rattlesnake fern

American  

noun

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

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Etymology

Origin of rattlesnake fern

An Americanism dating back to 1805–15

Example Sentences

Thin, green marsh fern circled lakes alongside moonwort, rattlesnake fern and horsetail.

From New York Times • Oct. 21, 2016

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

From The Fern Lover's Companion A Guide for the Northeastern States and Canada by Tilton, George Henry

One of the constant companions of the rattlesnake fern.

From The Fern Lover's Companion A Guide for the Northeastern States and Canada by Tilton, George Henry

Sterile segment triangular, twice pinnatifid, the acute lobes lanceolate, incised or toothed, scarcely fleshy, resembling a very small specimen of the rattlesnake fern.

From The Fern Lover's Companion A Guide for the Northeastern States and Canada by Tilton, George Henry