The ferns have been unfolding.
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| This pic comes from Book 15 of the 4th edition of Meyers Konversationslexikon (1885–90). Public domain. |
This fern-unwinding process never fails to take me back to, oh say the Carboniferous Period 350 million years ago.
Mastodon trunks, right in our back yard.
A related plant, Equisetum (or horse tail), also hearkens waaay back. In those days when coal was being formed these guys grew as big as trees. 
There are no seeds or flowers because, like ferns, this is a spore-bearing plant. The strange white cone-like stalk is where the spores are, completely separate from the leaf-bearing stalks.
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| John Napier developed the logarithm from observations of Equisetum, noting how the spacing of nodes decreases from bottom to top of the shoot. |
"A living fossil" is its nickname. Here in Oregon, despite its interesting history, Equisetum is officially called a "noxious plant." Oh well, I still think it's amazing.
BOTH are so cool! we don't see ferns here - just too hot and dry. i think they're so beautiful.
ReplyDeleteLotsa ferns in this part of Oregon; they like the wet winters and dry summers.
DeleteThis is going to sound strange but these plants actually intimidate me a little bit.
ReplyDeleteYeah. I know what you mean. They've been a good inspiration for various sci-fi pics. They're on the creepy side.
DeleteDinosaur plants. Very interesting.
ReplyDeleteNot long ago while digging for a proposed apartment building, they found a mastodon skeleton in Corvallis. I found it so easy to imagine mastodons living here! Dinos too.
DeleteI did not know that about horsetail, that it grew as big as trees back 'then'. It is invasive. You don't want to plant it in the ground unless it's contained by concrete barriers.
ReplyDeleteThank god it doesn't grow that big now. It would dominate the world.
DeleteVery nifty: good post.
ReplyDeleteThanks Laoch.
DeleteI never thought about the age of plants. So interesting. I'll have to look for the horse tail plant when I visit Oregon later this month!
ReplyDeleteIt wouldn't surprise me if you have Equisetum in Louisiana. The spore-bearing stalk ("strobilus") appears briefly in the spring & after that you'll only see the green horse tails.
DeleteI look forward to seeing Oregon through your lens!
We have cattails around here but I have never heard of horsetails. What a unique and interesting fern.
ReplyDeleteLook for them along roadsides, in low-lying disturbed areas; you might just find them.
Deletelove all these and the wonderful pov they were shot from/at ... whatever
ReplyDeletepov=lying down & getting covered with twigs while shooting up through the leaves...messy!
DeleteHow very cool! We mostly have the ostrich fern, from which we get fiddleheads if we find them at the right time. Yum!
ReplyDeleteI've never eaten fiddleheads, but I hear they are quite a delicacy. I wonder if these ferns are edible? I don't know.
DeleteWe have both ferns and horsetails here. I will look at them differently now that I know their heritage. Always interesting to read here - thanks!
ReplyDeleteThanks Pauline.
DeleteGorgeous pics, Kerry. Yup, you and Debbie are definitely related!
ReplyDeleteWelcome back from Israel, Merry! You and Debbie both. You're right; she & I have similar attractions to certain odd things:)
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