This organism is a fern that was about 2 feet tall. It had a light green shade, with pale sori on the underside. This fern had fronds about 1-2 feet long, comprised of numerous blade-like pinna that were dispersed along the frond. There were various fronds present that had holes in them. This indicated that an animal in this environment used this fern as a source of food.
this fern was found at Lettuce Lake Park in Tampa Florida. This fern is common throughout Florida and thrives in shaded humid environments. The fern was found underneath multiple pine trees that created a shaded area for this fern and other foliage in the area. The ground was covered in dead leaves and pine needles. Similar ferns were growing at the base of other trees.
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This organism was found at Lettuce Lake Park around 3pm on Saturday. This plant is around 2 feet tall with several branches of green colored leaves. The plant was a little bit harder to find as it was surrounded around plants much bigger in size. The weather at the time was sunny and around 75 degrees. Based on all the physical characteristics lead me to believe that this is a Royal Fern. Royal ferns are considered a seedless vascular plant.
Found on Arkansas State University campus on November 20, 2020. 7:20 am.