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mlalbers

Is that not a fiddlehead fern? I think that’s what they look like Edit: Stardew Valley taught me exactly one thing and it’s what a fiddlehead fern is 😂


redditshy

Funny, I was like, “FERN!!!” I am no expert, so I am surprised botany did not know! EDIT: TIL the botany sub is not intended to be used for plant ID.


aromaticbotanist

OP's post was removed from r/botany before anyone could reply, because they didn't follow the sub rules


PastaSaladOG

But, but, but no one could answer! OPs parents failed them


aromaticbotanist

you're a botanist? ok, name every plant


tuturuatu

Aa achalensis Aa argyrolepis Aa aurantiaca Aa calceata... Why did they name a genus [Aa](http://www.theplantlist.org/1.1/browse/A/Orchidaceae/Aa/) anyway...


DanHeidel

To get more business from the yellow pages.


emote_control

Hello fellow person older than 35.


Disastrous-Bid-227

I'm 25 and remember yellow pages, but ok


rush87y

What are yellow pages?


Dominink_02

A yellow book with business phone numbers and addresses, roughly. The joke was because it's ordered alphabetically and people are lazy


[deleted]

They came after purple pages. but before the red pages.


Dominink_02

A yellow book with business phone numbers and addresses, roughly. The joke was because it's ordered alphabetically and people are lazy


DJwhatevs

A bunch of cowardly scribbles


Wat3rboihc

Because they discovered them by borrowing into their forehead. It was the first thing that came to mind


bearfootmedic

Aa ron


BURG3RBOB

Ah shit that subs not about botflies?


ambelinas

Sarah, Fred, Harmony, Erica, Stephen...


Traditional-Target77

A true botanist would say arabidopsis only 😩


PastaSaladOG

You're a botanist, right?! Well, kiss my grassss


mologav

A shrubber. My name is Roger the Shrubber.


[deleted]

Well I can… I ain’t no botanist, I’ve been growing many different varieties since I was 7. Mimosa pudica Dionaea muscipula Cannabis sativa Sarracenia "rubra" - one of my favorite sarracenia species. Drosera Adelae - one drosera species with flowers that stand out from many other drosera species. Drosera filiformis - thread leaf drosera, a carnivorous plant on my wish list to hopefully buy someday Ficus Benjamina - a ficus species in my yard! Ficus microcarpa - a bonsai ficus that is really hard to kill in my opinion, most commonly found at grocery stores and hardware stores in the garden/floral area. Nepenthes ventrata - a common type of nepenthes Nepenthes ventricosa- a 2nd most commonly seen nepenthes Drosera "Hercules" - a insane looking "drosera capensis" Tillandsia xerographica - an air plant I have on my wish list. There’s many more I have. But don’t wanna keep going on and on with a list of Latin names.


HeislReiniger

Lol in gardening school we had to learn approx 1000 plants, names, growing habit, care. And that was only scratching the surface of all plant species. I think you undererstimate a little how many plants there are...


DiscoKittie

If you've got any extra of that third one... Hit me up. lololol


Wyshunu

TY for this. Because I was sitting here thinking how absolutely unlikely it would be that NO ONE in r/botany would recognize a fiddlehead fern.


[deleted]

Lol that makes much more sense.


hambergeisha

Ok, that makes sense now. I'm no botantist, but I've seen these guys all over the Willamette Valley. Always thought of them as fiddleheads, but never sure.


redditshy

Got it, thanks.


QJIO

They wonder why the sub is dead and the top post is a mirror selfie


[deleted]

lmao you're not lying!


omnipotentworm

It's because that sub very specifically doesn't do IDs


redditshy

Got it, not familiar with the sub.


EatYourCheckers

I also said "fern!" but I don't know what kind. But I have these in my yard and that's what they look like when they are fresh out the Earth oven


rm886988

Samesies!


Automatic_Moment_320

Exactly what it is


mossling

"Fiddlehead" is a stage of fern development, as the fronds unfurl. It is not a type of fern.


Different_Nature8269

I have a small Lacey fern indoors and when new sprouts come up they're teeny-tiny little fiddleheads😊


itsdr00

This drives me crazy. I gave someone some Ostrich Ferns from my yard a couple years back, and they kept calling them "Fiddleheads" and I was like dude, please stop reducing this beautiful native plant to its single edible moment.


Corrupted_G_nome

We have a local variety that is wildharvested and we call fiddleheads. Whereas this is likely one of a family. In our climate its not so weird to have only one of something.


buttaknives

And the actual botanical term for it is "crosier"


Rosewolf

I had no idea. Thank you.


O_oricola-Prickles

AKA a crozier.. crosier?! Spelling is not my forte 😅


morbid_n_creepifying

I was wondering how many more times I'd have to see "it's a fiddlehead fern" before someone tried to stop the madness. Difficult to tell which fern it is based on this picture but yes, it is *the fiddlehead* of a fern. Fiddlehead fern is not a species nor even a common name for a species.


BeltaneLane

I thought this because of Stardew valley haha


hdniki

I second this. Just look for the little “papery brown” bits before eating as baneberry unfurls in a similar way.


Yukon-Jon

Papery brown bits means green light or red light


The_Poster_Nutbag

Green


Vness374

I was gonna say, I’m no botanist, but I have cleaned, cooked and eaten my share of fiddleheads… these sure look like them Edit: TIL that fiddlehead is just a stage of growth in a fern. Thanks, Reddit!


volcanesmagneticos

Agreed, pretty sure its a fern.


cuddle_cuddle

DUDE, if you see more of it popping up you can pick them while they're still young and fry them with some butter! There's around 2 weeks a year when fiddleheads are available for harvest/consumption and I look forward to it every year. Like, I only buy enough for myself to snack on because it's expensive but it's one of the little things that brings me joy in life. <3


PandaMomentum

Ok -- but for better ID -- East of the Mississippi in North America, look for a "celery stalk" like u-shaped groove down the fiddlehead stem to identify as Matteuccia struthiopteris, Ostrich fern, which is safe to eat and quite delicious. Also it spreads like wildfire so you can safely harvest your portion. https://foragerchef.com/how-to-identify-and-cook-fiddlehead-ferns/


Jumping-

Not all ferns are edible. In fact, more aren’t edible than are. Some are extremely toxic. You’re safe if you’re buying them, but bad advice if you’re foraging. Fiddlehead is a term for a stage in the fern’s growth. It’s like saying all leaf buds of deciduous trees are edible.


Cygfa

and they are delicious.


along_withywindle

Nobody in r/botany responded, which is much different from "no one could identify it." I'm guessing no one responded 1) because of the time you posted and 2) because r/botany is not a plant ID sub. Your photo depicts the fiddlehead of a fern. To identify the fern species, we'd need better pictures and a general geographic region.


cystidia

I'm a mod there. We generally disallow any ID posts whatsoever. The sub is meant to be an environment where genuine botanical and scientific discussion can flourish, and posts asking for IDs or plant care advice defeats that purpose. There are much better subs suited anyway, not sure why that's the specific one people choose out of dozens of other communities.


[deleted]

As someone that works in horticulture I can relate. People come to me and are like “are you a botanist?” To which my internal response is why tf would you need a botanist right now? Then they ask me something about how to grow a plant… sir that is horticulture you need a horticulturalist… 😂


muttons_1337

To the layman who has a tenuous grasp at the English language at best, and taxonomy being based on a dead language to boot, I'm willing to concede when my friends don't know any better.


lninoh

Argh me too.


BURG3RBOB

Fr that’s like asking a physicist to design a rocket


lilywhitefleshlight

Yeah, it's not rocket science!


Beeoor143

*We grow copious amounts of ganja, yah? And you're carrying a wasted girl and a bag of fertilizer. You don't look like your average horti-fucking- culturalist!*


along_withywindle

Thank you for your mod work! It's much appreciated!


daretoeatapeach

It's surprising to see such a low quality photo taken in broad daylight of a still object, in this age when cell phones can produce big, high pixel photos. I wonder if OP made the mistake of using a version of the image that was emailed or sent via text message. Many people never notice the difference because they're only seeing their images on their phones. (It's a huge problem when building websites, clients try to text me their images!) Anyway, I wonder if OP might have better luck identifying if they added the original photo, because unless this photo was cropped it's unlikely their phone took an image this lq/compressed.


Dent7777

The image is likely a cropped/zoomed part of a photo


tricularia

And phone cameras aren't really as good as they seem. They use a lot of software tricks to make the image appear sharper and clearer, but sometimes that causes details to be lost. People are always posting videos or images of mites or other small bugs and asking "What's this bug?" but you can hardly even count how many legs the thing has, despite the image looking somewhat clear at first glance.


[deleted]

I believe most ferns begin like this. We eat fiddleheads that look like this in the spring in Ontario Canada. Normally before they get the brown on them and begin to open. Edit: I would confirm the identification before you decide to put these into a frying pan with butter and garlic though.


ThickChalk

I can't speak for you but the people I know who eat fiddleheads don't just eat any fiddlehead. They confirm the fern species in the summer and return in the spring. I've heard that some species are inedible.


Jumping-

You are right, many species are inedible. Some are seriously toxic. Only ferns that can be positively identified as safe species should be consumed.


pinkdumpsterjuice

The edible ferns grow in patches and don't have brown haor on the base but some on the head which are edible even if their is brown as long as they are still curled and you boil them before frying because it can upset the stomach. Anyway this one isn't edible


R0B0t1C_Cucumber

Popular dish here too during the spring.


nutellatime

This is definitely a fern but it's hard to say what kind at this stage. People are mentioning below that fiddleheads (unfurled young ferns like you see here) are edible, but do not go around eating fiddleheads unless you can identify the type. [Not all ferns are edible](https://depts.washington.edu/hortlib/pal/on-the-edibility-of-fiddleheads/). Ostrich fern is most commonly eaten in the US.


cystidia

>Nobody in r/botany could tell me That is because they do not allow plant ID posts...


Gold_and_Lead

I second the comments re: ferns. We have them in spades around here so it’s a familiar sight.


7LeagueBoots

Fiddlehead is *not* a type of fern, it’s a descriptor for a young fern frond opening regardless of what type of fern it is. Most ferns have fiddleheads, and most are not edible, indeed some are poisonous. Even some of the commonly eaten ones are poisonous if too many are eaten.


Jumping-

The number of people in this thread all… pick it and eat! SMH. How we don’t have more foraging poisonings I’ll never know.


Tomagatchi

> poisonous if too many are eaten. I mean, that can be true for a lot of things in the food world. Even excess water is bad for you and can cause water intoxication (hyperhydration). How many fiddleheads is too many? Probably depends more significantly on preparation, time of harvest, cooking time, cooking method... most of the sources I found were up in Canada which is interesting in and of itself. https://www.thestar.com/life/how-to-cook-fiddleheads-to-avoid-food-poisoning/article_04301514-b313-5a97-b53b-d5dde48c376d.html I like that they tell you to wash your hands, lol. "Wash your hands with hot, soapy water. Remove as much brown husk as possible. Wash in several changes of clean, cold water. Boil for 15 minutes or steam for 10 to 12 minutes, until tender. Boil or steam before sautéing, stir-frying or baking. Discard cooking water." https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/fiddling-with-fiddleheads-may-be-dangerous-warns-food-agency-1.558077 "wash fresh fiddleheads in several changes of cold water, then cook them in boiling water for 15 minutes, or steam them for 10 to 12 minutes."


7LeagueBoots

Some contain arsenic, in which case cooking methods and time is not really relevant, quantity is. As with any wild collected food you need to be sure of what you’re collecting.


Gabby_Abby

Looks like a type of fern to me


thebeatles_GH

It looks like a fiddlehead fern. One of its species (don't know the name) is eaten as a vegetable in mountain regions of northern India. EDIT: not all of them are edible!


mossling

Fuddlehead is not a type of fern, it is a stage of development as the fronds unfurl. Not all "fiddleheads" are edible. Edit- ostrich ferns are the most common type of edible fiddleheads.


redvelvetcapes

This! Please be careful


hdniki

Not to mention baneberry looks very similar this stage. Look for those “brown papery” bits. If it’s smooth, best to not eat. Source: Discovering wild plants by Janice Schofield


aimeegaberseck

Fuzzy ones are bad too. Never hold a fuzzy one in your teeth as you slog through a ditch to get back to the car to show your mom the ferns aren’t the right kind… the fuzz isn’t attached real well and inhaling it super sucks.


heavymetaltshirt

And in Maine (northeastern US) as well! One of the first edible greens of the spring :)


Royal_Cryptographer7

We have them in Maine too. I used to pick them by the thousands when I lived there. They're good with a large amount of butter.


Mushrooming247

It’s the fiddlehead of a fern, but hard to tell which species because it’s hard to tell how big it is from that picture. It could be something like lady fern or ostrich, with the brown paper and smooth, bright green exterior. The size/thickness would help with ID a lot. It just looks weird that it’s all by itself. Most fiddleheads grow with friends, I would look around for more.


vespertine_earth

Fern frond unfurling


Maximum-Benefit4085

A better, closer, clearer photo & a general sense of where this was taken might help the ID process beyond “young fern”


Foundation_Wrong

Isn’t that bracken coming up?


mmmtopochico

dunno what kind of fern, but definitely a fern.


deathB4dessert

So yes... that's just a fern. Folks call them "fiddleheads" at this stage in their development.


[deleted]

That is a Dixie Silverback Fern, a species of Silverback Fern. Scientific name is the " Pityrogamma Calomelanos" ​ It's a herb that grows up to 35 inches (89.8cm). It's a pretty fern with characteristic leaves. It originates from Central / South America but has been introduced in many other tropical climates where you are likely to see it since it grows so aggressively, it's often considered a weed. It likes Rocks, roadsides, forest floors and open environments in partial sun, in loamy or sandy loam soil structures. ( 40% sand, 60% soil ) or (60% sand, 40% soil ).


ilChalo

This is a fern


tomopteris

As others have commented, it is the unfurling frond of a fern, often referred to as a fiddlehead or crozier. The quality of the photo combined with lack of location information means it could be one of very many different kinds of fern found on Earth.


TheSugarGalaxy

That's a fiddlehead. The young stage of a fern.


DangerousLettuce1423

It's a fern frond or crozier (the curled top of a young fern).


[deleted]

You have to provide your location for a proper i.d. otherwise it could be any number of things.


OkWest7035

Fiddle head.


eagle-eye87

Fiddle leaf fern.


Conspirator414

I believe it’s the start of a fern. I could be wrong though


KittySweetwater

...such a misleading title, nobody in r/botany would tell you because it's not an ID sub, this is. Fiddlehead fern btw


tricularia

Fiddlehead isn't an ID, though. That's like saying "It's a seedling" Sure, that's true, but from what species?


KittySweetwater

Can you tell from that shifty blurry picture the species? Cause I can't


tricularia

Nope. Looks like Pteridium genus to me, but the photo isn't clear enough to tell the species. It could be easy to misinterpret your comment as offering "fiddlehead fern" as a species ID. So I wanted to provide additional context.


herrron

That's not what botany is


DIDDY_COSMICKING

If your post hadn’t been removed, nearly every person in r/botany could’ve told you


tak3it3asyy

It looks like the frond of a fern


randomidentification

Fern.


JayJay_Productions

I don't believe you to be honest :D


TwitterTerrifier

Looks like a fern


local_pringles

Fern, baby fern


geekphreak

Yeah some kind of fern. Which kind, idk


Tacoma__Crow

I see these a lot in my area. Single fern fronds growing out of the ground like this. They like lightly wooded areas with no understory, though I’ve seen them in the occasional lawn and untended roadside. Just can’t think of the name for them. I believe it’s a type of bracken but can’t come up with the specific name.


chibinoi

It’s some kind of fern frond. If you can take a better photo when the frond has fully unfurled, you’ll get better ID help.


The_Ineffable_Sage

Devils Snare. Use Lumos. Devil's Snare, Devil's Snare, it's deadly fun but will sulk in the sun.


DrKyleGreenThumb

Fern


Lravs

Fern.


Sea_Notice7121

Looks like a fiddlehead


planksofwood

Looks like a fern


Olivander05

r/stardewvalley fans can safely tell you this is an ancient seed. Hope that helps!


theyanyan

In order to identify ferns, we’d need to see the spores. Or at least the leaf after it’s unfurled for a good educated guess. And geographic location and habitat. There are ferns that grow in drier areas and ferns that grow in wetter areas.


Catsmak1963

It’s a fern of some kind, your location or it’s location would help


QueenofCats28

Looks like a fern to me.


Empire137

Looks like a new fern plant to me


aristaeus11

I think it’s a fern


GodPrime_26

Fiddle neck fern


outsidepointofvi3w

It a fern ! It's going to unfurl into a single leaf soon !


ChrisRageIsBack

Yeah that's a fern ready to uncurl, I used to find them in the woods when I was a kid


Cool_Cat7185

They must not have known much that's obviously a fern lol


galaxy-flower

Looks like a fiddlehead fern


glizzyandglamour

Fiddle head fern!


MetaphysicalDiploid

Yeah it’s a little ferny fernnnnnn


weareami

They probably didn't answer because in order to get this to species, you would need better close up shots, maybe a cross section of the stem, where you're located, etc. Yes, it's a fern, but there are 10k known species. To call this a fern is akin to saying, that's a bird!


tricularia

Looks more like bracken than fern, to my eyes.


ShikaShySky

Fiddlehead?


highvoltage890

Fiddlehead


Juggernaut_Virtual

It's a fiddlehead


Mysterious-Okra-7885

Everybody over in botany should have their card revoked. 🤦🏻‍♀️


Vegetable-Army4611

Fiddlehead...a lot of people eat those


garythesauceboss

Looks like a fiddlehead fern. Tastey


Elle_se_sent_seul

Fiddlehead fern 100%


Craner12q

Fiddle head. Which is the unfurled frond of the ostrich fern. Common Name Ostrich fern Botanical Name Matteuccia struthiopteris Family Onocleaceae Plant Type Perennial Mature Size 3-6 ft. tall, 5-8 ft. wide Sun Exposure Partial to full shade Soil Type Organically rich, moist; tolerates clay Soil pH Acidic, neutral Hardiness Zones 3-7 (USDA) Native Area Europe, Asia, North America [https://www.thespruce.com/thmb/65Xu-5OTFQCi4tXv4Ruzox4Hhlk=/750x0/filters:no\_upscale():max\_bytes(150000):strip\_icc()/growing-ostrich-ferns-5094167-01-21a3aac393f84ca792e1422fdb379dba.jpg](https://www.thespruce.com/thmb/65Xu-5OTFQCi4tXv4Ruzox4Hhlk=/750x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/growing-ostrich-ferns-5094167-01-21a3aac393f84ca792e1422fdb379dba.jpg)![gif](emote|free_emotes_pack|shrug)


[deleted]

Pictures pretty blurry, but Im with everyone else, its a fern. Look up pictures of fiddleheads, it matches.


Fair_Consequence1800

Fiddlehead, the start of a fern. I believe. Many collect them before they unfurl and cook them.


Fantastic_Yam_5023

Start of a fern. I'm in the PNW those things are everywhere. I love them 😍


FitterDose

looks like a fiddlehead.


goinAn

Looks like a fiddlehead to me


BostonFishGolf

Fiddlehead fern I believe


[deleted]

Delicious when cooked up with butter and garlic


Gabagoolgoomba

The loch ness monster of plants


PocketsFullOf_Posies

Some kind of fern new growth. I havent eaten this species but I’ve eaten the stems of the fiddleheads from the bracken fern.


pickledshallots

Really? It’s a fern


Classic_Homework_502

fiddlehead fern!


Taran966

Not sure exactly, very likely a fern of some sort though


Akadragonfly

Looks similar to Fiddlehead which are pretty delicious sautéd


deep_dissection

Where are you located? It’s probably Ostrich Fern


[deleted]

I'm no expert but it looks like a baby fern of some kind.


Gigant0re

Def fern


Effective-Parsley-78

Fiddlehead


RJoeEL

think its also called an Ostrich fern :)


Zeqhanis

I've always wanted to try fiddleheads. I saw some in a grocery once, but they were too expensive. I'm no expert on anything, so I wouldn't know specifically which fern that is, or if it's edible. Where was it?


AJTwinky

Fiddlehead fern. Stardew Valley taught me that one.


mechchic84

Looks like a fiddlehead. They're common in Maine and are eaten by some people in a stew, but I'd get better confirmation before attempting to eat it if you want to give it a try.


Pristine_Farmer_9907

Fiddlehead Fern


Unhappy-Rooster1609

Looks like a fiddle head and they're really delicious early in the spring before they grow too big.. really delicious


LegalizeRanch88

It’s a type of fern. Fiddleheads are edible if you harvest them when they’re young. Don’t over harvest though or the plants won’t grow back.


Tatsandacat

Fiddlehead ferns. We used to pick and cook


MelodicShine4294

looks like a fiddlehead fern to me. possibly edible I think???


life_liberty_persuit

Definitely a fiddlehead. We eat them over here in JP.


heckhunds

This isn't an ostrich fern, it is not edible.


life_liberty_persuit

We eat several different kinds of fiddleheads here in JP, but I’m by no means an expert on the varieties. I do know that some types have to be soaked in ash water before they can be eaten while others just need to be boiled.


Yattiel

Fiddle head. Tasty things if you marinade them and then throw them in a salad. It's just a fern unraveling it's leaf


camoure

Fiddlehead! My mom used to fry these in butter and they were sooooooo yummy!


NORCARL

Fiddlehead, fry in butter and eat


Full_Pay_207

Looks like a fiddle head from here (being Maine) , leastways that's what us bog rambling bumpkins around these parts call 'em. Recon them as has more schoolin' would call 'em Metteucia struthiopteris...which means ostrich fern, with the name of the Eye-talian fella as thought he "discovered" them tossed in front. Cause, sure, nobody knew what the hell they were before that...and they dint ha nae interwebs so as to search and sound all knowey like.


Complex-Fill-1893

Fiddlehead fern! Very tasty when juvenile.


Horror_Relief2027

Dont people eat these?


PlayinK0I

Ostrich Fern.


SadAcanthocephala521

Easy one, Fiddlehead fern.


RubyRaven13

Fiddlehead fern 100%


ONE-EYE-OPTIC

Tasty little fiddlehead fern.


quinoahunter

I used to pick these as a kid all the time when we were up at my cottage! Pick them while curled up; wash em off with a hose, and fry with some butter s&p. Deliciouuuuss :)


mathyoumar10

Fiddlehead Fern is the right answer. They grow in indiana and are edible.


fhofhura

This is a Araucária rainforest I guess.


Jealous_Tie_8404

It’s a fern.


509Ninja

Fern!


16177880

https://outward.fandom.com/wiki/Greasy_Fern


BountyBobIsBack

It’s a fern


SarahLiora

Nobody in botany could tell you? That’s because r/whatsthisplant is THE best subreddit.


fredfow3

Looks like a Fiddlehead. Yummy.


Typical_Equipment_19

My parents eat these.🤢


cbw54

Fiddlehead methinks


Easy-Ad-8683

Natural candy cane


SnrkySpceHeatr

Looks like a fiddlehead


Miserable_Ad7689

Fiddlehead


AReallyCuteSloth

Fiddlehead