Fire Effects Information System (FEIS)

FEIS Home Page

SPECIES:  Osmunda cinnamomea

Introductory
SPECIES: Osmunda cinnamomea


AUTHORSHIP AND CITATION : 
Walsh, Roberta A. 1994. Osmunda cinnamomea. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. 
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, 
Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available: 
www.fs.usda.gov/database/feis//plants/fern/osmcin/all.html [].


ABBREVIATION : 
OSMCIN

SYNONYMS : 
NO-ENTRY


SCS PLANT CODE : 
   OSCI


COMMON NAMES : 
   cinnamon fern


TAXONOMY : 
The currently accepted scientific name of cinnamon fern is Osmunda
cinnamomea L.  It is in the family Osmundaceae [7,26].  Recognized
subspecies, varieties, and form are as follows:

O. c. ssp. asiatica (Fern.) Hulten (found in eastern Asia) [7]
O. c. var. cinnamomea [22,52]
O. c. var. glandulosa Waters [9,18,52]
O. c. forma frondosa (T. & G.) Britt. [7,49,52,62]


LIFE FORM : 
Fern or Fern Ally

FEDERAL LEGAL STATUS : 
No special status

OTHER STATUS : 
NO-ENTRY

DISTRIBUTION AND OCCURRENCE
SPECIES: Osmunda cinnamomea



GENERAL DISTRIBUTION : 
Cinnamon fern occurs in North America from Newfoundland to western
Ontario and south to the Gulf States and New Mexico.  It also occurs in
eastern Asia [7,22].


ECOSYSTEMS : 
   FRES10  White - red - jack pine
   FRES11  Spruce - fir
   FRES12  Longleaf - slash pine
   FRES13  Loblolly - shortleaf pine
   FRES14  Oak - pine
   FRES15  Oak - hickory
   FRES16  Oak - gum - cypress
   FRES18  Maple - beech - birch
   FRES19  Aspen - birch
   FRES41  Wet grasslands


STATES : 
     AL  AR  CT  DC  FL  GA  IL  IN  KY  LA
     ME  MD  MA  MI  MN  MS  NH  NJ  NM  NY
     NC  OH  PA  RI  SC  TN  TX  VT  VA  WV
     WI  NB  NF  NS  ON  PE  PQ



BLM PHYSIOGRAPHIC REGIONS : 
NO-ENTRY


KUCHLER PLANT ASSOCIATIONS : 
   K073  Northern cordgrass prairie
   K079  Palmetto prairie
   K091  Cypress savanna
   K092  Everglades
   K093  Great Lakes spruce - fir forest
   K094  Conifer bog
   K095  Great Lakes pine forest
   K096  Northeastern spruce - fir forest
   K097  Southeastern spruce - fir forest
   K100  Oak - hickory forest
   K102  Beech - maple forest
   K103  Mixed mesophytic forest
   K104  Appalachian oak forest
   K106  Northern hardwoods
   K107  Northern hardwoods - fir forest
   K108  Northern hardwoods - spruce forest
   K110  Northeastern oak - pine forest
   K111  Oak - hickory - pine forest
   K112  Southern mixed forest
   K113  Southern floodplain forest
   K114  Pocosin


SAF COVER TYPES : 
    12  Black spruce
    13  Black spruce - tamarack
    16  Aspen
    17  Pin cherry
    18  Paper birch
    19  Gray birch - red maple
    20  White pine - northern red oak - red maple
    21  Eastern white pine
    22  White pine - hemlock
    23  Eastern hemlock
    24  Hemlock - yellow birch
    37  Northern white-cedar
    38  Tamarack
    52  White oak - black oak - northern red oak
    70  Longleaf pine
    74  Cabbage palmetto
    80  Loblolly pine - shortleaf pine
    81  Loblolly pine
    82  Loblolly pine - hardwood
    83  Longleaf pine - slash pine
    97  Atlantic white-cedar
    98  Pond pine
   100  Pondcypress
   101  Baldcypress
   104  Sweetbay - swamp tupelo - redbay
   108  Red maple


SRM (RANGELAND) COVER TYPES : 
NO-ENTRY


HABITAT TYPES AND PLANT COMMUNITIES : 
Cinnamon fern is listed as a habitat type or indicator species in:

Freshwater Wetlands: A guide to common indicator plants of the northeast [38]
Application of forest habitat-type classification system in Michigan and
   Wisconsin [30]

Species associated with cinnamon fern are listed for bogs in
northeastern Illinois [55], southern New Hampshire [12], North Carolina
[28,46,53,61], Louisiana [2,36], and eastern Texas [44]; peatlands in
northcentral Minnesota [63]; Florida gulf coast hydric hammocks [57],
cypress heads [16,45], and bayheads [1]; pocosins in several states [3];
South Carolina wet longleaf pine savannahs [20]; and an eastern hemlock
(Tsuga canadensis)-fern community with mesic soil and high humidity in
northeastern West Virginia [39].

MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS
SPECIES: Osmunda cinnamomea





IMPORTANCE TO LIVESTOCK AND WILDLIFE : 
NO-ENTRY


PALATABILITY : 
Cinnamon fern was grazed by cattle in southeastern North Carolina in
pond pine (Pinus rigida var. serotina) forests.  It ranked second only
to cane (Arundinaria gigantea) in cattle preference.  In May, before
cane fully leafed out, 30 to 50 percent of available cinnamon fern
herbage was utilized, after which fern utilization practically ceased.
Cinnamon fern was palatable for about a month after fronds unrolled [53].

White-tailed deer were observed grazing substantial amounts of cinnamon
fern in southwestern Virginia in 1982 [62].


NUTRITIONAL VALUE : 
NO-ENTRY


COVER VALUE : 
NO-ENTRY


VALUE FOR REHABILITATION OF DISTURBED SITES : 
NO-ENTRY


OTHER USES AND VALUES : 
Cinnamon fern coiled fiddlehead leaves up to 8 inches (20 cm) tall can
be collected in the spring, steamed or boiled, and eaten [15].

Cinnamon fern spore germination in liquid medium is useful for bioassay
of toxic copper, cadmium, and zinc concentrations [19].


OTHER MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS : 
Cattle grazed cinnamon fern in southeastern North Carolina, but because
of the short time it was utilized, grazing had relatively little effect
on the total fern stand.  In places where grazing was heavy, the density
and vigor of cinnamon fern was noticeably reduced.  Cinnamon fern was
more abundant on unlogged than on logged sites, in both grazed and
ungrazed conditions [53].

Cinnamon fern in southeastern Connecticut was an associate in lowland
hardwood and shrub communities subjected to 20 years of herbicide use on
trees to maintain shrubs.  Cinnamon fern cover was 1 to 5 percent both
before herbicide treatment began in 1953 and after 20 years of treatment [47].

Cinnamon fern in Atlantic white-cedar (Chamaecyparis thyoides) wetlands
in New Jersey occurred in sites of all disturbance classes studied
including undisturbed sites, those in housing developments, and those at
stormwater drain outfalls [13].

Cinnamon fern in eastern Quebec was present in a northern hardwoods site
that was clearcut and subjected to three experimental disturbance
treatments:  prepared with a V-blade (high intensity), prepared with a
toothed brush rake (medium intensity), or disked (low intensity).
Cinnamon fern was more common on the low-disturbance site but survived
on other sites [24].

Cinnamon fern in naturally regenerated, mature slash pine (Pinus
elliottii) flatwoods in southeastern Florida was present at 1.3
kilograms per hectare foliage biomass.  The site was then clearcut in
the fall of 1978, prepared by burning, shearing and piling, discing and
bedding, and planted to slash pine in 1979.  In two subsequent
vegetation surveys in the summers of 1980 and 1981, cinnamon fern was
not present [8].

Cinnamon fern frequently forms large clumps [7] and may produce almost
all the understory cover in swamps with dense overstory shade [4].

BOTANICAL AND ECOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS
SPECIES: Osmunda cinnamomea



GENERAL BOTANICAL CHARACTERISTICS : 
Cinnamon fern is a perennial fern which is native to the eastern United
States.  Rhizomes of sporophytic plants are stout, woody [49], and
creeping [18] to suberect [7]; the roots are fibrous [49].  Sporophytes
have separate fertile and sterile pinnate fronds are covered with thick
hairs when immature.  Some hairs are still present on fertile fronds at
maturity [7].  Sterile fronds are up to 6 feet (1.8 m) long [65] and 6
to 12 inches (15-30 cm) [49] wide.  Fertile fronds are shorter than
sterile fronds, and the pinnae are much smaller, nonphotosynthetic, and
cinnamon brown.  Sporangia are clustered, naked, large, globose, and
bivalved [7].  Cinnamon fern spores are green, with functional
chloroplasts.  The spores germinate into photosynthetic, platelike,
thalloid gametophytes [23,42].


RAUNKIAER LIFE FORM : 
   Hemicryptophyte


REGENERATION PROCESSES : 
Cinnamon fern spores have very short viability after release from the
sporophyte.  They either fail to germinate or germinate poorly after
just a few weeks [42].  Under controlled conditions, spores germinate at
high percentages at 41 degrees Fahrenheit (5 deg C), and they also
germinate at higher temperatures [23].

One study showed that cinnamon fern sporophytes allelopathically
inhibited germination of cinnamon fern spores [59].  Another study did
not demonstrate this effect [48].


SITE CHARACTERISTICS : 
Cinnamon fern is found on poorly drained low ground and in thickets, wet
marshy woods [7], swamps, ditches, and streambanks [49].  It is
generally found in ombrotrophic bogs [60], but it also grows on
minerotrophic wooded island hummocks in peatlands [63].  It is usually
associated with sphagnum (Sphagnum spp.) [59] in wet acid soils with
high organic content [28,46,55]; it is an indicator of such soils in the
Haut-Saint-Laurent region, Quebec [41].  Where humidity is very high
cinnamon fern can sometimes be found on better drained soils [39].

Cinnamon fern has been reported at the following elevations:

                    Elevation (feet)    Elevation (m)

Florida                 125-141           38-43       [1]
Louisiana               197-276           60-84       [36] 
Maryland                  0-51             0-16       [4]
New York                210-3,124         64-952      [32]
North Carolina           39-2,917         12-889      [28,60,64]
South Carolina           45-75            14-23       [20]
West Virginia         1,096-2,625        334-800      [6,39]
Ontario                   581              177        [25]


SUCCESSIONAL STATUS : 
Facultative Seral Species

Cinnamon fern is considered a late seral species in the bog seres of the
northern United States and Laurentian Canada, but may not persist to
climax stages [10].  In the Adirondack upland flora cinnamon fern is
intolerant to midtolerant of shade [32].  Cinnamon fern in west
Louisiana occurs in bogs that are mostly open, with a few scattered
trees and shrubs [36].  However, cinnamon fern occurs in heavy shade
under a closed canopy along the Gulf Coast of Florida [57].  It also
occurs under shade in Atlantic white-cedar wetlands in New Jersey [13]
and in baldcypress (Taxodium distichum) swamps in eastern Maryland [4].

Cinnamon fern in a southern Ontario bog was subjected to disturbance by
peat mining which removed all vegetation and up to 6.6 feet (2 m) of
peat.  The mined areas had been abandoned to natural, unassisted
regeneration for 1, 6, 10, and 24 years.  Cinnamon fern occurred in all
disturbance classes, but did not occur in the undisturbed control site
[25].


SEASONAL DEVELOPMENT : 
Both sterile and fertile cinnamon fern fronds expand during a short
period in early spring [32,37].  Leaf expansion is complete within about
a month.  Fertile fronds begin to wither in early summer, after
sporulation is completed [32].  Sterile pinnae begin to wither at the
end of summer, and the stipe somewhat later, until the entire aerial
part of the plant is dry [37].  Cinnamon fern spores are discharged in
spring.  They can germinate within 1 or 2 days of release [23].

Cinnamon fern sporulates from March through July, depending on latitude
[20,43,52].

FIRE ECOLOGY
SPECIES: Osmunda cinnamomea



FIRE ECOLOGY OR ADAPTATIONS : 
Although fronds are probably killed by fire during the growing season,
cinnamon fern sprouts from rhizomes after the aerial portions are burned
[49,53].  Cinnamon fern has good fire tolerance and shows vigorous
rhizome growth after fire [51].  Spores germinate on mineral soil [23],
so cinnamon fern probably colonizes after fire.  It grows in the open
conditions created by fire in at least part of its range [20,36,60].

Cinnamon fern occurs in the Greater Sandhills of south-central North
Carolina in Atlantic white-cedar dominated wetland corridors.  The trees
in these wetlands show evidence of past fires [46].  Cinnamon fern
occurs in the Green Swamp, North Carolina, longleaf pine/wiregrass
savannahs which are maintained by frequent fire [28].  It also occurs in
fire-maintained South Carolina longleaf pine savannahs [20].

FIRE REGIMES:
Find fire regime information for the plant communities in which this 
species may occur by entering the species name in the FEIS home page 
under "Find Fire Regimes".

POSTFIRE REGENERATION STRATEGY : 
   Rhizomatous herb, rhizome in soil
   Secondary colonizer - off-site seed

FIRE EFFECTS
SPECIES: Osmunda cinnamomea



IMMEDIATE FIRE EFFECT ON PLANT : 
Cinnamon fern fronds are probably killed by fire.


DISCUSSION AND QUALIFICATION OF FIRE EFFECT : 
NO-ENTRY


PLANT RESPONSE TO FIRE : 
Cinnamon fern appears to be well adapted to recurring fires.  It
occurred in a west Louisiana bog that was burned on a regular basis
during the winter [36].  It also occurred in a southern Mississippi peat
bog burned annually for 7 years [14].  Cinnamon fern occurs in North
Carolina Coastal Plain longleaf pine-wiregrass savannahs that are fire
maintained.  The savannahs have fire intervals typically less than 8
years [60].  Cinnamon fern in the wetter areas of a virgin longleaf pine
forest in southwestern Georgia increased greatly over 27 years of annual
burning.  In this area cinnamon fern disappears within about 5 years in
the absence of fire, due in part to competition from shrubs and young
trees [29].

Cinnamon fern occurred on a fire barren in southwestern Nova Scotia that
had burned 2 years before.  It was thought to be a component of the
prefire vegetation that survived the fire [40].

Cinnamon fern occurs in both burned and unburned tree islands in the
Florida Everglades, but is much more abundant on unburned islands.  Fire
on these islands tends to burn out the peat substrate during periods of
drought [35].


DISCUSSION AND QUALIFICATION OF PLANT RESPONSE : 
Cinnamon fern usually increases slightly in response to fire.

Cinnamon fern in an eastern white pine (Pinus strobus)-mixed hardwood
forest in New Hampshire was subjected to October 1976 and April 1977
prescribed fires.  Cinnamon fern occurred throughout the forest in moist
pockets and depressions.  Fires were of low severity, with flames 10 to
18 inches (25.4-45.7 cm) high and scorch heights 4 to 6 feet (1.2-1.8
m).  Cinnamon fern increased in cover and importance value after the
fall fire, but not after the spring fire or on control plots.  Cinnamon
fern also occurred sporadically in adjacent eastern white pine forest
plots that were burned at the same times.  Fire severity was less, with
flames 4 to 6 inches (10.2-15.2 cm) high and scorch heights 3 to 4 feet
(0.9-1.2 m).  Cinnamon fern was listed as neutral in response to fire on
these sites [51].


FIRE MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS : 

Cinnamon fern survives fires in many habitat types and may increase in
cover [51].  However, if the fire is so intense or of such duration that
it burns the organic substrate completely, cinnamon fern will be lost [35].

Cinnamon fern occurs on hillside seepage bogs in longleaf pine savannah
of east-central Texas that is burned every 3 to 5 years during the
nongrowing season to maintain savannah vegetation [44].

Cinnamon fern in bayheads of south Florida may survive wet-season fires,
but drought-season fires can destroy them by burning out the islands [58].

Cinnamon fern occurs in North Carolina Coastal Plain shrub bog
communities that become grass (Poaceae)-sedge (Cyperaceae) bogs when
burned [61].

In northeastern Minnesota the summer moisture content of 21 groups of
understory plants was evaluated for fire prediction purposes from June
24, 1976 (after the period of primary plant growth) to August 26, 1976.
Ferns, including cinnamon fern, were evaluated as a group.  Fern
moisture was approximately in the middle range when compared to other
herbs [34].