On Saturday August 7th, CWC member Cathy Murray led a group of nature enthusiasts on a tour of Audubon Woods Preserve with the objective of finding and identifying the preserve’s many varieties of ferns (and fern allies). With its varied topography and soil moisture levels, Audubon Woods is home to one of the most diverse collections of ferns in our area.
Over the course of two hours Cathy taught the group how to identify thirteen varieties of ferns by examining features such as the stipe (stem), blade (leaf), pinna (leaflet), pinnule (subleaflet), and sporangia. In addition to the ferns, the group identified two species of Equisetum (horsetails).
Spinulose Wood fern 
Sensitive or Bead Fern 
Sensitive Fern – fertile frond 
Rattlesnake Fern 
Ostrich Fern 
Oak Fern 
Northern maidenhair Fern 
Marginal Wood Fern – note sporangia on margins of pinnules 
Lady Fern 
Interrupted Fern 
Evergreen Wood Fern 
Dwarf Scouring Rush 
Discussing how to identify Bracken fern 
Christmas fern 
Pointing out the features of Maidenhair Fern 
Cathy Murray showing the location of sporangia on an Interrupted Fern 
Bulblet Fern 
Bulblet Fern – note bulblets on underside of leaf 
Bracken Fern
