Ostrich fern

This large fern (60 to 230 cm) bears both sterile (green) and fertile (brown) leaves, called fronds. Only the fertile fronds persist through the winter.

Its sterile fronds are unbranched, arched, and elongated, bearing finely divided leaflets (segments of a leaf). These leaves form a crown around the shorter fertile fronds.

The species may be recognized by the brown scales on the broad base of the central rib.