what is osmunda fiber

Full Answer

What is osmunda fiber made of?

This fiber is the root of the Osmunda ferns native to eastern United States. There are two types, the soft, light brown fiber and the dark brown, wiry form. Osmunda decomposes slowly and will last 2 to 4 years before decay sets in. It contains 2 to 3% nitrogen, which is released slowly as the fiber decomposes.

How long does osmunda fiber take to decompose?

This fiber is the root of the Osmunda ferns native to eastern United States. There are two types, the soft, light brown fiber and the dark brown, wiry form. Osmunda decomposes slowly and will last 2 to 4 years before decay sets in.

What are Osmunda plants used for?

Osmunda species are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species including the engrailed . One of the species, the cinnamon fern ( Osmundastrum cinnamomeum) forms huge clonal colonies in swamp areas.

What is the genus name of Osmunda?

Osmunda is a genus of primarily temperate-zone ferns of family Osmundaceae. Five to ten species have been listed for this genus.

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Where did the name "Osmund" come from?

A leading theory is that it is from an English folk tale of a boatman named Osmund hiding his wife and children in a patch of royal fern during the Danish invasion. Other theories propose that it is from Middle English and Middle French words for a type of fern.

What is the largest fern family?

Osmunda, the type genus of the fern order, Osmundales has historically been the largest genus in the family Osmundaceae. Smith et al. (2006), who carried out the first higher-level pteridophyte classification published in the molecular phylogenetic era, described three genera in that family, namely Osmunda, Leptopteris, and Todea. The genus has also been treated historically as consisting of a number of subgroups, generally subgenera, Osmunda (3 species), Osmundastrum (2 species), and Plenasium (3–4 species). However, there was suspicion that the genus was not monophyletic.

What is the name of the plant that grows in swamps?

Osmunda species are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species including the engrailed . One of the species, the cinnamon fern ( Osmundastrum cinnamomeum) forms huge clonal colonies in swamp areas. These ferns form massive rootstocks with densely matted, wiry roots.

Is the genus Osmunda monophyletic?

However, there was suspicion that the genus was not monophyletic.

What is osmunda fiber?

Osmunda fiber. An osmunda fern. Osmunda fiber, or osmundine as it is sometimes called, comes from the roots of the Osmunda fern plant. It’s fantastic for potting orchids, so much so that one of its nicknames is “ orchid peat .”. But it is tough to obtain today.

What is a moth orchid?

For example, the popular Phalaenopsis (aka “moth orchid”) is what is called a monopodial orchid. It has a single main stem from which the surrounding leaves and flowers sprout. Its roots are moisture-loving but hate being too damp.

What is the best medium for potting orchids?

Bark is an optimal medium to use for potting orchids. It is more porous than soil and also larger and chunkier to permit better airflow and moisture drainage – two things orchid roots crave. However, it also tends to break down (decompose) more quickly than soil and other types of orchid potting mix.

What is the best bark mix for orchids?

As a general rule of thumb, finer, smaller bark mix is better for seedlings and moisture-demanding orchid species. Large, coarse bark mix is best only for large established plants which can withstand more dryness between waterings. The most popular types of orchid bark mix include fir, tree fern, pine, and redwood.

What is the best alternative to German peat moss?

Coconut coir or fiber is a suitable alternative if you can’t find German peat moss. Coir comes in grades like bark. Fine-grained fibers can almost resemble thick hairs or skinny roots, while the coarser coconut chips look more like tree bark.

Is fern fiber good for orchids?

Tree fern fiber is also a great choice with similar properties to regular tree bark when used as an orchid potting mix. It has comparable moisture retention to fir and a similar decomposition period. This means it is necessary to keep an eye out for root rot.

Osmunda cinnamomea (Cinnamon Fern)

Thriving in moist areas, Osmunda cinnamomeum (Cinnamon Fern) makes a dramatic focal point in the landscape.

Osmunda claytoniana (Interrupted Fern)

The fertile fronds are interrupted in the middle by brown fertile leaflets (spore-bearing pinnae) which typically fall off in mid summer, thus giving this distinctive fern its common name.

Osmunda regalis 'Purpurascens' (Royal Fern)

A majestic garden fern, Osmunda regalis 'Purpurascens' (Royal Fern) is a tall, robust, deciduous fern of upright, vase shape habit forming a large rosette of elegant, broadly divided fronds.

Osmunda regalis (Royal Fern)

Noted for its unique form and texture, Osmunda regalis (Royal Fern or Flowering Fern) is a tall, robust, deciduous fern forming a large rosette of elegant, broadly divided, bright green fronds.

What is the alternative to osmunda fiber?

With the inevitable scarcity and high price of osmunda came experimentation with, and eventual use of, other more available alternatives, principally fir bark and, to a lesser extent, tree fern.

What is fine bark used for?

Fine-grade bark, composed of small pieces which tend to make a more water-retentive mix, is generally used for seedlings and some moisture-demanding terrestrials. Medium-grade bark, containing intermediate-size chips, is the typical major constituent of mixes used for the orchid of average size and watering needs.

What is a tree fern?

Though also in fluctuating supply of late, tree fern has had wide application in orchid growing, both as the major constituent of potting mixes, and in the form of slabs. Like bark, tree fern is available in grades from coarse down to fine.

When did the orchid magazine come out?

Batchelor. The following is an excerpt from an essay that first appeared in the American Orchid Society BULLETIN (what later became the current Orchids Magazine) in November 1981; the ninth in a many-part series on orchid growing for the beginner. At that time, the Society was headquartered ...

Is fir bark hard?

Recently, fir bark quality has suffered because of increasing demands and erratic supplies. Ideally, the bark chips should be hard, fairly thick, and of reasonably uniform grade. This kind of quality hardwood bark will last longer in good condition than one which is softer and more splintery, when in use.

Is bark a porous medium?

Lastly, coarse-grade bark, with its relatively large chunks, creates a very porous medium more subject to quick drying, even in a large, specimen-size container . It is frequently used for large specimen plants, and for those which prefer a very open, rapidly drying mix.

Is a medium firm or well aerated?

It should be firm and yet well aerated. Having these two characteristics, such a medium can offer a foundation to which the roots can attach themselves, while at the same time allowing the aeration necessary for their proper function.

Overview

Description

Completely dimorphic fronds or pinnae (hemidimorphic), green photosynthetic sterile fronds, and non-photosynthetic spore-bearing fertile pinnae, with large, naked sporangia. Because of the large mass of sporangia that ripen uniformly at the same time to a showy golden color, the ferns look as if they are in flower, and so this genus is sometimes called the "flowering ferns".

Taxonomy

Ecology

Bibliography

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