturalcommunity type within the "Low-Elevation Rock Outcrops and Barrens" groupwithin the "Terrestrial System" category (see http://www.dcr.virginia.

gov/natural_heritage/ ncintro.shtml and http://www. dnr.state.md.us/ wildlifPlants_ Wildlife/Md_Veg_ Com/toc.asp). Strong indicators of this community tyare the relative abundance and co-dominance of Post Oak (Quercus stellata) aNorthern Red Oak (Quercus rubra), and, in sections, Blackjack Oak (Querc

marilandica), Shortleaf Pine (Pinus echinata), Virginia Pine (Pinus virginiana), a

Little Blue Stem (Schizachyrium scoparium). Little Blue Stem, when greaabundant/dominant, is a good indicator of ultramafic soils, like those derived froserpentinite, while the abundance of Indian Grass (Sorghastrum nutans) in placlike Manassas Battlefield Park, Hoyles Mill, Gettysburg, etc., is a good indicator underlying diabase (mafic rock) and Triassic Basin soils. Magnesium is very highserpentine soils, but calcium levels are very low. Diabase soils are generally high both calcium and magnesium. Other distinctive associated plants that frequenoccur throughout the Travilah site in woodland glades with the above are: WiCrabapple (Malus coronaria), Hawthorne (Crataegus spp.), Deerberry (Vacciniu

stamineum), Bosc's Panicgrass (Dichanthelium boscii), and Leonard's Skullc(Scutellaria leonardii), among numerous others.

Kirsten Johnson


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Readers Comments

KudosYes, keep bucking the trend. I can curlup with Marilandica!

Joann Alexander

Beautiful PublicationWhat a super super job you all did onthe layout. I read every word, and Ithink the page colors, and color photosreally stand out and make this a rstclass publication.

Carrie Dike

Editors note: We have our excellentgraphic designer, Marjorie Paul,[email protected], to thank forthe look and quality of Marilandica. Weagree she is outstanding!

New SubscriberI have in hand two sheets of the Fall2010 issue of Marilandica that a friendkindly sent to me. On one sheetWinterizing your garden starts, andon the other something aboutmilkweed ends. Both articles caught myattention and Id love to read themboth in their entirety. I wonder if youcould forward them to me in digitalform. I would greatly appreciate it. Its

tormenting to start a story and not ndout how it ends.Nevermind. I just subscribed toMarilandica. Isnt Paypal wonderful!

Maryann Whitman, Journal EditorWild Ones:

Native Plants, Natural Landscapeswww.wildones.org

Where the copse wood is the greenest,

Where the fountain glistens sheenest,

Where the morning dew lies longest,

There the Lady Fern grows strongest.

Sir Walter ScottWaverley

Common Blue Violet, Viola sororiaWilld.

Its the most visible beginning, this low, blue ame in the woods. I think of it as a pilot light that ignitthe entire burst of resurrection we call spring. ~John Eastman, e Book of Forest and ick

hat so well describes how I think of my native wild violets when they turn my garden anlittle lawn purple beginning in late March. is lovely plant is actually considered a weeby many gardeners and weed-wary grass lovers surely curse it. But the owers are some

the rst to appear and beckon pollinators in early spring. ey stand up tall and straight above thleaves, advertising their pollen and nectar. e owers have ve rounded petals, with the lower olined with nectar guides: stripes or veins which radiate outward and guide pollinators to thereward. ey have been used in perfume, poetry, paintings and posies, and can be made incandies and jellies. At our wedding a few years ago, the carrot cake a friend made for us was cover

with violet owers. e leaves are high in vitamins A and C and can be used in salads or cooked greens. For early settlers, violet leaves were welcome when fresh vegetables were hard to come be new growth is the tastiest, so try them before June or when reemerging after being cut.

e former species name, Viola papilionaceaPursh p.p., was a reference to the resemblance of thower to the wings of a buttery. How appropriate! Violets are the host plant for many of thorange-colored fritillaries, and especially the Great Spangled Fritillary. e eggs these butteries lon or near violet plants in the summer hatch in the fall. e caterpillars overwinter and sta

feasting in the spring when the new leaves emerge. So leathe leaf litter or mulch around violets undisturbed for thfritillaries hiding there. Various birds and small mammaoccasionally eat the seed and some wildlife eat the foliage.

ese violets certainly spread themselves around, so I caunderstand the people who consider them weeds. Violehave many ways of reproduc- ing. During the summer aninto the fall seed capsules are produced which, when ripexplode to ing the seed away from the mother plant. Pothat are almost ripe will turn dark and stand up straig

with stems lengthened. Put some of these almost ripe poin a paper bag and it will sound like popcorn popping f

hours. Its a fun activity for children (of all ages) and it wkeep your violet population down. Besides the showowers, violets have a secret ower which stays shut anfertilizes itself. is ower (called a cleistogamous oweis probably the most important for the plants reproductiofor it has vast quantities of seed. Ants also play an important part in seed dispersal, as they do wimany other plants. ere is an oily substance attached to the seed called an eliasome, a protein-ribribe which ants relish. ey take the seed to their nests, eat the eliasome and discard the rest germinate in their waste piles. If you have a compost pile and regularly throw these plants in, yonished compost could be full of the seeds.

Violets bloom again in the fall, but the owers are tucked under the leaves this time. Day lengththe key. When the amount of sunlight is the same in the fall as it was in the spring, a hormone

released that triggers owering. e owers below the leaves may appeal to ants and other pollintors on the ground that are more numerous then.

Now if these werent reasons enough to love this attractive, fascinating plant, I have another reasoe wild common blue violet provides me with a lush, attractive ground cover from early sprinthrough fall. Sometimes the leaves may turn a bit brown or yellow late in the season, but I just cthem o and fresh ones grow in their place. But if I see caterpillars or leaves with holes, I leave tplant where it is. It may be a Great Spangled Fritillary! I do hoe many of the seedlings in the sprinsince I want to have room for other native plants. In many places the violet leaves are intertwin

with Virginia creeper or herbs like oregano and thyme. I am so happy violets have made my gardtheir home.

Marney Bru


Viola sororiaWilld



blade

rachis

pinnule

pinna

pinna rachis

roots

rhizome

frond

stipe

scale

Basic Fern Shapes and Structure

Once Cut(no pinnules)

Semi-tapering to the Base

Twice Cut(pinnae cut into pinnules)

rice Cut(pinnules cut into pinnulets)

Times Cut

Tapering to the Base

Broadest at Base



I. Broadest at Base Once cutwith wavy pinnae . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . S ensitive Fern

Twice cutwith wiry stipe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Broad Beech Fern

rice cuti. Large, coarse; usually more than one plant in area; not lacy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bracken Fern

ii. Small and growing singly or in a small group; delicate and lacy

A. Fertile stalk arising from center of frond; stipe pink towards base . . . . . . . . . . . . Rattlesnake Fern

B. Fertile stalk at or under the ground; stipe green .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Cut-leaved Grape Fern

II. Fully Tapering to the Base Once cut- Small-medium size; very narrow frond; pinnae oblong with

boot similar to Christmas fern; stipe smooth and dark . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ebony Spleenwort

Twice cut

i. Large and growing in a denite crown; fertile frond (if present) in center,

found more often in gardens . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ostrich Fern

ii. Medium size, and growing zig-zag over an area, not in crowns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . New York Fern

III. Semi-tapering to the Base Once cut

i. Pinnae two inches or less

A. Boot-shaped pinnae attached by a short stalk; . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Christmas Fern

B. Pinnae with no stalk; usually growing on top of rocks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Common Polypody

ii. Pinnae over two inches long, wavy (resembles Sensitive Fern),

found in moist areas east of I-95 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Netted Chain Fern

Twice Cut

i . Stipe with brown scales; sori on edge of pinnule . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Marginal Wood Fern

ii. Stipe smooth or slightly hairy

A. Large size; woolly tufts at bases (axes) of pinnae . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Cinnamon Fern

B. No tufts at axes

1. Large size; some pinnae apparently missing from

middle of fertile fronds (if present); veins in pinnule forked . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Interrupted Fern

2. Sori and pinnule veination in herringbone pattern; 2 lowest pinnae

pointing outward in a V shape . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Silvery Glade Fern

3. Growing zigzag in patches near wet areas; common east of I-95 . . . . . . . . . . . . Marsh Fern

iii. Large and shrubby; leaf-like pinnules with short stems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Royal Fern

rice Cut

i. Stipe with brown scales at base

A. On lowest pinna, the pinnule closest to the stipe is the longest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Spinulose Wood Fern

B. On lowest pinna, second pinnule from the stipe is the longest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Intermediate Wood Fern

ii. Stipe smooth

A. Growing in a clump; sori slightly curved and in herringbone pattern;

rachis smooth, not hairy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lady Fern

B. Growing zig-zag over area; hairy rachis; sori small and round . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Hayscented Fern

C. Pinnules lobed (leaf-like); stipe long and slender . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Fragile Fern

iii. Stipe and rachis hairy, pinnules lobed; lower pinnules rounded,

small fern found growing in rocks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Blunt-lobed Woodsia

IV. Unique Shaped Fern Circular-shaped fronds with pinnae on outer rim of stalk; dark wiry stipe . . . . . . . . . . Maidenhair Fern

KEY TO THE COMMON FERNS OF MARYLANDPrepared by Dwight Johnson, 2011


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In the last issue we described the Societyssupport for the Smart Growth Alliance inopposing the construction of a new majorhighway in Charles County. at advocacycontinues. Heres what were doing on otherfronts:

Sale of Invasive Plants. Our thanks go toCarol Jelich of our Eastern Shore Chapter,

who testied on behalf of MNPS in favorof House Bill 831. If enacted, this bill wouldrequire, prior to the sale of certain speciedinvasive plants, that retail and landscapingcustomers be notied that the species isinvasive and harmful to the environment.Heres the list of 45 covered species: NorwayMaple, Tree of Heaven, Sawtooth Oak,Princess Tree, Mimosa, Siberian Elm,Oriental Bittersweet, Russian Olive, Orna-mental Cherry, White Mulberry, MultioraRose, Bradford Pear, Privet, Bush Honey-suckle, Japanese Spiraea, Winged Euonymus,

Japanese Barberry, Kudzu, Porcelain Berry,Asian Wisteria, Periwinkle, English Ivy,Winter Creeper, Crown Vetch, Japanese

pag

(Fern in Focus continued from page 2) Sanctuary. MNPS boardmember Carole Bergmannwho will lead a fern walk at theMagruder Branch Stream Valley Park in Augustobserves:

I would say that in Montgomery County, Royal Fern isnever found except in shaded to partially shaded, verymoistactually wetconditions. It is always fun tond in Montgomery County as it is not thatcommon. I have seen it in several nice colonies inour Upper Paint Branch Stream Valley Park, inNorth Branch of Rock Creek Stream ValleyPark, and in McKnew Park. According toMNPS board member Rod Simmons, RoyalFern is also a nearly constant component ofthe globally-rare Fall Line Magnolia Bogcommunity: Nyssa sylvatica - Magnolia virgin-iana - (Pinus rigida) / Rhododendron viscosum -

Toxicodendron vernix / Smilax pseudochinaWoodland(USNVC CEGL006219) thoughto a much lesser extent than Cinnamon Fern(Osmundastrum cinnamomeum) and usually inmuckier, more heavily-saturated areas rich inorganic material.Similar Species and an Exciting MNPS Discovery:e Royal Fern is not apt to be confused with otherfern species but it often grows in concert with Cinna-mon Fern. According to Wes Knapp: Osmunda regalis(Royal Fern) and O. claytoniana(Interrupted Fern) are the onlytwo remaining Osmunda species in our area. Recent work shows that

Knotweed, Creeping Bugleweed, Spearmint,Ground Ivy, Purple Deadnettle, IndianStrawberry, Common Reed, Giant Reed,Purple Loosestrife, Lesser Celandine,Pampas Grass, Japanese Silvergrass, ReedCanarygrass, Garlic Mustard, JapaneseStiltgrass, Mile-a-Minute, Beefsteak Plant,Spotted Knapweed, Canada istle, andRunning Bamboo.PRESS TIME UPDATE: is legislationhas passed both the Maryland House andthe Senate.

Deer Management. A walk at Oregon RidgePark should be a joy. Instead its a heart-breaking trek through a non-regeneratingforest that almost completely lacks anunderstory. is winter, a group of citizensincluding MNPS President Kirsten Johnson,formed the Coalition for Responsible DeerManagement to urge the Baltimore CountyCouncil to take steps to actively managedeer populations in Baltimore County,including amending the County Code topermit regulated hunting in Baltimore

Conservation Watch

County parks. is would bring theBaltimore County Code into conformity

with that of Montgomery, Howard andother counties.A number of organizations including loc

citizens groups, MNPS and others havesigned the Coalitions petition to the Coun

Natural Gas Drilling. eres been a lotof publicity recently about the destructiveimpact of natural gas drilling in MarcellusShale using a process called fracking.MNPS co-signed recent testimony of theChesapeake Bay Foundation and otherssupporting legislation to put a hold on thiprocess in Maryland pending further studyanks to Liz McDowell of our WesternMountains Chapter for bringing this toour attention.

MNPS Members: What are you doing toadvocate for Marylands native plants andnatural areas? Write to us about yourexperiences so we can include them hereand let other members know.

Osmunda x ruggiiR. Tryon

the Cinnamon Fern is in a dierent and monotypic genus, Osmundatrum, and its preferred name is nowOsmundastrum cinnamomeum

is isnt a new name but a very old one that is being revived

e Cinnamon Fern remains in the familyOsmundaceawith the Royal and Interrupted ferns.Some team work on the part of the Maryland Nativ

Plant Society resulted in an exciting discovery twyears ago. MNPS president Kirsten Johnson telthe story: In the spring of 2009, the BaltimoChapter's Bill Morgante organized a trip tomagnolia bog in the Laurel area. Leader RoSimmons spotted an unusual looking fern neto a stream. Ginny Yacovissi suggested it migbe Osmunda x ruggii, a rare hybrid Interrupted and Royal Ferns. e next day, mhusband Dwight Johnson and I returned to th

area and carefully collected a frond, which wpreserved and presented to the Smithsoniaherbarium on behalf of MNPS. Fern experts

the National Science Foundation and the Smitsonian have conrmed that this is indee

Osmunda x ruggii R. Tryon (O. claytoniana x Oregalis). is is quite a frond in the cap for the Mar

land Native Plant Society!ank you to everyone who contributed to this articl

Melanie and Tina will give aWildower in Focuspresentatioto the Maryland Native Plant Society at the May 31, 200

monthly meeting.



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JimG

allion

Ebony Spleenwort,Asplenium platyneuron, can be confused with ChristmasFern, Polystichum acrostichoides, because both have boot shaped pinnae.But look for Ebony Spleenworts narrow frond and smooth black stipe, verydierent from the scruy stipe of Christmas Fern

Silvery Glade Fern, Deparia acrostichoides, has herring-bone shaped sori,similar to those of its close relative, Lady Fern,Athyrium felix-femina.

Walking Fern,Asplenium rhizophyllum, creeps across calcareous rocks.

e common name of Interrupted Fern, Osmunda claytoniana, describes itsfertile fronds, which are interrupted by several pairs of fertile pinnae.

Common Polypody, Polypodium virginianum. In the piedmont, this fern ismost often found on rocks, but in the coastal plain it is also seen in clumpsnext to trees. Notice that the pinnae have no stalks.

Hayscented Fern, Dennstaedtia punctiloba, is very common in Marylandwoods. Because it is not consumed by deer, it has spread invasively in somenortheastern forests to the detriment of other understory plants.


CarolBergmann

CarolBergmann

CarolBergmann

CarolBergmann

CarolBergmann

BobYacovissi


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April 26, 2010 ~Tuesday, 7:30 PM, doors open at 6:30Ferns

White Oak Library Large Meeting RoomSpeaker: Dwight JohnsonTo support this years MNPS theme of the Year of the Fern, Dwightreturns to present his fern identication workshop. A key to the fernsof Maryland will be passed out and explained, and then used toidentify some common ferns of Maryland, both in photos and usingactual plant material. is talk will help prepare you for the fern eldtrips that are planned for this year.

May 31, 2010 ~ Tuesday, 7:30 PM, doors open at 6:30

Nature Writing and IllustrationWhite Oak Library Large Meeting RoomSpeakers: Melanie Choukas-Bradley and Tina ieme Browne speakers, author and artist of two books about Sugarloaf Mountain,Maryland, will talk about their Wildower in Focus column forMarilandica, formerly the Native News. Over the past few years theyhave described and illustrated nearly two dozen Maryland wildowersfor MNPS. eir articles and artwork can be viewed on our website.ey will describe their creative process from eld work to nished articleand art. Melanie and Tina will also talk about their ten year project todocument and celebrate the natural history and ora of Sugarloaf.Melanie teaches the summer wildower identication course throughANS and the Graduate School, and Tina teaches botanical art at the

US Botanic Garden. ey are longtime eld trip leaders for ANS andother organizations. Melanie is also the author of City of Trees. Tinasart studio in Barnsville, Maryland, is part of the Countryside Artisansopen studio tours.

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Coming Events

MONTHLY MEETINGS

June 28, 2011 ~ Tuesday, 7:30 PM, doors open at 6:30Deer Management in Marylands Public LandsWhite Oak Library Large Meeting RoomSpeaker: Eugene Meyer, Recently retired Instructor, Loyola University

July 26, 2010 ~ Tuesday, 7:30 PM, doors open at 6:30Ferns in the Natural Landscape

White Oak Library Large Meeting RoomSpeaker: W. Carl Taylor, Recently retired Botanist at the NationalScience Foundation

MARK YOUR CALENDARS

September 24, 2011 ~ Saturday2011 Annual Fall ConferenceCollege of Southern Maryland in LaPlataeme and speakers will be announced soon.September 24th is National Public Lands Day this year, and theconference topics will underscore the critical importance of nurturingand building on our legacy.

July December 2011 Meeting DatesAugust 30, 2011September 2, 2011October 25, 2011

November 29, 2011December 13, 2011Visit mdora.org for additional information.

Field Trip Leaders and Co-Leaders

Do you have a favorite place to explore for native plants? Or aplace you havent thoroughly explored but would like to?Consider leading a eld trip. You dont have to be an expert eldbotanist. Just set a date, a time, and a place to meet. And decideon the path for the walk. Send the information for your trip toeldtrips @ mdora.org, and it will be listed on our website,MeetUp group, Upcoming Events emails, and Marilandica(depending on press time). If you would like a co-leader, or havespecial requirements for your walk, or any other questions, pleasecontact Kirsten at kh.johnson @ ymail.com.

Meetings take place on the last Tuesday of each month with the exception of the December meeting. Location: White Oak Library Large MeetingRoom. e Library will be closed; enter from the lower level. Directions: Exit the Washington Beltway at New Hampshire Avenue (exit 28). Go northabout 2 miles. e library is the rst building on the right, once you have passed under Route 29, just after the Sears store.

Volunteers Needed

Help Spread the Word about Natives

Especially around Earth Day, MNPS gets invitations to set up atable at various festivals and events. Were always in need ofvolunteers for those events. Its a lot of fun to talk to members ofthe public about all aspects of native plants, in nature and in thelandscape. If youd like to be on our list of potential volunteers,please contact Ginny Yacovissi at info @ mdora.org.

Denotes fern-orientedevents for Year of the Fern



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MNPS is reinvigorating our project to make plant lists of our eld trips through the years. ese lists are veryhelpful for eld trip leaders and participants as well as individuals and other groups. A long-range goal of theplant lists of our eld trips is to monitor changes in populations of native plants over the years. To see thecurrent lists, look on our web site (www.mdora.org) under Plant Lists. More lists will be posted in the comingmonths. is project needs volunteers willing to keep track of plants seen on a eld trip. Check the web siteunder Volunteer to learn the easy way to help with this important activity of your organization.

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SPRING and SUMMER FIELD TRIPS

Coming Events

May 7, 2011 Saturday, 10:00 am 1:30 pmFern Walk at Snyders Landing

Leader: Cris Fleminge high limestone blus on the C & O Canal harbor calciphitic fernsincluding walking fern, bulblet fern, blunt-lobed woodsia, and maidenhair spleenwort, not often found in other regions of MD. ere will bea few steep places but most ferns can be seen not far o the towpath.Directions: Please see the MNPS website for directions.Bring: Water, lunch or snack; eld guides.Registration: REQUIRED. Limited to 15. Registration is not availablethrough the website. To register, contact Cris Fleming.Contact: Cris Fleming, [email protected].

June 18, 2011 Saturday, 10:00 am 4:00 pmFerns on the Gunpowder Gunpowder State Park

Leader: Dwight JohnsonLearn about more than 20 species of common and some less commonferns along the Gun-powder River just north of Perry Hall. We willexplore three dierent areas located along two dierent paths about onmile long each. Both paths are at, easy walking with a few small streamcrossings but could be muddy if there has been recent rain.Directions: See MNPS website for directions.Bring: Water and lunch.Registration: Not required, but registrants will be contacted inthe event of cancellation.

Contact: Dwight Johnson, [email protected].

August 21, 2011 Sunday, 9:30 AM 12:00 PMMagruder Branch Stream Valley Park

Leader: Carole Bergmann, MNCPPC Forest EcologistJoin Carole Bergmann for a native plant community hike near Damas-cus, Maryland. We hope to see approximately a dozen ferns native tothe Maryland piedmont on this hike. We will mostly stay on the trail,but we will go o trail at a number of spots.Bring: Water; snack if desired. No restrooms or water at parking area.Registration: Required; limited to 17 participants.Contact: Carole Bergmann, [email protected]

ese are the eld trips scheduled at press time. For up to date news of MNPS eld trips and activities please visit our website, www.mdora.organd nd us at meetup.com. Unless otherwise indicated, MNPS eld trips are generally geared to adults. Please see the information provided for individueld trips, some of which may welcome children. If you have questions, feel free to contact the eld trip leader.

Field Trip Plant Lists

on our websitemdflora.org

on Facebookon Meet up

Look for MNPSEvents & News

April 23, 2011 Saturday 10:00 am 2:00 pmLeakin Park, BaltimoreLeaders: Dwight and Kirsten JohnsonWell explore this large urban park in West Baltimore that has qualitydeciduous forest, especially looking for spring ephemerals. We hopeto make this the rst of a series of urban park walks in Baltimore.Directions: Meet at the parking lot on Franklintown Road (not at thenature center). From I-70 East, exit onto Security Blvd. Take the rstright onto Franklintown Rd. Drive mile. Parking lot is on the left.Bring: Lunch, water, eld guides if you have them.Registration: Not required but appreciated. Registrants will benotied in the event of cancellations.

Contact: Dwight Johnson, [email protected].

April 30, 2011, Saturday, 10:00 am 2:00 pmCarderock, Montgomery CountyLeader: Marney BruceSee lots of spring wildowers at this natural gem just outside thebeltway. is popular recreational area is wedged between the C & OCanal and the Potomac River, abundant with wildowers, wildlife,and blooming trees. We will be walking in the woods, on the towpath, and occasionally crossing streams and climbing hills.Directions: Please see the MNPS website for directions.Bring: Water, lunch, sturdy walking shoes or boots. Note: Lightdrizzle is ne but cancelled if heavy rain.

Contact: M. Bruce, [email protected] or 301.652.0492.

May 7 2011, Saturday, 10:30 am 2:00 pmWildflower Tour of Triadelphia Reservoir Area, PigtailRecreation Area, Dayton, MDLeaders: Kimberly Knox and Joe Metzgeris cove provides moisture for beautiful wildowers and a largevariety of native trees, and is home to a large number of songbirds.e Howard County Bird Club will be sponsoring Warbler Dayfrom 8:00 to 10:00 am at this same location on May 7.Location: See the MNPS website for location.Contact: Kimberly Knox, [email protected] or 301.206.8233



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Maryland Native Plant SocietyPO Box 4877Silver Spring, MD 20914

A Publication of the Maryland Native Plant Soc

In this IssueLetter from the PresidentWith fronds like theseFern in FocusIn the FieldCommon Blue VioletFern Shape & StructureCommon Ferns of MarylandConservation Watch

Pictorial EssayComing EventsComing Events

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Celebrating

TheYearoftheFern

11234567

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Documents

Spring 2011 Marilandica