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Peter Payzant<br
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Hi Steve, June 29, 2013
No Steve, you are forced to first take a good look at the ferns to =
determine if they are native or planted. Native ferns are relatively =
easy to master. I have learned them and forgotten them at least 5 times. =
Also look at the ground to see if there are traces of old rhizomes that =
extend toward the center of the ring. Many ferns (drawing on memory)have =
horizontal rhizomes at or just below the surface and bear fronds on =
ascending branches. Old frond branches fade away and the youngest are =
dominant.
I have never noticed the kind of fern ring that you describe but =
plants in general tend to eventually render ground unsuitable for their =
species and in some cases the greatest vigor is in the virgin peripheral =
ground. But some ferns, such as Hay-scented fern grow in pure dense =
patches for years.=20
The only native fern that is commonly found in grassy areas (sparse, =
weak grass) is Bracken. Some Botrychium also are found in grassland but =
are usually well hidden.
=20
Yt, Dave Webster, Kentville
----- Original Message -----=20
From: Steve Shaw=20
To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca=20
Sent: Saturday, June 29, 2013 7:11 PM
Subject: Re: [NatureNS] Ronald Hodges bio + fairy ring of ferns
Thanks, Peter, interesting. It would be quite an investment even to =
own all of the 28 volumes of moth families advertised so far in the site =
that you indicated (of the ~130 expected), that presumably underpin the =
Checklist or part of it. For a modest $20, the Checklist is presumably =
just that, a list of proper binomial names without illustrations. This =
raises the question of how you are supposed to go from finding, say, an =
unidentified local green geometer to putting a Hodges name on it. =
BugGuide? It is a quite different matter doing this for the estimated =
16,000+ moths than for local butterflies, where your excellent, updated =
Butterflies site gives images of all 70-odd species that have occurred =
in NS, making identification much easier. Bev's site is a great =
starting point for the moths, but I think it is fairly recent.=20
On a barely related matter, years back my daughter and I went on an =
informative butterfly walk at Mt Uniacke conducted by you and your wife, =
which commenced with exploration of the large drumlin hill that rises =
some way down from the house itself, opposite the front of it. We were =
there about 3 weeks ago again on an abortive hunt for an empidid fly =
that occurs in the grounds, and noticed a conspicuous group of ferns on =
the right side of the drumlin, perhaps 1/4 of the way up. Peculiarly, =
in largely grassy surroundings, these ferns were arranged in a quite =
regular ring perhaps 20 feet across. You must have seen it too, so I =
wonder if you understand its origin -- is it a natural occurrence, and =
if so what would have caused the ring formation? Uniacke had a =
greenhouse at the other side of the house, but it doesn't look like the =
ring would have been part of an old garden there -- at least I didn't =
see any other signs of one, though time could have erased these. Have =
you or any of the botanists here any idea on the origin of the fern =
ring? Are the ferns a cultivated variety that might indicate that the =
site was once part of a now-vanished garden, or are we forced to =
consider that it might be the work of fairies?
Steve
On 29-Jun-13, at 4:50 PM, Peter Payzant wrote:
... and more about Ronald Hodges here.
Peter Payzant
On 2013-06-29 4:29 PM, Peter Payzant wrote:
This refers to a number in the 1983 publication "Check List of the =
Lepidoptera of America North of Mexico", often referred to as "MONA".
Ronald W. Hodges was the senior author.=20
Peter Payzant
On 2013-06-29 3:42 PM, Stephen R. Shaw wrote:
This is related but really one for Bev Wigney, re her very nice =
site and her earlier post: what is 'Hodges' in for instance 'Hodges 6796 =
- Campaea perlata - Pale Beauty'? Is 'Hodges' a reference site on-line, =
or a book of images, or something else?=20
Steve, Halifax
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<DIV><FONT size=3D2>Hi Steve, =20
=
=20
=
June=20
29, 2013</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2> No Steve, you are forced to first =
take a=20
good look at the ferns to determine if they are native or planted. =
Native ferns=20
are relatively easy to master. I have learned them and forgotten them at =
least 5=20
times. Also look at the ground to see if there are traces of old =
rhizomes that=20
extend toward the center of the ring. Many ferns (drawing on memory)have =
horizontal rhizomes at or just below the surface and bear fronds on =
ascending=20
branches. Old frond branches fade away and the youngest are=20
dominant.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2> I have never noticed the kind of=20
fern ring that you describe but plants in general tend to =
eventually render=20
ground unsuitable for their species and in some cases the greatest =
vigor is=20
in the virgin peripheral ground. But some ferns, such as Hay-scented =
fern grow=20
in pure dense patches for years. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2> The only native fern that is =
commonly found=20
in grassy areas (sparse, weak grass) is Bracken. Some Botrychium also =
are found=20
in grassland but are usually well hidden.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2> </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>Yt, Dave Webster, Kentville</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
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