Blechnum spicant (L.) Sm.:
Canada (North America)
United States (North America)

Blechnum spicant (L.) With.:
Canada (North America)
United States (North America)

Blechnum spicant subsp. nipponicum Á. Löve & D. Löve:
United States (North America)

Canada

Origin: Unknown/Undetermined

Regularity: Regularly occurring

Currently: Unknown/Undetermined

Confidence: Confident

United States

Origin: Unknown/Undetermined

Regularity: Regularly occurring

Currently: Unknown/Undetermined

Confidence: Confident

Global Range: Interruptedly circumboreal, in the Pacific Northwest chiefly west of the Cascade Mountains and disjunct in northern Idaho; in Idaho, occurs in Benewah, Bonner, Boundary, Clearwater, Idaho (Idaho Native Plant Society, 1993).

Blechnum spicant is found primarily along the coast and in coastal mountain ranges.

Stems slender, short-creeping or ascending, not climbing. Leaves dimorphic, cespitose, erect or spreading, fertile leaves more erect and longer than sterile leaves. Petioles of fertile leaves reddish brown to purple-black, 15-60 cm, coarsely scaly proximally. Petioles of sterile leaves reddish brown, 2-30 cm, coarsely scaly proximally. Fertile blades erect, narrowly rhombic, 1-pinnate, without conform terminal pinna, 25-65 × 3-15 cm, glabrous. Sterile blades spreading, narrowly oblanceolate to linear-lanceolate, pinnatifid to apex and so without conform terminal pinna, 20-75 × 3-14 cm, tapering at base, glabrous. Rachises of fertile and sterile leaves with indument of filiform, spreading scales abaxially. Fertile pinnae not articulate to rachis, sessile, decurrent and surcurrent to rachis; larger pinnae slightly curved, linear, 25-32 × 1.5-2 mm; margins entire, slightly to moderately revolute; costae with indument of a few small scales abaxially, often concealed by sori. Sterile pinnae closely spaced, not articulate to rachis, base fully adnate; larger pinnae curved, linear to oblong-linear or barely wider beyond middle, 15-35 × 3.5-5 mm; margins entire. 2 n = 68.

Osmunda spicant Linnaeus, Sp. Pl. 2: 1066. 1753; Struthiopteris spicant (Linnaeus) Weis

Comments: Mesic to wet forests, peatbogs, and open places in the lowland to montane zones (Douglas, 1989).

Wet coniferous woods and swamps; 0-1400 m; B.C.; Alaska, Calif., Idaho, Oreg., Wash.

Foodplant / saprobe
basidiome of Cephaloscypha mairei is saprobic on dead frond of Blechnum spicant

Foodplant / spot causer
telium of Milesina blechni causes spots on live, over-wintered frond of Blechnum spicant
Other: sole host/prey

In Great Britain and/or Ireland:
Plant / epiphyte
epiphyllous thallus of Phycopeltis arundinacea grows on live leaf of Blechnum spicant

Plant / resting place / on
fruitbody of Tomentella radiosa may be found on dead, decayed debris of Blechnum spicant

Foodplant / saprobe
fruitbody of Typhula todei is saprobic on dead, decaying debris of Blechnum spicant

Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLDS) Stats
Public Records: 2
Species: 2
Species With Barcodes: 1

Canada

Rounded National Status Rank: NNR - Unranked

United States

Rounded National Status Rank: NNR - Unranked

Rounded Global Status Rank: G5 - Secure

Reasons: Interruptedly circumboreal, Blechnum spicant occurs in North America from coastal and south central British Columbia south to California, where locally common, and disjunct in Idaho, where it is known from twenty occurrences.