Camptosorus rhizophyllus (L.)
Link. WALKING LEAF or FERN. Rare.
"Whirlpool woods and Foster's Flat, Niagara River, Canadian side,"
Day (1882). Ont.: "Queenston," Field Club,
1886. "Not uncommon near the
Whirlpool, Ontario. Foster's Flat, Ontario. Near DeVaux College, but
rare," Day (1888). Ont.: Niagara Glen, Field Club, 1888. Ontario, Niagara Parks System, Cameron (1895). "Area of the
Falls," Day (1901). "Brinker's Park, near Niagara Falls (1897) (Miss
Wright); near DeVeaux College above Whirlpool (Day, Cat. of Niag. Fl.) ...
Ontario: gorge of River at Niagara Glen, where recorded by Day and still
thriving," Zenkert (1934). "... in the [Niagara] Glen, on the
surfaces of shaded mossy rocks, specimens of this fern can be found, Hamilton
(1943). Ontario: sight record by J. H. Soper, no. 244, Niagara Glen,
"Niagara Gorge, limestone rock, Miller (444), Aug. 12, 1948 ...
"abundant on broken masses of rock at Foster's Flats ... (Macoun) Cat.
Can. Pls. V, p. 269. Foster's Flats, Wm. Scott, Aug. 29, 1896 (CAN); Wm. Scott,
Aug. 26, 1905 (TRT); T. J. Ivey, Aug. 8, 1908 (TRT); C. H. Armstrong, July 2,
1848 (TRT); M. Wilkes, June 20, 1896 (TRT), Heimburger (1955).
New York: Brinker's Park,
near Niagara Falls, Marion Jessup Wright, June 19, 1897 (BUF).
Ontario: all at Niagara
Glen: Arthur D. Pease, August, 1885 (BUF); "opposite Whirlpool," Mathilde
Schlegel, June 19, 1886 (BUF) and June 24, 1888 (BUF) [there also appears to be
an Emily B. Schlegel] ; Frank W. Johnson, April 28, 1900; "on moss-covered limestone rocks,"
Zenkert, June 25, 1927 (BUF) and Oct. 14, 1930 (BUF).
The Brinker's Park reference
may be in Ontario.
Listed as rare and
protected by New York State law by Zander & Pierce (1979).