Cinnamon Fern
Cinnamon Fern (Osmunda cinnamomea L.) are native to the USA and can be seen all over the Mighton Woods Trail during Spring and Summer
They occur in groups, rising from shallow, black rootstock. The sterile fronds (the green part) of the plant bend outwards to form a vase-shape that encircles the “cinnamon” fronds.
The fertile “cinnamon” fronds can be seen from May to June. These fertile fronds appear first as silvery, furry fiddleheads that will then become stiff and erect, covered with specialized pinnae. In time, these change into a thick spike of fruit dots which change from green to cinnamon brown in color, hence the name.
The green (sterile) part of the fern can grow to a length of 5 feet long and reach a height of 6 ft.
The Cinnamon Fern likes to grow in soil that is moist and prefer partial shaded areas.
Interesting Facts
Young birds like to use the fibres of the fertile fiddleheads for nesting material.
Cinnamon ferns were once used both as a food source and for medicinal purposes by the Native Americans. However, the plant is now thought to be carcinogenic.
Witch Hazel
Witch-Hazel is a flowering plant from the genus family Hamamelidaceae. Three species of the plant can be found in North America and one each can be found in Japan and China.
It is a deciduous shrub or small tree that grows up to a height of 9 to 24 feet tall. Its leaves are oval, 2 to 6 inches long and 1 to 3.5 inches wide.
The genus name, Hamamelis, means “together with fruit”, and refers to the simultaneous flowering of the plant with the maturing of the fruit from the previous year. Witch-hazel blooms can be seen from September to January. Each flower has four slender petals a half to 1 inch long that can be yellow, orang or red in color.
The fruit is a two-part capsule half an inch long that contains a black glossy seed in each of the two parts. At maturity, during Fall, the capsule splits explosively and the seeds are ejected up to 9 yards away.
Interesting Facts
The name ‘witch’ in witch-hazel has origins in the Old English words ‘wiche’ and ‘wice’ which mean ‘pliant’ or ‘bendable’, and does not relate to the word witch, which means a practitioner of magic.
The leaves and bark of the North American witch-hazel were used in folk medicine, herbalism and skincare decoctions by Native Americans.
Extracts of witch-hazel have been claimed to be effective for psoriasis and eczema, insect bites, poison ivy and dehydration of the skin. Although there is limited scientific evidence of this.
In the USA products that contain witch-hazel are regulated to only be sold over the counter and for external use only.
Common Polypody
Common Polypody (Polypodiom vulgare) is an evergreen fern. The name is derived from poly (many) and podus (foot), and it is also a lithophyte (grows on rocks). It is also a fern that that develops in isolation from a horizontal rhizome (creeping rootstalk). It can be seen all year round.
The fronds of the polypody are triangular and measure 3 to 20 inches in length. These are divided all the way back to a central stem in 10 to 18 pairs of leaflets. The leaflets become shorter in length at the tip of the frond. The leaflets are also wider at the bases and have an alternating arrangement along the frond so that they are slightly offset from the ones on the opposite side.
On the underside of the fronds can be found the sori of the polypody. These range in color from bright yellow to orange, and become dark grey at maturity. During July to September the spores of the polypody are spread by the wind.
Polypody can be found in shaded and semi-shaded areas. It can be found on rocks, moss and at the base of trees throughout Mighton Woods during the Spring and Summer months.
Interesting Facts
Polypody can be used in cooking. The rhizome has a bittersweet taste and has been traditionally used in confection such as nougat. A compound called Osladin has been found in the roots that is believed to be up to 500 times sweeter (by weight) than sugar
In humid, damp woods polypody can grow as an epiphyte (a plant that grows on another plant) on trees.