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Ostrich Fern
Matteuccia struthiopteris
コゴミ
A large fern that grows in colonies along moist forest edges and stream valleys in mountain areas. The young fiddleheads (kogomi) that emerge in spring are a popular edible wild vegetable with little bitterness, enjoyed simply blanched. Sterile fronds spread in a vase-like shape, sometimes exceeding 1 m. In autumn, distinctive fertile fronds with bead-like rolled pinnae emerge upright from the center.
Identification Points
- ✓Young fiddleheads are coiled with brown scales on the surface
- ✓Sterile fronds are large, pinnately compound, spreading in a vase-like shape
- ✓Fertile fronds emerge upright in autumn with bead-like rolled pinnae
- ✓Forms colonies via rhizomes
Habitat
Moist forest edges, stream valleys, and along brooks in mountain areas
Season
April to May (young fiddleheads) / September to October (fertile fronds)
Morphological TraitsAI-estimated, needs verification
Leaf arrangement
Alternate
Leaf type
Compound
Venation
Pinnate
Leaf margin
Entire
Leaf shape
Ovate
Growth form
Herb
Habitat
Wetland
Phylogenetic Positionコウヤワラビ科 →
Phylogenetic Position
Vascular plants > Ferns > Polypodiales > Onocleaceae
Divergence Era
Cretaceous (approx. 100 million years ago onward)
Evolution Notes
Onocleaceae diverged in the Cretaceous. The pronounced dimorphism between sterile and fertile fronds is a distinctive evolutionary feature.
View on evolution timeline →Sources & References
AI-generated, needs verification