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Keith Smith 🪴🔭💻 @fernleaf07.bsky.social · 06/09/2026

Chicken Mushroom, Sulfur Shelf, Lactiporous sulfureus Fairfield, CT, USA My identification. Corrections welcome #fungi #fungifriends

Yellow-orange shelf mushroom at base of tree. Large colony.

Blurry picture of entire colony with a few off to the right. Base of tree. Yellow-orange. Near road.

Closeup of chicken mushroom. Smooth top surface. Layers.

Close up of chicken mushroom. Blurry image.

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Keith Smith 🪴🔭💻 @fernleaf07.bsky.social · 30/08/2026

Off white mushroom on tree stump Easton, CT, USA #fungi

Beige, off white, mushroom on tree stump

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Keith Smith 🪴🔭💻 @fernleaf07.bsky.social · 01/08/2026

Maple stump is now oozing fungi. Several days of daily rain. Tree was 92-97 years old when cut down. Extensive roots. #fungifriends

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Keith Smith 🪴🔭💻 @fernleaf07.bsky.social · 24/07/2026

The next phase of the same maple stump. Fairfield, CT, USA #fungifriends

Maple stump that has had several rounds of oyster mushrooms now has a large growth of mushroom exuding out of many cracks.
Possibly a type of shelf mushroom.

Beige edges and white flesh.

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Keith Smith 🪴🔭💻 @fernleaf07.bsky.social · 19/07/2026

No sure what this is. There was more than one on the forest floor (yes under exposed) Easton, CT, USA #nature

Orange in color, split into 3 sections, still joined at top.
Approx 10cm (4 inches) tall.
There are black dots along the inside.

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Keith Smith 🪴🔭💻 @fernleaf07.bsky.social · 05/07/2026

Really don't know what mushroom this is. Crow Valley Nature Preserve, Easton, CT, USA #fungifriends

A collection of fungus sprouting along the roots of a dead tree. Stump at left edge of picture.

White-beige, multi layered fungus. A false morel??

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Keith Smith 🪴🔭💻 @fernleaf07.bsky.social · 05/07/2026

Species: Milk-white Toothed Polypore (Irpex lacteus)?? [not at all familiar with fungus] Description: White, uniform thickness. The surface is textured. Crow Hill Nature Preserve, Easton, CT, USA Did not get good pictures of larva eating the fungus. ?Ischyrus quadripunctatus? #fungifriends

Bright white 'slime' fungus on dead stump. Rain the night before.

Fungus is textured.

Might see insect with black cross body stripes feeding on fungus.

The complete stump with all the fungus showing. Shovel for scale, :)

Highly manipulated picture to show the features of the insect, black stripes, feeding on the fungus.

Certainly looks like Four-Spotted Pleasing Fungus Beetle, Ischyrus quadripunctatus

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Keith Smith 🪴🔭💻 @fernleaf07.bsky.social · 04/07/2026

Herb Robert, Geranium robertianum Height: Between ankle and knee high. Enjoys moist shaded environments. Has been classified as a noxious weed. Ansonia Nature Center, Ansonia, CT, USA #nature #flowers

5 petal pink/purplish flower with darker pairs of stripes down center of each petal.

The 5 petals indicate plant belongs to the Eudicot group of flowering plants. This eliminates all Monocots from the identification. Eudicot flowers have petals in multiples of 4 or 5.

Seed pods of Herb Robert. Lots of fine hairs and a sharp point.

The pod shape is called a schizocarp.

The structure provides a mechanism to launch the seeds, 5 pods, distances up to 15-20 feet.

As the pod dries out different parts contract differently creating tension, with provides the 'spring' to launch the seeds when the pod finally breaks open.

Distinct leaf. Highly divided and dissected, palmate. Yellowish green.

5 petal pinkish/purplish flower with pairs of dark purple stripes along center of each petal.

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Keith Smith 🪴🔭💻 @fernleaf07.bsky.social · 28/06/2026

Invasive specie elimination session today. Trout Valley, Aspectuck Land Trust, Easton, CT USA Euonymus alatus, Rosa multiflora, Berberis thunbergii, Celastrus orbiculatus, and Alliaria petiolata 3 people contributed to the pile over 2 hours. #nature #invasive

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Keith Smith 🪴🔭💻 @fernleaf07.bsky.social · 28/06/2026

Evergreen Woodfern, Dryopteris intermedia Aspectuck Land Trust, Easton, CT, USA The only difference between D. intermedia and D. carthusiana is the inner most pinnule of the lowest pair of pinna. The inner most pinnule are shorter than other pinnules is the D. intermedia character #fern #ferns

Evergreen Woodfern. Dryopteris intermedia.

Thrice cut fern. Once horizontal, making pinna. Once vertical to make pinnules, and once more horizontal to cut the pinnules.

The inner most pinnule of the lowest pinna pair are the shortest pinnule.

This is the D. intermedia character.

Evergreen Woodfern. Dryopteris intermedia.

The bit of scales seen on the stipe is a character of wood ferns.

Thrice cut fern. Once horizontal, making pinna. Once vertical to make pinnules, and once more horizontal to cut the pinnules.

The inner most pinnule of the lowest pinna pair are the shortest pinnule.

This is the D. intermedia character.

The sporangia pattern is the same for D. intermedia and D. carthusiana.

Have to have the lower pinna pair to make an identification.

Fern has to be mature.

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Keith Smith 🪴🔭💻 @fernleaf07.bsky.social · 22/06/2026

The fern is Cinnamon Fern, Osmundastrum cinnamomeum. The orange stalks are the female parts of the plant. The orange tiny spheres are sporangia. They hold the spores that will be released later. Look under the fronds. Look where the stem meets the leaf. There should be a white fuzzy dots.

A fuzzy dot appears at the intersection of the pinna (leaf) with the rachis (stem) on the underside of a Cinnamon fern.

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Keith Smith 🪴🔭💻 @fernleaf07.bsky.social · 21/06/2026

Fungi growing on log. Suprising to find them given the dry conditions. I do not know the species. Easton, CT, USA #fungifriends

Two brown cap mushroom with riverlets of drark brown radiating out from center of cap.

Cluster of mushroom redish brown color. Out of focus

Pair of mushroom with reddish brown cap, with river-lets of dark brown radiating from cap. Remnants of veil.

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Keith Smith 🪴🔭💻 @fernleaf07.bsky.social · 14/06/2026

Why mugwort, Attemisia sp., is so invasive. Look at the rhizomes. #invasive

Mugwort freshly dug up. Trowel for scale. Thick white rhizomes headed in all directions.

Will still have to watch this spot as there were other small clusters nearby.

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Keith Smith 🪴🔭💻 @fernleaf07.bsky.social · 12/06/2026

Marsh fern is found in most of the Eastern US (and Europe). Picture from iNaturalist. I have seen Marsh fern in Connecticut.

iNaturalist map of Marsh fern, Thelypteris palustris for Eastern US.

Is also found in Europe.

It can be mistaken for New York fern, Amauropelta noveboracensis
or Massachusetts fern, Coryphopteris simulata

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Keith Smith 🪴🔭💻 @fernleaf07.bsky.social · 07/06/2026

Assorted sporangia Left - Christmas fern, Polystichum acrostichoides Center - Royal fern, Osmunda spectabilis Right - Interrupted fern, Osmunda claytoniana #fern #ferns

Christmas fern sporangia fills the pinna. The top 1/2 to 1/3 of the frond is filled with sporangia. The sporangia cause the pinna to curl.

Royal fern sporangia appear at the tip of the frond, different than the usual location under pinna.

Interrupted fern sporangia. The sporangia are on specialized pinna. The sporangia interrupt the normal pinna on lower third of the rachis, thus the common name

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Keith Smith 🪴🔭💻 @fernleaf07.bsky.social · 24/05/2026

Hay-scented fern, Dennstaedtia punctilobula domesticated It can be mistaken for Lady Fern, Athyrium filix-femina The stipe has hairs instead of scales. #fern #ferns

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Keith Smith 🪴🔭💻 @fernleaf07.bsky.social · 17/05/2026

Ostrich fern, Matteuccia struthiopteris The 'hedge' of Ostrich fern. Yes, they are in direct sun. They will burn in August, but survive. There is some mutual shading. Ferns were established when Hemlock trees (Tsuga canadensis) were present. They died due to Adelges tsugae. #fern #ferns

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Keith Smith 🪴🔭💻 @fernleaf07.bsky.social · 17/05/2026

Sensitive Fern, Onocela sensibilis 360 Sensitive fern withers upon the first frost, thus its name The stalks with dark clumps of sporangia are last year's growth that have released their spores this spring #fern #ferns

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Keith Smith 🪴🔭💻 @fernleaf07.bsky.social · 17/05/2026

Interrupted fern, Osmunda claytoniana 360 The sporangia are brown and mature. They appear about 1/3 up the plant. The sporangia 'interrupt' the frond, thus the name The sporangia shape is similar to Royal fern (Osmunda spectibilis), but in a different location. #fern #ferns

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Keith Smith 🪴🔭💻 @fernleaf07.bsky.social · 17/05/2026

Royal fern, Osmunda spectibilis - The North American species of Royal fern 360 The sporangia are at the tip of the frond. In the video the tip is still green, but is rough and round, not leaf shaped. Will turn brown as the sporangia mature. Unique that the sporangia are the tip of the frond.

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Keith Smith 🪴🔭💻 @fernleaf07.bsky.social · 17/05/2026

Christmas fern, Polystichum acrostichoides 360 The sporangia are 'naked' on the underside of the pinna at the upper 1/2 to 1/3 to the tip of the frond. The sporangia are green at this time. The underside is whitish green. The pinna will curl as the sporangia. #fern #ferns

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Keith Smith 🪴🔭💻 @fernleaf07.bsky.social · 16/05/2026

Cinnamon fern, Osmundastrum cinnamomeum 360 The cinnamon colored spikes are the fertile fronds with specialized fronds where the sporangia grow, each with the spores of the fern. #fern #ferns

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Keith Smith 🪴🔭💻 @fernleaf07.bsky.social · 27/04/2026

What was pulled. Left What was cleared. Center What is left to do. Right 2 hours Trout Valley Preserve, Aspectuck Land Trust, Weston, CT, USA #invasive

Pile of invasive species pulled. Mostly Euonymus alatus. Pile seems larger with leaves than the winter piles.

Area cleared. The twisted grey wood, upper left, is very old Oriental Bittersweet, Celastrus orbiculatus. It has been cut into pieces.

This area is very thick with Euonymus alatus. Ends at about the horizontal fallen tree.

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Keith Smith 🪴🔭💻 @fernleaf07.bsky.social · 25/04/2026

Interrupted fern, Osmunda claytoniana Close up of the fertile fronds having recently emerged. The sporangia of interrupted fern are found in three fertile pinna about a third of the way up the plant. The rest of the pinna are sterile. Thus its name interrupted. #ferns #ferns

Close up of interrupted fertile pinna. The individual pinnules will hold the sporangia, where the spores are made. The plant will continue to grow taller with sterile pinna up to the top of the plant. The fertile pinnules will turn brown and wither as the sporangia mature, releasing the spores.

More plants. Close up of interrupted fertile pinna. The individual pinnules will hold the sporangia, where the spores are made. The plant will continue to grow taller with sterile pinna up to the top of the plant. The fertile pinnules will turn brown and wither as the sporangia mature, releasing the spores.

Right plant starting to show the first sterile pinna. Three pairs of fertile pinna.

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Keith Smith 🪴🔭💻 @fernleaf07.bsky.social · 25/04/2026

+26 days #fern #fenrs Interrupted fern (R) is more aggressive at growing than the Cinnamon fern (L) They are both about the same size when mature.

Cinnamon fern fiddle heads about 26 days since emergence. Still quiet white woolly coverage.

+26 days since emergence. Faster grower than family member Cinnamon fern. With this picture the top pinna (darker) are the fertile pinna. The plant will continue to grow with one or more fertile pinna, then sterile pinna thereafter.

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Keith Smith 🪴🔭💻 @fernleaf07.bsky.social · 20/04/2026

The last stage of female Sensitive fern, Onocela sensibilis, having released all of its spores. #fern #ferns

Female plant. Sensitive fern, Onocela sensibilis. The 'beads' are specialized pinna to hold the sporangia. The plant grows in the fall, winters over, and releases the spores in the spring. The plant can be seen above a few inches of snow in the winter, knowing where to find Sensitive fern in the spring.

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Keith Smith 🪴🔭💻 @fernleaf07.bsky.social · 20/04/2026

Fiddle heads. Macro pictures. Interrupted fern (L), Ostrich fern (C), Christmas Fern (R) #fern #ferns

Interrupted fern, Osmunda claytoniana. The woolly covering is still present from when the fiddle head emerged. The fern is about 6 inches off the ground. One can see the start of individual pinna.

Ostrich fern, Matteuccia struthiopteris. The classic Eastern US fiddle head. The only edible fiddle head in Eastern US.

The individual pinna and veins are visible. The basic structure is present. It just gets bigger.

Christmas fern, Polystichum acrostichoides. This fiddle head is unfurling in a different way. The 'ball' is remaining on the ground while the stipe grows unfurling the fiddle head. The frond would seem to then 'snap' up when unfurled. Will need to observe. A second fiddle head is emerging. This is a thick blanket of previous fronds.

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Keith Smith 🪴🔭💻 @fernleaf07.bsky.social · 19/04/2026

Ferns, given time, seem to create 'fairy rings'. The scientific term is radial growth. It is a clonal ring, genet ring. Cinnamon fern (L), Royal fern (C), Interrupted fern (R) #fern #ferns

Cinnamon fern, Osmundastrum cinnamomeum. This is planting that has been growing for a decade or more.

It is an isolated planting so the 'fairy ring' is more obvious.

Royal fern, Osmunda spectibilis. This is planting that has been growing for a decade or more.

This is an isolated planting.

It is an isolated planting. The fairy ring is not complete. The center plant is still present.

Interrupted fern, Osmunda claytoniana

Another isolated planting.

The fairy ring is even less established. The center plant is present.

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Keith Smith 🪴🔭💻 @fernleaf07.bsky.social · 19/04/2026

More 'family' resemblence. Cinnamon fern (L), Royal fern (C), Interrupted fern (R). All are members of the family Osmundaceae. Cinnamon fern has the thickest woolly coating. Royal fern is similar to cinnamon fern, but has brown/biege streaks. Interrupted fern is the thinnest. #fern #ferns

Cinnamon fern, Osmunda cinnamomeum. Thickly covered in woolly protection.

Royal fern, Osmunda spectibilis (North American species)

Woolly covering has brown/beige streaks. It is a big flatter than cinnamon fern.

Interrupted fern, Osmunda claytoniana

The woolly coating is thinnest in this species of the three. This is the fastest growing of the three.

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Keith Smith 🪴🔭💻 @fernleaf07.bsky.social · 19/04/2026

More horsetail. Macro pictures. The female plant on left, male on right. The hexagons of the stroblus show some white emerge, where the sporangia and spores are maturing. The hexagons will separate to release the spores. The male plant is developing its whorls. #fern #ferns

Female field horsetail on left. Male field horsetail on right. Equisetum arvense.

Strobolus is where the spores are grown. The grow between the joints of the hexagons. The hexagons separate and release the spores.

The female plant has not chlrophyll. It last only a few weeks in the spring.

The male plant is developing its whorls. They will extend 4 or so centimeters horizontally. The male plant will send nutrients to the rhizomes underground for the energy to grow the female plant in spring.

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Keith Smith 🪴🔭💻 @fernleaf07.bsky.social · 19/04/2026

+16 days #fern #ferns Interrupted fern (R) is more aggressive at growing than the Cinnamon fern (L) They are both about the same size when mature.

A cluster of interrupted ferns, some just fiddle heads, others starting to show their fronds.

Cinnamon fern still taking its time to grow. Still covered with its wolly coating, protecting the fiddle head.

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Keith Smith 🪴🔭💻 @fernleaf07.bsky.social · 18/04/2026

Red Trillium, Trillium erectum Sharon Audubon, Sharon, CT, USA On a steep bank, unable to take a front view picture. #flower #nature

Several red (marron) colored flower of red trillium. Several plants clustered together.

On a steep bank next to a man-made water feature

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Keith Smith 🪴🔭💻 @fernleaf07.bsky.social · 18/04/2026

A tree thoroughly pecked by a yellow bellied sap sucker woodpecker, Sphyrapicus varius Sharon Audubon, Sharon, CT, USA Not sure of the species of tree. (almost the same picture) #tree #bird #nature

Rings and rings of neatly spaced holes up and down the bark of the tree. The woodpecker makes small holes to get the tree sap and not insects as do other woodpeckers.

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Keith Smith 🪴🔭💻 @fernleaf07.bsky.social · 15/04/2026

The flower buds of Eastern Redbud, Cercis canadensis (domestic) #flower #tree #nature

Flower buds of Eastern Redbud, Cercis canadensis.

The flowers appear on the stem, not at the tips.

The flowers are pink and clustered.

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Keith Smith 🪴🔭💻 @fernleaf07.bsky.social · 15/04/2026

True sign of spring, female field horsetail, Equisetum arvense. The plant has not chlorophyll. The spores are inside the stroboli at the top. The female plants are only around for a few weeks. The green spikes are the male field horsetail, which will grow whorls. #fern #ferns

Female field horsetail, Equisetum arvense. The stalk is segmented. There is no chlorophyll. The top segment is bent, not natural.

The spores are about to be released from the strobolus, the top structure.

The gaps in the hexagonal shapes in the strobulus are exposing the spores.

Female field horsetail, Equisetum arvense. The stalk is segmented. There is no chlorophyll.

The stroboli is not yet mature. The plant has more to grow.

The small green spike is the male field horsetail sprouting.

Female field horsetail, Equisetum arvense. The stalk is segmented. There is no chlorophyll.

The stroboli is not yet mature. The hexagons are tight. The plant needs grow a bit taller first.

The green spike is the male field horsetail sprouting.

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Keith Smith 🪴🔭💻 @fernleaf07.bsky.social · 15/04/2026

+12 days #fern #ferns Interrupted fern (R) is more aggressive at growing than the Cinnamon fern (L) They are both about the same size when mature.

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Keith Smith 🪴🔭💻 @fernleaf07.bsky.social · 12/04/2026

First sign of trillium Trout Valley Preseve, Aspectuck Land Trust, Easton, CT, USA #flowers

Appears to be trillium just starting to unfurl leaves with flower bud

Three green curled leaves. Plant is on the forest floor with the browns of leaf litter.

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Keith Smith 🪴🔭💻 @fernleaf07.bsky.social · 12/04/2026

Today's invasive specie removal. Trout Valley Nature Preserve, Aspetuck Land Trust, Easton, CT, USA Mostly Winged Euonymus/Burning Bush/Euonymus alatus, some Japanese barberry (Berberis thunbergii) , some multi-flora rose (Rosa multiflora). My efforts. There were 6 or so elsewhere #invasive

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Keith Smith 🪴🔭💻 @fernleaf07.bsky.social · 11/04/2026

+7 days #FernFriday #fern #ferns Winter stems removed for better viewing. Did have close to frost temperatures. May have injured interrupted fern (R).

+7 days of Cinnamon fern fiddle head. Additional fiddle heads emerging.

+7 days interrupted fern. Additional fiddle heads emerging.

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Keith Smith 🪴🔭💻 @fernleaf07.bsky.social · 05/04/2026

+2 days Left - Cinnamon fern. Osmundastrum cinnamomeum Right - Interrupted fern. Osmunda claytoniana

Cinnamon fern fiddle head emerging with woolly coating. Dandelion and marker sign.

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Keith Smith 🪴🔭💻 @fernleaf07.bsky.social · 03/04/2026

It's spring, just a start of ferns. Left - Cinnamon fern. Osmundastrum cinnamomeum Right - Interrupted fern. Osmunda claytoniana One can see the 'family' resemblance. Both are members of the family Osmundaceae. Both have 'woolly' starts to their fiddleheads. Domestic plants #fernfriday

Cinnamon fern. Osmundastrum cinnamomeum

White fuzzy bud. The start of the fiddle head for cinnamon fern. This thick woolly hair will persist as the fiddle head emerges.

This persistence denotes it difference from interrupted fern.

The woolly hair will turn brownish. The interrupted woolly hair will remain white or silvery.

Last year's stipes surrounding the emerging fern.

Domestic plant.

Dandelion next to fern. Sign marker out of focus in foreground.

Interrupted fern. Osmunda claytoniana

The white, woolly hair is a characteristic of the fern's fiddle head.

It will fall off soon after the fiddle head grows a bit taller.

Similar to cinnamon fern, but does not persist. Color remains white or silvery. Cinnamon fern will turn brownish.

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Keith Smith 🪴🔭💻 @fernleaf07.bsky.social · 08/03/2026

First invasive specie outing. 2 hours of invasive specie removal. 10 people. Aspectuck Land Trust, near Freeborn Rd Parking lot, Easton, CT, USA #invasive

Pile of oriental bittersweet (Celastrus orbiculatus) and Winged Euonymus (Euonymus alatus)
Snow covers the ground. Ground is not frozen. Pulling is relatively easy.

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Keith Smith 🪴🔭💻 @fernleaf07.bsky.social · 27/02/2026

Wavy Scaly Cloak Fern, Hemionitis sinuata UConn Greenhouse, UConn Storres, Storres, CT, USA #FernFriday #fern #ferns

A small, pale green fern
Pinnate pinnatifid

Hemionitis sinuata, Wavy Scaly Cloak Fern
Southwester USA to Central Amera, western South America

The underside fronds are completely covered in sori

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Keith Smith 🪴🔭💻 @fernleaf07.bsky.social · 21/02/2026

Java Fern, Leptochilus pteropus, is an ephiphyte, meaning it doesn't root in the soil. The rhizomes and roots need to be kept out of the rocks and soil so it can 'breath' the oxygen in the water. Below is where is has been seen in wild at iNaturalist.

Map from iNaturalist showing Java fern (Leptochilus pteropus) in the wild.

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