Motivated by last year’s fern forays and spurred on by my new membership of the British Pteridological Society, I have decided to try something different this year: a personal challenge to see as many of Britain’s fern species as possible in a single year. The idea being that, by seeking out our ferns, I’ll learn more about them, their habitats, and the subtleties involved in identifying them. This blog will be part #10.

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Teesdale – 31 July

Friday (my birthday, no less!) saw Matt and me heading to Teesdale with several members of the Natural History Society of Northumbria, our aim being to take a closer look at the plants associated with the area’s crags and screes, ferns foremost among them. We spent several enjoyable hours rummaging around the rocky slopes, encountering many of the species that characterise these diverse, if somewhat inhospitable, habitats.

Among the commoner ferns, Lemon-scented Fern Oreopteris limbosperma proved far more abundant than on my visit earlier in the year. Parsley Fern Cryptogramma crispa was also present in good numbers, now showing a pleasing mix of fertile and infertile fronds. Ever a favourite of mine, Beech Fern Phegopteris connectilis was encountered in a cool, humid spot beside a small waterfall, where it looked very much at home.

Continuing on and turning our attention to the boulder screes, the first ‘new’ fern of the outing soon presented itself. New, that is, for this year’s challenge rather than for me. In fact, it’s a species I’m even attempting to grow at home thanks to the Pteridological Society’s excellent spore exchange.

The fern in question was Mountain Male-fern Dryopteris oreades, a geographically restricted but by no means rare species in these upland habitats, where it thrives on inaccessible rocky ledges and among unstable scree. It is a lovely little fern, more delicate in appearance than the familiar Male-fern Dryopteris filix-mas, with pale, whitish scales, slightly twisted and uneven pinnules and, perhaps most usefully, sori that occupy only around half of each pinnule rather than covering it almost entirely.

We found a few plants at first, then many more, and before long gave up counting altogether.

Ambling along, making a bee-line for the site of a rather special little fern, a few new species presented themselves. We noticed Green Spleenwort Asplenium viride and Brittle Bladder-fern Cystopteris fragilis on areas of limestone; Hard Shield-fern Polystichum aculeatum and several examples of Narrow Male-fern Dryopteris cambrensis. These were, however, promptly forgotten when we finally laid eyes on our target.

I seem to have a rather frustrating relationship with Northern Buckler-fern Dryopteris expansa. I’ve set out in search of it on several occasions, only to return with what I thought were convincing examples before being told they were, in fact, merely small Broad Buckler-ferns Dryopteris dilatata. The two species are undeniably similar and often grow together, though Northern Buckler-fern is said to have flatter pinnules, paler scales and basal basiscopic pinnules that are noticeably longer than the corresponding pinnules immediately above them. Tucked beneath a large boulder, the plant below appeared to show all of those characters, at least to my eye.

As you can see, it is a rather delicate-looking fern and certainly much flatter than the typical D. dilatata. The fronds were also a noticeably paler yellow-green, while the stipe scales lacked the conspicuous dark central stripe that usually characterises Broad Buckler-fern.

For now, I’m happy to call it Dryopteris expansa but, as ever with the trickier ferns, I’m more than happy to be corrected by those with greater experience!

The Cheviots – 2 August

A few days later, on 2 August, it was time for our now annual excursion into the remote and beautiful upland corries of the Cheviots. After six hours of steep, and at times rather tiring, exploration, we had amassed an impressive list of botanical highlights, ferns very much among them.

Mountain Male-fern Dryopteris oreades was once again well represented, growing in its favoured haunts amongst rocky ledges and boulder screes. Having become better acquainted with it in Teesdale just a few days earlier, it was pleasing to encounter the species again in one of its classic upland habitats.

Whilst Parsley Fern Cryptogramma crispa was looking particularly lush here—perhaps a reflection of the greater rainfall—it was the clubmosses that really captured my attention. Fir Clubmoss Huperzia selago, one of the fern allies, was encountered in several places and looked especially handsome, rather like a tiny pine or spruce tree clinging to an otherwise inaccessible rocky ledge.

Much more exciting, however, was a fine colony of Alpine Clubmoss Diphasiastrum alpinum, growing in one of the most inaccessible corners of the corrie. Perched on the edge of a large boulder where competition from the surrounding vegetation was minimal, it occupied exactly the sort of exposed niche in which this species thrives.

This is a plant I have only encountered once before and, on that occasion, the population had been badly scorched by drought and was rather underwhelming. Seeing it here in such good condition was therefore a real treat, and a fitting way to round off a thoroughly enjoyable day in the hills.

I haven’t had as much time to devote to this challenge as I’d anticipated, but that should change as things settle down after a busy summer. My first trip to Ben Lawers is pencilled in for a fortnight, and Matt and I are also planning at least one jaunt to Ennerdale in the Lake District to see what ferny treasures we can turn up there.

Whatever we find over the coming months, this challenge has already introduced me to far more of Britain’s remarkable fern flora than I might otherwise have encountered. I suspect it’s safe to say I’m well and truly hooked.

Running Total

Seeing as I rarely carry a notebook, we’ll log our running total for the year here…

#1 Wall-rue	Asplenium ruta-muraria	Tyneside
#2 Maidenhair Spleenwort	Asplenium trichomanes subsp. quadrivalens	Tyneside
#3 Hart’s-tongue	Asplenium scolopendrium	Tyneside
#4 Black Spleenwort	Asplenium adiantum-nigrum	Tyneside
#5 Broad Buckler-fern	Dryopteris dilatata	Tyneside
#6 Male-fern	Dryopteris filix-mas	Tyneside
#7 Soft Shield-fern	Polystichum setiferum	Tyneside
#8 Japanese Lace Fern	Polystichum polyblepharum	Tyneside
#9 Hard Shield-fern	Polystichum aculeatum	Tyneside
#10 Hard Fern	Blechnum spicant	Tyneside
#11 Western Scaly Male-fern	Dryopteris affinis subsp. affinis	Tyneside
#12 Borrer’s Scaly Male-fern	Dryopteris borreri	Tyneside
#13 Lady Clermont’s Spleenwort	Asplenium x clermontiae	Northumberland
#14 Rustyback	Asplenium ceterach	Northumberland
#15 N/A	Dryopteris borreri morph. robusta	County Durham
#16 N/A	Dryopteris borreri forma foliosum	County Durham
#17 Greater Scaly Male-fern	Dryopteris affinis subsp. paleaceolobata	Tyneside
#18 Tunbridge Filmy-fern	Hymenophyllum tunbrigense	Northumberland
#19 Lady-fern	Athyrium filix-femina	Tyneside
#20 Adder’s-tongue	Ophioglossum vulgatum	Tyneside
#21 Delicate Maidenhair Spleenwort	Asplenium trichomanes subsp. trichomanes	North Yorkshire
#22 Narrow Male-fern	Dryopteris cambrensis	North Yorkshire
#23 Green Spleenwort	Asplenium viride	North Yorkshire
#24 Parsley Fern	Cryptogramma crispa	North Yorkshire
#25 Moonwort	Botrychium lunaria	County Durham
#26 Holly Fern	Polystichum lonchitis	N/A
#27 Oblong Woodsia	Woodsia ilvensis	N/A
#28 Western Sword-fern	Polystichum munitum	Northumberland
#29 Oak Fern	Gymnocarpium dryopteris	Northumberland
#30 Beech Fern	Phegopteris connectilis	Northumberland
#31 Polypody	Polypodium vulgare	Northumberland
#32 Royal Fern	Osmunda regalis	Yorkshire
#33 Lobed Maidenhair Spleenwort	Asplenium trichomanes subsp. pachyrachis	Yorkshire
#34 Rigid Buckler-fern	Dryopteris submontana	Cumbria
#35 Limestone Fern	Gymnocarpium robertianum	Cumbria
#36 Sea Spleenwort	Asplenium marinum	Northumberland
#37 Small Adder’s-tongue	Ophioglossum azoricum	Northumberland
#38 Narrow Buckler-fern	Dryopteris carthusiana	Northumberland
#39 Brittle Bladder-fern	Cystopteris fragilis	Northumberland
#40 Lemon-scented Fern	Oreopteris limbosperma	Northumberland
#41 Mountain Male-fern	Dryopteris oreades	County Durham
#42 Northern Buckler-fern	Dryopteris expansa	County Durham