Royal Fern (Osmunda regalis)[]
- Height: 1 block
Royal Fern (Osmunda sp.)
- Spreads near water
- Time: Early Jurassic to Present
- Native biome(s): None (obtain from fossils)
- Edibility:
- Edible to herbivores
The Royal Fern (Osmunda regalis) is a fern that today grows in the woodland bogs and streamside banks of Europe, Asia and Africa. The sterile fronds of this plant typically grow around 60 - 160 cm long, while the fertile fronds stand erect at 20 - 50 cm tall. The fiddleheads of this plant are considered edible, and this plant is also used to make the dish Namul in Korean royal court cuisine. The Royal Fern has a long evolutionary history, and fossils of this plant date back 180 million years to the Early or Middle Jurassic. It appears to have originated in Gondwana.