On Mar 5, 7:19*pm, oaks wrote:
Des Higgins;776969 Wrote:





On Mar 2, 11:20*am, Des Higgins wrote:-
On Mar 2, 9:05*am, oaks wrote:

Hi Colin:

it is hard to see the photo clearly and I have never seen Christmas
fern
but if you look at the picture
inhttp://www.portableherbarium.com/Polystichum-acrostichoides.jpg
and look at the bootom of each "leaf" (pinna), you see it is
asymetrical. Polystichums look like that (sticky out bit on one side)
and it joins the stem sith a very short but clear stalk.
Check yours to see if they match.
Hard fern (Blechnum spicant) is a common woodland fern here in
Ireland
but it is confusing because it has two types of frond (sterile and
fertile).
Look at the pictures
inhttp://www.plant-identification.co.uk/skye/blechnaceae/blechnum-spica....
Yours also look like sterile Blechnum fronds but I am no fern expert.

Des- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text --

p.s it does not look like P.acrostichoides grows wild in the uk

Thanks Des

Blechnum spicant is in the frame. The only thing is, I have been
watching this fern for about six months and don't recall seeing any
unusual or different fronds on it. I will go through my old photo's and
see if I missed anything. Would the fertile fronds only appear at a
certain time of year? Perhaps before we bought the wood in June?

I take your point about the quality of the photo's and will try and
improve that.

Thanks for your help.
Colin

--
oaks- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Let me put it another way; Blechnum is a common woodland fern that
looks just like the one in your picture; Christmas fern is not found
wild in the UK :-). The sterile fronds of Blechnum are mainly what
you see when you find it. The fertile ones presumeably come out
seasonally but I do not know when. Google it? There is lots of info,
once you know the species.

Des