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Morristown National Historical ParkPennsylvania Line Soldier Huts
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Morristown National Historical Park
Ferns
 
Fiddleheads emerging in late April.
(Barton)
Fiddleheads emerging in late April

Visitors to Morristown National Historical Park are likely to find several species of ferns along the park's trails and roadsides in cool, moist shaded areas.

Twenty-one species of ferns and fern allies have been identified in the park.  The most common ferns found in the park are New York and Christmas ferns.  Christmas Fern is one of the most familiar ferns in New Jersey.  Its distinctive evergreen leaves make it easy to recognize

 

Species

Family

Common Name

Adiantum pedatum

Adiantaceae

Maidenhair Fern

Athyrium filix-femina

Aspleniaceae

Lady Fern

Athyrium thelypteroides

Aspleniaceae

Silvery Spleenwort

Botrychium sp.

Ophioglossaceae

Grape Fern

Botrychium virginiana

Ophioglossaceae

Virginia Grape Fern

Dennstaedtia punctilobula

Dennstaedtiaceae

Hay-Scented Fern

Dryopteris austriaca

Aspleniaceae

Shield Fern

Dryopteris carthusiana

Aspleniaceae

American Shield fern

Dryopteris sp.

Aspleniaceae

Shield Fern

Equisetum sp.

Equistaceae

Horsetails

Gymnocarpium dryopteris

Aspleniaceae

Oak Fern

Lycopodium clavatum

Lycopodiaceae

Trailing Clubmoss

Lycopodium sp.

Lycopodiaceae

Clubmoss

Onoclea sensibilis

Aspleniaceae

Sensitive Fern

Osmunda cinnamomea

Osmundaceae

Cinnamon Fern

Osmunda claytoniana

Osmundaceae

Interrupted Fern

Osmunda regalis

Osmundaceae

Royal Fern

Polystichum acrostichoides

Aspleniaceae

Christmas Fern

Thelypteris hexagonoptera

Aspleniaceae

Broad Beech Fern

Thelypteris noveboracensis

Aspleniaceae

New York Fern

Thelypteris palustris

Aspleniaceae

Marsh Fern

Thelypteris phegopteris

Aspleniaceae

Northern Fern

Dr James Thacher  

Did You Know?
“We reached this wilderness, about three miles from Morristown where we are building log huts for winter quarters. The snow on the ground is about two feet deep, and the weather extremely cold.” – Dr James Thacher, Continental Army Surgeon, 1779.

Last Updated: August 24, 2006 at 09:47 EST