#NewThisDay Writing From My Photo Stream
Sensitive Fern, Glassy Brook
Nothing seems new and little is alive
along the river the dogs and I
search for signs, anything -
bravely fresh or spirited, under heavy
covering clouds, over yesterday's fossilized
feet on snow, here and there, we stumble
toward our brook, two fine ferns
iced in glass, a brown beaded spectacle.
“Sensitive Fern
Named after the observation by early American settlers that this fern’s fronds die quickly when first touched by frost. However, they always return next spring.”
“Onoclea sensibilis
Dwells in a variety of wet swamp and wood habitats: wet meadows, thickets and bogs, as well as stream and riverbanks and roadside ditches.”
“Bead fern
The sori are clustered like beads or grapes on the upright fertile fronds, hence the common name Bead fern. ”
Sensitive Fern Image Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Onoclea_sensibilis
All photos and text copyright Kelly DuMar 2016 unless otherwise attributed