Southern Grapefern (Botrychium biternatum)

August 13^th. I was wandering along the trail on the ledge above our creek photographing fungi. I sat down by a fallen branch to photograph some brackets. I was concentrating so intently that I almost missed the…

fern that blended in with the greenery around it.

The leaves told me it was the Southern Grapefern (Botrychium biternatum).

Closer views of the sporangia (spore packets). 

These ferns have a single sterile frond and a single fertile frond that bears the sporangia (spore packets). The sterile frond is divided into three segments on each side of the stem; the margins of the segments are serrulate. 

The fronds are joined at the base, sometimes below ground level, and sometimes just above ground level.

In this case, they were joined just above ground level.

On September 6^th, the sporangia were ripening and becoming brown in color. Hopefully, we may have more ferns grow in this area.

References: 

- Georgia Native Plant Society. Southern grape fern (Botrychium biternatum) 

- Native & Naturalized Plants of the Carolinas & Georgia: Southern Grapefern (Botrychium biternatum)