The Biology Zone
  • Home
  • Discover the Zone
  • News
  • Animalia
    • Birds >
      • Avian Taxonomy
      • Bird Species Profiles
    • Mammals >
      • Mammal Species Profiles
    • Reptiles
    • Amphibians >
      • Frog and Toad Species Profiles
    • Fish
    • Arthropods >
      • Arthropod Species Profiles
  • Plantae
    • Eastern Plant Identification Guide
  • Fungi
    • Fungi Species Profiles
  • Protista
  • An Introduction to Scientific Classification and Naming
  • Conservation
  • Cell Phone Ringtones
  • Information on CDs, Recordings, and Other Projects
  • Video Clips
  • Birding In Your Backyard
  • Nature Inspired Recipes
  • Resources
  • Links
  • Birds in the Classroom
  • About Me
  • Store
  • Discussion Forums

Ophioglossaceae - Grape Fern Family


Botrychium virginianum (Rattlesnake Fern)
This is a small fern with thin membranaceous blades.  It is 3 inches to 1.5 feet tall.   The blade is broadly triangular in outline and about 3 times dissected.  it has a single fertile complex which is erect and about the length of the leaf blade.

The rhizomes of this plant do not spread so the plant grows in place and usually only produces a single leaf each year.

Plants appear in the early spring, shed their spores in late spring when the fertile complex withers.  The vegetative leaf stays until it withers in the fall.