Cut-leaf Grape Fern on the forest floor

Cut-leaf Grape Fern

Cut-leaf Grape Fern, a not-so-cut variety (Botrychium dissectum var. obliquum).  I post this for the documentary value rather than the aesthetic. I have been on the lookout for this species at the reserve for several years. A couple of years ago I found a single individual in another part of the reserve not all that far away from this one, but in subsequent years I have not been able to find it again at that first location. This is the first time I have seen this second individual. The similar Rattlesnake Fern, on the other hand, has been very forthcoming with at least a half-dozen individuals scattered about the area. The Grape Fern is not rare locally, but often overlooked. I enjoy finding these little somewhat obscure ferns. They like to surprise you, a bit like mushrooms. They grow singly, but where you find one you are likely to find more.They are relatively easy to identify, which is not always the case with ferns. Another favorite fern to stumble across is Ebony Spleenwort.