미국고사리

집 앞쪽이 북쪽을 향하고 있다보니 앞 정원은 그늘이 심하게 든다.  그 곳에 심을 관상용 식물들을 찾다보니 양치류에 관심이 생기게 되었고  고사리를 그 곳에 심어볼까 하는 맘에 이 곳 저 곳을 떠돌면서 줏어 읽어보고 있는데, 번역을 하자니 오히려 한국용어가 더 낯설기만 하다.  어짜피 이런 것들에 관심이 많은 사람들이 얼마나 있을까 싶어서 그냥 나를 위한 포스트로 한국어 번역을 포기했다.

미국고사리
학명: Pteridium aquilinum 
일반명: Western Bracken Fern

생김새: 
Bracken fern is a large fern, sometimes reaching a height of 2 to 4 feet tall.   Instead of the usual leaves, ferns have fronds,  made up of smaller leaflets (groups of mini-leaves) with small pinnae (tiny mini-leaves) on them.  Bracken fronds are shaped like triangles.  Each frond usually has three leaflets. Bracken grow in large colonies in fields, brush areas and woods.  They have thick root-like stems, called rhizomes, underground. Rhizomes can grow six feet long, and many fronds may grow from one rhizome. Each rhizome also has tiny, hair-like, black roots on it.  

특성: 
A very aggressive fern of worldwide distribution for dry woodlands.  The only fern for most dry shade situations. Ideal for dry Post Oak forests and pine forests. The tripartite, furry, silvery fiddleheads emerge in early spring. The roots colonize aggressively and extend deep in search of moisture, as far as 10 feet deep in some locations.  Does not tolerate flooding. Though tolerant of dry soils, it goes dormant during droughts that last more than a week or two and will begin to die if it doesnt receive rain for 3 months. Requires a lot of water to get it established, but once established, relatively drought-tolerant, persistent, and aggressive.

번식방법:
Divide roots while plant is dormant. Water regularly to get established, then let it naturalize, watering only during extended droughts. Reduce watering if gets too aggressive. Cut back during winter so new spring growth will be unobstructed.
Bracken ferns can reproduce two ways. One is by rhizomes spreading, and the other is by spores. Ferns do not have flowers like most plants. Instead, one the underside of the fronds, there are small objects, called sori. The sori produce spores, which are a lot like seeds from a flowering plant. Spores travel by wind and grow new ferns in new places.  

Ecological Adaptations:

In the west, bracken fern is generally found in open forests, pastures, and on open slopes. It is common following fires.  In northern climates bracken fern is frequently found on uplands and side slopes, since it is susceptible to spring frost damage. Fronds growing in the open or without litter cover are often killed as crosiers by spring frost damage, since the soil warms earlier and growth begins sooner. The result is that fronds appear earlier in shaded habitats. In Utah, bracken fern is found at elevations of 5,500 to 8,000 feet (1676-2438 meters).

Soils: 
Bracken fern grows on a variety of soils with the exception of heavily waterlogged soils. Its efficient stomatal control allows it to succeed on sites that would be too dry for most ferns, and its distribution does not normally seem limited by moisture. Bracken fern grows best on deep well-drained soils with good water-holding capacity, and it may dominate other vegetation on such sites. Bracken fern is characteristically found on soils with medium to very rich nutrients. It is absent from soils contaminated with zinc.

Warning:
POISONOUS PARTS: All parts, fiddleheads (curled-up leaves). Low toxicity if ingested. Symptoms include weakness, high fever, incoordination, convulsions. Toxic Principle: Thiaminase, a proteinaceous enzyme causing a reduction in vitamin B1; also a glycoside. (Poisonous Plants of N.C.)
미국 것이든지 한국 것이든지 모두 독성이 너무 강해서 생으로나 데쳐서 초록색이 있는 상태로 요리해 먹는 방법은 절대로 안되고, 데쳐서 햇빛에 완전히 말렸다가 묵나물로 요리해 먹는 것은 괜찮다고 한다.

미국사람의 시선으로 고사리를 다룬 블러그 글이 있어서 링크를 걸어둔다.
고사리: 독풀일까 나물일까?

재미있는 특징:
Bracken ferns help some plants grow, and hurt others. They are allelopathic to some plants, which means they let out chemicals that keep them from growing. Black cherry trees are one plant that has trouble growing around bracken ferns. Other plants are helped by bracken ferns. Because bracken ferns grown in thick colonies, they can hide small tree seedlings and other plants that might be eaten by animals. Young bracken ferns are eaten in the spring by white-tailed deer. Rabbits will also eat fronds.  Many animals and insects won't bother bracken ferns because of chemicals in it that make them sick. There are several species of insects, including sawflies and some caterpillars, which eat bracken ferns. 

Sometimes a liquid, much like nectar in flowering plants, collects at the bottom of pinnae. Ants and other insects will drink from this. Ants will also protect the ferns by attacking insects which eat bracken ferns.  There are some  micorrhizal fungi (Fungi which help plants) which share nutrients with bracken ferns. Bracken ferns also help other plants by taking phosporus and other nutrients from the soil and changing them so that plants can use them.