Happy Mystery Monday! What bird lays pure white eggs and lines their nest with feathers?
Last week, we asked you about the netted chain fern (Woodwardia areolata). This fern looks very similar to sensitive fern (Onoclea sensibilis), but can be distinguished by its glossy fronds, alternate pinnae, and netted venation. The netted chain fern has dimorphic fronds where the fertile frond is much more slender than the sterile. Sensitive fern fertile fronds tend to have shallowly lobed pinnae that are opposite to each other. Of course, if you are fortunate enough to see the spore stalks, the netted chain fern spores appear in a netted chain pattern, while sensitive fern has a spike of many paired branches.
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