Resurrection Fern

At the bottom are two fronds (under clear contact paper) showing variability.

Resurrection Fern

Polypodium polypodioides

This tiny fern has always been a favorite of mine.  It grows in an epiphytic fashion, anchoring its wiry roots into the bark of trees with deep fissures, and receiving nourishment from the water and dust in the atmosphere using energy from the sun via photosynthesis.  The fronds of this fern are fairly small, but I’ve seen some that grow up to 3 or 4 inches. 

It’s called the resurrection fern because it has an adaptation that allows it to transform from a withered brown cluster of curled leaves to a vibrant unfurled green frond.  This adaptation allows it to survive long periods of drought until the rains come, which is helpful in south Florida, with our dry fall-winter-spring and our rainy summers.  Scientists tell us that resurrection fern can stand up to a 95% water loss without perishing.  Compare that to humans, who often find a 15% water loss a fatal event.

The curled, dry fronds, waiting for water.

I learned that this feat is possible because of a protein called dehydrin.  Dehydrin allows the cell walls in the leaf to fold when drying, in a way that can be reversed without damage.  As the fern dries, it manufactures dehydrin, turns brown, and stops photosynthesis.  When moisture is available, the fern takes water in through its stomata (tiny openings on the bottoms of leaves that allow for gas exchange), turns green, and begins photosynthesis once again. 

I’d always thought of it as native to tropical Florida.  Imagine my surprise to find out that these ferns range from Florida to Delaware and then west to Texas!  Not only is it native to the Americas, but it’s also native to Africa.  

A complex ecosystem in a small space.

This ink and watercolor study is of a live oak branch that fell to the ground after a rainstorm.  The branch broke into several smallish chunks, so perhaps it was insect-damaged; my experience with oaks is that the wood is very strong.  I loved the interplay of texture and colors in this tiny universe of lichens, mosses, bark and fern.  Once again, sketching a subject led me to ask questions and then to start

researching.

Needless to say, scientists are studying the property of dehydrins, which could have many applications.  Did you know that resurrection fern has gone into space?  It was the subject of a 1997 experiment on board the space shuttle Discovery.  To read more about this fascinating plant, visit the hyperlinks within the text or listed below.

As always, thanks for visiting!

The sketch was done in my:

Aquabee Super Deluxe  spiral-bound sketchbook
9x6 in, (22.86 x 15.24 cm), 93 lb. paper
Sakura Micron Pigma pen 01,
Daniel Smith watercolors.

Resources:

Wikipedia on resurrection fern 

NationalWildlife Federation

Floridata 

Paper on Poly in space  

Time lapse YouTube video of resurrection fern coming back to life

Wikipedia on dehydrin

Resurrection fern

Resurrection fern, originally uploaded by Elizabeth Smith.

A captivating little fern found throughout Florida, resurrection fern is named for its ability to transform withered brown tangles into vibrant green fronds after a rain. The small fronds are variable – these are about 4 to 6 inches long, including the stem.

These fronds were found on the ground, I’m not sure if they were dropped there by birds, squirrels, or a landscaping crew. Normally they grow on the rough bark of trees such as oaks or cypress, either on the sides of the trunk or higher up in the canopy.

Below is a watercolor sketch of a patch of resurrection fern I did two years ago, showing how thick it can grow. The fern does not hurt the tree it lives on, but gets nutrients from the air, much like other epiphytyes.

You can read more about resurrection fern here from the University of Florida.

You can click on the images above to view them larger on my Flickr photostream.