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Royal fern is a large and dramatic fern that grows from a stout rhizome which creeps along the ground, then ascends like a stump to give rise to a crownlike tussock of light green leaves. The rootstock, with its mass of wiry black fibers, can be as much as 12 in (30.5 cm) above the soil line in really large specimens. Most kinds of ferns bear their reproductive spores on the underside of their leaves, but the osmunda ferns have their spores in clusters on specialized fronds. Osmunda regalis has two kinds of fronds: sterile and fertile. Both types are twice divided: the leaflets (pinnae) are divided again into pinnules that are quite large, nearly 2 in (5.1 cm) long. The whole leaf can be up to 6 ft (1.8 m) long, and looks more like some kind of mimosa, locust or acacia than a typical fern. The fertile fronds lack leafy pinnae towards their apex, which is instead covered with attractive clusters of brown sporangia which bear the spores. Royal fern can be distinguished from the related cinnamon fern (Osmunda cinnamomea) by its bipinnate leaves, the fertile ones with clusters of sporangia towards the tips.
Location
Culture
Royal fern provides a dramatic, tropical effect in a shady border, woodland garden or at the edge of a pond or stream. It does best in soils with an acidic pH. The young croziers or fiddleheads can be prepared like asparagus and eaten. The fibrous roots (osmunda fibre) were formerly used as a medium for growing orchids and bromeliads. Native Americans used various parts of royal fern medicinally to treat a variety of ailments.
Features Like the cinnamon fern, royal fern is listed by The Florida Department of Agriculture as a "Commercially Exploited Species," which means that it cannot be removed from the wild for commercial purposes without a permit. Royal fern is, however, legally available from nurseries specializing in native plants. Steve Christman 4/6/01; updated 4/10/04, 3/14/08
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