Mackay'S Fragile Fern

cystopteris tenuis

Mackay's Fragile Fern (Cystopteris tenuis) is a delicate and resilient perennial fern native to the rocky woodlands and cliffs of eastern North America. Named after the botanist A.H. Mackay, this species belongs to the fragile fern genus, characterized by its slender, easily broken stems and highly dissected, lace-like fronds. Unlike many other ferns that require deep, moist soils, this species thrives in crevices of rocky outcrops, cliffs, and talus slopes, where it anchors its short, creeping rhizomes. It is highly valued by native plant enthusiasts for its elegant appearance and ability to colonize challenging, shaded stone environments.

生息地: Typically found in shaded rocky woods, moist cliffs, talus slopes, and limestone ledges.

外見

This small-to-medium fern features delicate, light-green, bipinnate to pinnate-pinnatifid fronds that typically reach 10 to 40 centimeters in height. The fronds are lance-shaped and taper toward both ends, growing from a short, creeping rhizome. Its stem (stipe) is very slender, smooth, and fragile, showing a reddish-brown to straw-colored base. Underneath the pinnules, circular spore-producing structures called sori are partially covered by hood-like indusia, which shrivel and peel back as the spores mature in mid-to-late summer.

界Plantae門Tracheophyta綱Polypodiopsida目Polypodiales科Cystopteridaceae属Cystopteris

Mackay'S Fragile Fern

カテゴリ

植物

レア度

Common

危険度

1/5 · 非常に低い

スナップ

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おもしろい事実

Despite its common name 'fragile fern', this plant is incredibly tough, often growing directly out of sheer rock walls where few other plants can survive.

Its species name 'tenuis' is Latin for 'thin' or 'slender', referring to the delicate, paper-thin texture of its leaflets.

Unlike many larger ferns, Mackay's Fragile Fern is known to go dormant and wither during dry midsummer heat waves, only to resurrect with fresh green fronds when autumn rains arrive.

特殊能力

Capable of anchoring its root-like rhizomes directly into narrow rock crevices and pockets of shallow soil on vertical cliff faces.

Can senesce (die back) during dry mid-summer spells and rapidly produce a fresh flush of new fronds when moisture returns in autumn.

Utilizes a specialized ring of cells (the annulus) on its sporangia that dries and snaps forward, forcefully launching microscopic spores into passing wind currents.

サイズと詳細

長さ: 10-40 cm
体重: 0.01-0.05 kg
寿命: 5-15 年

食性と食事

As a photosynthetic plant, Mackay's Fragile Fern synthesizes its own energy from sunlight, carbon dioxide, and water while absorbing key mineral nutrients through its roots.

主な食物

Sunlight
Water
Carbon Dioxide
Soil Minerals

生態系とのつながり

parasite

Fern Rust Fungus

Hyalopsora polypodii

A specialized rust fungus that infects the fronds, utilizing the fern as a host to complete its lifecycle.

eaten by

White-tailed Deer

Odocoileus virginianus

An herbivorous mammal that occasionally grazes on the delicate fronds in rocky, forested areas, especially in early spring.

competitor

Anomodon Moss

Anomodon attenuatus

A shade-loving moss that often grows alongside this fern in moist rock crevices, competing for space and water.

特徴

このオブジェクトにはまだ特徴バッジが割り当てられていません。

別名

まだ別名はありません。

コレクション

テーマが追加されると、このオブジェクトのコレクションがここに表示されます。

安全性

危険度

1/5 · 非常に低い

まだ特別な安全上の注意はありません。

よくある質問

Mackay'S Fragile Fernを見分けるには？

Mackay'S Fragile Fernを識別する最も簡単な方法は、Snappit自然識別アプリを使用することです。

Mackay'S Fragile Fernの長さは何ですか？

10-40 cm

Mackay'S Fragile Fernの体重は何ですか？

0.01-0.05 kg

Mackay'S Fragile Fernの寿命は何ですか？

5-15 年

Mackay'S Fragile Fernは何を食べますか？

As a photosynthetic plant, Mackay's Fragile Fern synthesizes its own energy from sunlight, carbon dioxide, and water while absorbing key mineral nutrients through its roots.

Mackay'S Fragile Fernは通常どこに生息していますか？

Typically found in shaded rocky woods, moist cliffs, talus slopes, and limestone ledges.