rattlesnake fern

noun

1. any of several American grape ferns, especially Botrychium virginianium, having clusters of sporangia resembling the rattles of a rattlesnake.

Word History and Origins

Origin of rattlesnake fern¹

An Americanism dating back to 1805–15

Example Sentences

The two are apt to grow near each other, with the rattlesnake fern as a near neighbor.

From Project Gutenberg