Description: This native perennial fern consists of bipinnatifid leaves (or fronds) about ¾–1½' long and about as much across; each leaf has a slender stipe (or basal stem) about ½–¾' long. The deciduous leaves are produced directly from spreading rhizomes during the spring. Each leaf has about 12-24 pairs of leaflets that are joined together at the base by a winged rachis (or central stalk of the leaf). The wing of the rachis is strongly angular and irregular; it is wider toward the middle and apex of the leaf, but more narrow below. Each leaflet is pinnatifid with about 8-20 pairs of rounded lobes; each of these lobes is shallowly cleft or crenate along its margins. The upper surface of each leaf is medium green and hairless; its lower surface is light to medium green and either hairless or slightly pubescent; there are usually some hairs along the rachis. Each stipe is light green, straw-colored, or reddish green; it is mostly glabrous, except for a few light-colored scales at the bottom.
The sori (spore-bearing structures) are
located on the undersides of the leaflets; they are small, round, and lack
indusia (protective membranes). The sori are located closer to the margins of
each leaflet than its center; they are aligned into 2 rows (approximately). The
tiny spores of the the sori are released during the summer and distributed by
the wind. The root system is rhizomatous and fibrous. This fern often forms
small vegetative colonies.
Cultivation: The preference is dappled sunlight to
medium shade, mesic to dry conditions, and a somewhat acid soil with abundant
organic matter (including a layer of fallen leaves). This fern normally grows
underneath deciduous trees; it is adaptable to shade gardens.
Range & Habitat: Beech Fern is locally common in
western and extreme southern Illinois; elsewhere in the state, it is occasional
to absent (see
Distribution
Map). Habitats include upland woodlands, wooded slopes, and thinly wooded
bluffs. In Illinois, this fern is commonly associated with oak trees (instead
of beech trees); it is usually found in high quality woodlands.
Faunal Associations: Specific information about
floral-faunal relationships for this species is unavailable.
Photographic Location: A wooded slope near
Charleston, Illinois, in Coles County.
Comments: This medium-sized fern has attractive
leaves. It can be distinguished from other ferns by its winged rachis; this
winged extension is strongly angular and connects all of the leaflets. The
leaves of this fern are unusual in that they are about as broad at the base as
they are long; other ferns usually have leaves that are longer than they are
wide. The other fern species in this genus that occurs in Illinois,
Phegopteris connectilis (Long Beech Fern), has leaves that are longer
than they are wide, and the winged extension of its rachis doesn't extend to
the lowest 1-2 pairs of leaflets. Like the more common Beech Fern, the sori of
the Long Beech Fern lack indusia; this characteristic distinguishes them from
closely related ferns in the Thelypteris genus (as well as many other
ferns). Two scientific synonyms of the Beech Fern are Thelypteris
hexagonoptera and Dryopteris hexagonoptera. Another common name of
this species is the 'Broad Beech Fern.'