Osmunda regalis var. spectabilis

(Willdenow) A. Gray

Manual ed. 2 600. 1856.

IllustratedEndemic
Basionym: Osmunda spectabilis Sp. Pl. 5(1): 98. 1810
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 2.

Leaves 2-pinnate; petioles ± length of blades, winged, with light-brown hairs, glabrate at maturity. Sterile leaves broadly ovate, ca. 0.75–1 m; pinnae lanceolate, lacking tuft of hairs at base; pinnules short-stalked, base oblique to somewhat truncate, margins subentire to remotely dentate, apex acute to rounded. Fertile leaves with greatly reduced sporangia-bearing pinnae at apex. Sporangia greenish, turning red, then rusty brown. 2n =44.


Phenology: Sporulation early spring–midsummer.
Habitat: 0–2300 m

Distribution

V2 318-distribution-map.gif

St. Pierre and Miquelon, N.B., Nfld. and Labr. (Nfld.), N.S., Ont., P.E.I., Que., Ala., Ark., Conn., Del., Fla., Ga., Ill., Ind., Iowa, Ky., La., Maine, Md., Mass., Mich., Minn., Miss., Mo., N.H., N.J., N.Y., N.C., Ohio, Okla., Pa., R.I., S.C., Tenn., Tex., Vt., Va., W.Va., Wis.

Discussion

The chloroplasts within the spores give the young sporangia their green color. As the spores mature and are shed, the sporangia change color to a distinctive rusty brown.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.

"in" is not a number.

acute;rounded +
R. David Whetstone +  and T. A. Atkinson +
(Willdenow) A. Gray +
oblique to somewhat +
Osmunda spectabilis +
St. Pierre and Miquelon +, N.B. +, Nfld. and Labr. (Nfld.) +, N.S. +, Ont. +, P.E.I. +, Que. +, Ala. +, Ark. +, Conn. +, Del. +, Fla. +, Ga. +, Ill. +, Ind. +, Iowa +, Ky. +, La. +, Maine +, Md. +, Mass. +, Mich. +, Minn. +, Miss. +, Mo. +, N.H. +, N.J. +, N.Y. +, N.C. +, Ohio +, Okla. +, Pa. +, R.I. +, S.C. +, Tenn. +, Tex. +, Vt. +, Va. +, W.Va. +  and Wis. +
obcordate;elongate +
0–2300 m +
light-brown +
monomorphic +
fertile +  and sterile +
75 cm750 mm <br />0.75 m <br /> (100 cm1,000 mm <br />1 m <br />) +
subentire;remotely dentate +
Sporulation early spring–midsummer. +
sporangia-bearing +
reduced +
Manual ed. 2 +
Illustrated +  and Endemic +
rusty brown +, red +  and greenish +
persisting +
Osmunda regalis var. spectabilis +
Osmunda regalis +
variety +
dichotomous +