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Beech Fern

Beech Fern

Phegopteris connectilis

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How common: Common

Beech Fern is a small, delicate fern of damp, shady woods and stream banks. It forms patches of single, triangular leaves on long, thin stalks. The species is widespread across the cool parts of Eurasia and North America.

Did you know?

  • It doesn’t flower; like all ferns it spreads by spores that appear as tiny brown dots under the leaves in summer.
  • The lowest side pair bends back like a handlebar moustache — a handy clue for identification.

About the species

Identification

Low fern forming loose patches from a creeping underground stem. Each leaf stands alone on a long, thin, easily bent stalk. Leaf 10–25 cm, triangular-oval, spreading almost horizontally. The sides are divided into narrow side leaflets; their edges are smooth or finely toothed and the underside feels softly hairy. The lowest pair of side leaflets is set a little apart from the rest and bends backwards—an easy giveaway. In summer, tiny brown spore dots can be seen beneath. Tells apart from similar woodland ferns by the backward-curving lowest pair.

Plant group

Ferns, horsetails and clubmosses

Habitat

mire

About the habitat

Prefers rich, damp, shady places: along streams, in swampy and lush forests, and on wet, shaded rock faces. It needs steady moisture and shade. Common across the country; rare in the far northwest (the Arm of Lapland).

Sources

Photo: Agnieszka Kwiecień, Nova, CC BY-SA 4.0 https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Phegopteris connectilis Zachyłka oszczepowata 2022-05-22 01.jpg

Text: Pinkka: Luonnonvaraiset lääkekasvit - Sanikkaiset, CC BY 4.0 https://laji.fi/taxon/MX.37747

Text: Pinkka: BIO-503 Suomen kasvisto ja kasvillisuus - Tunturit: tunturikoivikot, CC BY 4.0 https://laji.fi/taxon/MX.37747

Text: Pinkka: A Pohjolan kasveja - Saniaiset ja liekokasvit, CC BY 4.0 https://laji.fi/taxon/MX.37747

Text: Wikipedia (Finnish), CC BY-SA 4.0 https://fi.wikipedia.org/wiki/Korpi-imarre

See also