Help with plants on my property

[Jeff]

I'm trying to learn as much about my property as I can. I've began taking pictures of different plants and wildflowers so I can learn what they are.  I'd like to start with the fern type plants I have found so far. I've lumped these all together although the looks are quite diverse other then the fact that they grow "fern like".

I dont know any of these.

 SENSITIVE FERN



 Lady Fern



 Bracken Fern



 Royal Fern



 Wild Sarsaparilla

[Texas Ranger]

1.  fern
2.  fern
3.  fern
4.  fern
5. Don't know.
 

[Sprucegum]

TR musta looked over my shoulder - those are my answers 

[WDH]

(Image hidden from quote, click to view.)
 

Onoclea Sensibilis.  Sensitive Fern.

http://www.sorusplants.com/onosen.htm

[WDH]

(Image hidden from quote, click to view.)

Athyrium filix-femina, Lady Fern, or Dryopteris carthusiana, Spinulose Wood Fern.

http://www.sorusplants.com/athfil.htm or http://www.sorusplants.com/drycar.htm

[BigTrev]

The third one looks like "Hen and Chicken Fern" - Asplenium Bulbiferum that we get over here.
An attractive lush tree fern grown indoors or outdoors. Fronds grow up to 100cm (40in) tall and are light green and feathery.

of course, I could be wrong 

[WDH]

(Image hidden from quote, click to view.)

Pteridium aquilinum.  Bracken Fern.

http://www.sorusplants.com/pteaqu.htm

[BigTrev]

like I said....I could be wrong 

[WDH]

(Image hidden from quote, click to view.)
 

This one looks to be in the pea family, Fabaceace.  Maybe Amorpha fruiticosa.   Need to look at a refernce book back at home to see other options in the pea family.

[WDH]

(Image hidden from quote, click to view.)

Look at that mucronate tip .  Dodgy Loner should be able to jump all over this one........ .  I am not sure yet, but have a couple of ideas to pursue .

[Dodgy Loner]

I won't be doing much jumping on this thread.  I agree with you on the first three ferns, but the fourth plant also appears to be a fern to me by the looks of the upright reproductive structures.  Unfortunately, I'm not much on fern ID. 

The last plant looks distinctive, for sure, but it doesn't look like anything I've ever seen before...pinnately compound, 3-5 leaflets, elliptical in shape with mucronate tips, opposite, rugose venation...I'm afraid that's a combination that rules out everything I know.

[Timburr]

Pic #2 is almost definately a Lady Fern Athyrium filix-femina.

WDH, pop back and take a closer peek at # 3.  Bracken has very long rachis (stems) and can be from 2' to 6' before the fronds even begin. I am leaning towards the family Aspidiaceae and possibly the genus of Dryopteris or Polystichum.
BigTrev, you may still be correct yet!

[Jeff]

I put 4 and 5 in with the ferns, because they were both so "fern like"  5, although very different in leave, has fern like structure.

WDH I say you have the first 3 pegged for sure. I thought the first was a sensitive fern but not sure.  They are in abundance in a small area of the property. Quite different from anything else that grows there.  The Bracken Fern is not near as common as the Lady Fern, which grows all over the place.

Here is another photo of 5. Its not great but shows why I lumped it in with the ferns. It's about 18 inches in height.

 

[Ron Scott]

Is their any evident flower stalk?

[WDH]

Looking at number 4, notice the leaf is odd pinnate.  They leaflets do not come off in even pairs, but rather are staggered.  That is a characteristic of Amorpha, sometime called False Indigo.  If the flowers are in long flowing clusters (racemes) that are white, lavender or purple, then that is it for sure.

Timburr, I wouldn't argue with number 3 being a Dryopteris carthusiana.

It is number 5 that has me stumped.  To key number 5, I need an ovary, and to get an ovary, I need a flower .

[Furby]

I deliver all four of the ferns.

[Phorester]

....so basically, everybody is saying what Texas Ranger said first......

fern, fern, fern, fern, don't know.   

[Jeff]

When I took the photo this past Friday, there was no evidence of number 5 having a flower or flower stalk. Only the fern like stems with the leaves that you see. Next time up I'll try and search this plant out again to see if it has more development.

[Dodgy Loner]

Looking at number 4, notice the leaf is odd pinnate.  They leaflets do not come off in even pairs, but rather are staggered.  That is a characteristic of Amorpha, sometime called False Indigo.  If the flowers are in long flowing clusters (racemes) that are white, lavender or purple, then that is it for sure.

WDH, you can see the reproductive structure of #4 in the picture.  Notice that it's upright, which is not a characteristic of Amorpha species.  I agree with the others on this thread, who believe that it is a fern.  I'm thinking that it's probably a royal fern, Osmunda regalis.  There are several good pictures here.  The similarity between the reproductive structures and the odd-pinnate, smooth, elliptical leaflets are almost identical.  What do you think?

[Jeff]

The third photo down in that link really looks a lot like what I have. I had come across the royal fern in my research and had it on my short list, but the photos were not as good as these. After seeing those pictures, I think we might be getting close.