Real worm fern
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Common fern ( Dryopteris filix-mas ) |
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| Dryopteris filix-mas | ||||||||||||
| ( L. ) Schott |
The true worm fern ( Dryopteris filix-mas ), also called common or common worm fern or male fern , is a plant species from the genus of worm ferns ( Dryopteris ) within the family of worm ferns (Dryopteridaceae). It is widespread in the temperate areas of the northern hemisphere .
description
The fronds of this 30–120 cm high fern, which remains green into winter, are arranged in a funnel-shaped rosette. They reach a length of 30 to 140 (160) centimeters. The short petiole is loosely covered with yellow-brown chaff scales. The leaf is double pinnate and tapers; the narrowing towards the base is less pronounced. The rounded feathers are sharply serrated on the edge. The pinnate spindle, i.e. the midrib of a pinnate leaf, has no purple color at the base. The spore containers ( Sori ) sit in two rows on the underside of the spore- bearing fronds. Their veils ( Indusia ) are kidney-shaped, glandless and thin; they do not include the Sori. The spores are spread from July to September and are 33–46 micrometers in size.
Similar species
The true worm fern ( Dryopteris filix-mas ) is similar to the common lady fern ( Athyrium filix-femina ). This one, however, has lighter green fronds and the feathers are finely sawn, whereas the worm fern has more coarsely sawn feathers and darker fronds. This difference has also led to the names female fern (filix femina) and male fern (filix mas) and even goes back to Leonhart Fuchs (1543), who called these ferns Fern weible or Fern mennle.
Ecology and reproduction
The true worm fern is a deciduous hemicryptophyte . The vegetative reproduction of the true worm fern takes place through branching of the rhizome. The strong rhizome stores fatty oil and sugar. Dry, brown “chaff scales” envelop the rhizome and the lower part of the leaf spindle as well as the young, rolled up leaves; they are to be understood at the same time as evaporation and heat protection. The annual growth is clearly visible on the rhizome. The leaves need several years from their attachment to the rhizome to fully unfold. A VA mycorrhiza occurs .
_Male_fern_(Dryopteris_filix-mas);_total_preparation.jpg)
In the real worm fern, the pre-germ , the prothallium , is up to 1 cm in size, green and heart-shaped. The pre-germ is the sexual generation, it carries numerous, more or less strongly recessed female and male genital organs ( archegonia and antheridia ) on the underside, especially in the area of the notch . Capillary water can be retained between the soil and the pre-germ. In this "mini aquarium" the antheridia burst and finally the released spermatozoids swim to the archegonia. They are chemotactically attracted by a 26 billionth mg of malic acid . Pre-germs are found in the vicinity of the fern plants, especially in damp, hollow tree stumps, on ditch slopes and in shady, damp niches.
After fertilization of the archegonia, the spore plant develops, which after a few years in summer can again form spore containers, sporangia , on the underside of the frond . Numerous sporangia lie close together in a group called Sorus (plural Sori). Sporangia have a ring-shaped dorsal bulge, the annulus , made of cells that are thickened on one side. The annulus uses a desiccant mechanism to tear the capsule open, ejecting most of the spores and blowing the rest out later. The sporangia are therefore self- scattering and wind-scattering , the spores continue to spread as granular flyers. The germination takes place in damp and shady places.
So there is a generation change between the haploid prothallium and the diploid fern plant proper.
Importance as a fodder plant (selection)
The caterpillars of the following butterfly species feed on the worm fern, among others.
- Agate Owl ( Phlogophora meticulosa )
- Purple Lance Owl ( Euplexia lucipara )
Occurrence
The distribution area of the common worm fern stretches from Europe and west to central Asia to North America, in northwest Africa it is rare. Closely related species occur in tropical Asia and South America. It is considered the most common Central European species of the worm fern genus ( Dryopteris ). The true worm fern is very common in fresh forests (mostly in pine / beech forests), bushes, tall herbaceous meadows, woodlands, rock rubble heaps and also on walls from the lowlands to the alpine heights. He is a Fagetalia order character.
In the Allgäu Alps, it rises at the Schänzlekopf in Bavaria up to 2000 meters above sea level.
Systematics
The species originated as an allotetraploid hybrid of Dryopteris oreades and Dryopteris caucasica , probably in the Caucasus region. It has the chromosome number 2n = 164.
Toxicity
In the common worm fern, the rhizome, the leaf stalks and especially the young plants are poisonous. The main active ingredients are: butanophloroglucides , they are contained in the glandular hair.
Symptoms of poisoning are: nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea and fainting spells. Visual disturbances, cardiac insufficiency and breathing disorders can occur as an increase. In the case of fatal poisoning, death occurs during convulsions in tetanus or through respiratory paralysis. Poisoning occurs almost exclusively through overdosing or through repeating a failed wormer treatment with the plant too quickly . 25 g of worm ferns are lethal for sheep after a few hours, 100 g for cattle after around 4 hours.
Common names
In the German-speaking countries, the following other common names are or were used for this plant species, sometimes only regionally : Audernkraut ( Augsburg ), Faden ( Austria ), Faren, Farn, Fernkrautmännlein, Fernwurzel, Fasen (Austria), Federfaden (Austria), Flöhkraut ( Eifel near Kelberg and Nürburg ), Fünffingerwurze (Austria), Glasaschenwurze ( Middle High German ), Glaseschencrut (Middle High German), Glückshand , Hexenkraut, Deer toes ( Salzburg in Grossarltal ), Hurenkraut, St. John's color ( Silesia ), Johanneshand, Johanneswurz ( Lechrain ) , Mauckenkraut (Austria), Pestilenzwuttel ( Rendsburg pharmacy), Schabel ( Thuringia near Ruhla ), Schawel (Thuringia near Ruhla), Snakenkrut ( Low German ), drip herb, forest bug, bug root, woanzenkrokt ( Transylvania ) and worm fern.
literature
- Real worm fern. In: FloraWeb.de.
- Wolfgang Adler, Karl Oswald, Raimund Fischer: Excursion flora of Austria . Ed .: Manfred A. Fischer. Eugen Ulmer, Stuttgart / Vienna 1994, ISBN 3-8001-3461-6 .
- Henning Haeupler, Thomas Muer: picture atlas of the fern and flowering plants of Germany . Ed .: Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (= The fern and flowering plants of Germany . Volume 2 ). Eugen Ulmer, Stuttgart (Hohenheim) 2000, ISBN 3-8001-3364-4 .
- Bernhard Marbach, Christian Kainz: FSVO nature guide mosses, ferns and lichens. Munich 2002, ISBN 3-405-16323-4 .
- Ch. R. Fraser-Jenkins: Dryopteris. In: Gustav Hegi : Illustrated flora of Central Europe. Volume I, part 1, 3rd edition. Paul Parey, Berlin / Hamburg 1984, ISBN 3-489-50020-2 .
- Heiko Bellmann : The new Kosmos butterfly guide. Butterflies, caterpillars and forage plants. 2nd Edition. Franckh-Kosmos, Stuttgart 2009, ISBN 978-3-440-11965-5 .
- Ruprecht Düll , Herfried Kutzelnigg : Pocket dictionary of plants in Germany and neighboring countries. The most common Central European species in portrait. 7th, corrected and enlarged edition. Quelle & Meyer, Wiebelsheim 2011, ISBN 978-3-494-01424-1 .
- L. Roth, M. Daunderer, K. Kornmann: Poisonous plants plant poisons. 6th revised edition. Nikol-Verlag, 2012, ISBN 978-3-86820-009-6 .
Web links
- Real worm fern. In: FloraWeb.de.
- Real worm fern . In: BiolFlor, the database of biological-ecological characteristics of the flora of Germany.
- Profile and distribution map for Bavaria . In: Botanical Information Hub of Bavaria .
- Distribution in Switzerland [1]
- Distribution in the northern hemisphere according to Eric Hultén
- Thomas Meyer: Fern data sheet with identification key and photos at Flora-de: Flora von Deutschland (old name of the website: Flowers in Swabia )
- Data sheet with photos.
- Data sheet with photos.
Individual evidence
- ^ Erich Oberdorfer : Plant-sociological excursion flora for Germany and neighboring areas. 8th edition. Eugen Ulmer, Stuttgart 2001, ISBN 3-8001-3131-5 , p. 83.
- ↑ Erhard Dörr, Wolfgang Lippert : Flora of the Allgäu and its surroundings. Volume 1, IHW, Eching 2001, ISBN 3-930167-50-6 , p. 68.
- ↑ Ch. R. Fraser-Jenkins: Dryopteris. In: Gustav Hegi : Illustrated flora of Central Europe. Volume I, part 1, 3rd edition. Paul Parey, Berlin / Hamburg 1984, ISBN 3-489-50020-2 .
- ^ Georg August Pritzel , Carl Jessen : The German folk names of plants. New contribution to the German linguistic treasure. Philipp Cohen, Hannover 1882, p. 48 ( online ).