Dryopteris marginalis

As I mentioned last week, Dryopteris marginalis is probably my favorite species in this genus. Its frond coloration is striking, and its appearance overall is so unique that it's hard to misidentify or overlook this fern. Its specific epithet was inspired by the sori, which are located along the margins of the pinnules, thus it also satisfies my penchant for highly descriptive and sensible Latin plant names.

I leave Thursday for Washington, DC, where I will be doing a fellowship at the Smithsonian Institution for several weeks over the course of the summer. It should be a fantastic experience, and I'm looking forward to working with some great people in the fern community while I'm there. I will post as often as I can about working with and collecting ferns in the DC area, and hopefully I'll have some good stories to tell along the way. Wish me luck!