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Glite Dictionary
interrupted fern

interrupted fern

8.9
A tall fern with divided leaves and a band of leaf parts that make spores near the middle
  • noun
  • /ˌɪntəˈrʌptɪd fɜrn/
  • Specialized
translation icon : helecho interrumpido
  • The interrupted fern thrives in moist, shady woodlands across eastern North America.

Examples

  • Botanists easily recognize the interrupted fern by the gap in its frond where the fertile leaflets appear.

  • During spring hikes, we spotted several interrupted ferns growing along the stream bank.

  • The interrupted fern is a beautiful addition to any garden.

  • I found an interrupted fern growing near the stream.

  • Botanists easily recognize the interrupted fern by the gap in its frond where the fertile leaflets appear.

  • During spring hikes, we spotted several interrupted ferns growing along the stream bank.

  • The interrupted fern thrives in moist, shady woodlands across eastern North America.

Synonyms

Osmunda clatonia
vsinterrupted fern
  • Specialized
9.9

A North American fern with tall divided leaves and a few spore-making leaflets near the middle

has a distinctive continuous band of spore-bearing leaflets near the centre

Surface Forms

interrupted fern singular
interrupted ferns plural

Morphology

interrupted + fern

The noun phrase is compositionally predictable: 'interrupted' (having breaks or pauses) modifies 'fern' to indicate a fern with an interrupted or broken pattern in its fronds. A B1 learner who knows both words can infer it refers to a fern with an interrupted appearance (the band of spore-bearing leaflets), so the meaning is transparently derived from its constituents.

Etymology

Interrupted fern is named for the look of its frond. A band of leaflets carrying 'spores' near the middle breaks the row of normal leaflets so the frond looks interrupted, and that is why the plant is called the interrupted fern.