ABC Wednesday Round 6 F is for Ferns and Fiddleheads

Much of the Forest is covered in large, sharp-edged Ferns known as bracken. At this time of year, February, last year's plants lie brown and dry (or would be if it would only stop precipitating) while under the soil new growth is awakening. Bracken Fern is one of the oldest known Ferns with Fossilised remains pointing to its existence over 55 million years ago. It has a widely spreading rootstock from its rhizomes, maybe as much as one metre underground between individuals, from which large triangular Fronds emerge. When they first appear they are tightly-curled and known as 'Fiddleheads', resembling the Fiddlehead (scroll) of a violin. Bracken Fiddleheads are used in Oriental cookery, cooked Fresh, salted or pickled, or sun-dried. Rhizomes and fronds have been used to make beer, and starch from the rhizomes has been used as a substitute for arrowroot or as Flour to make bread.

By late Summer the plants can be as tall as 8' (2.5m) Though not impenetrable they can present a Formidable barrier, particularly when wet. Dogs and deer, Foxes, badgers and smaller mammals have little difficulty but humans are sometimes deterred by them (well, this human is . . . )

Ferns have neither Flowers nor Fruits and reproduce by means of spores on the undersides of the leaves. Bracken spores are linear rather than the more common circular Form of other Ferns.
Bracken is toxic to cattle, horses, pigs and small rodents, though usually they will eat it only when there is nothing else available. It also allows little else to grow because of the chemicals it produces, though bluebells, wood anemones and mosses are unaffected.

The Fiddle, or violin, has several Fs. The scroll is often called the Fiddlehead, there is a Fingerboard made from ebony, two F holes and often Four Fine-tuners.

 

Finally, in February, I expect to Find Frogs in the garden pond. Thus Far, there are none! I suspect they are sensibly still hibernating in the deep mud. The Fish are becoming more active though many of the Sticklebacks didn't survive the cold spell. Perhaps this year the Frogspawn will be more successful!

Thanks go to the ABC Wednesday team for their hard work in hosting this meme. Click here to see more Fs!