The curled dried frond of a Giant Leather Fern with its felted dusty cinnamon colored spores makes a wonderful wild texture.

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The curled dried frond of a Giant Leather Fern with its felted dusty cinnamon colored spores on the lower surfaces makes an intriguing natural design. These swamp ferns with their thick leathery upper surfaces and soft felt-like layer of spores on the undersides are always an interesting contrast. These grow in coastal hammocks and in brackish and mangrove swamps. The occur inland along canals and the edges of ponds. I have seen species of birds such as the Louisiana Heron, Egretta tricolor, and the White Egret, Ardea alba, build nests in these great clumps of leather ferns. They are quite substantial for holding the weight of a nest with growing chicks.

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Size: 5184px × 3456px
Location: Wakodahatchee Wetlands, Florida, USA
Photo credit: © Judy Lovell-Janthina Images / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

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