Plants Profile for Comptonia peregrina (sweet fern)

General Information
Symbol:	COPE80
Group:	Dicot
Family:	Myricaceae
Duration:	Perennial
Growth Habit:	Shrub Subshrub
Native Status:	CAN N L48 N
Characteristics
Fact Sheet (pdf) (doc)
Data Source and Documentation

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	Native		Introduced		Both		Absent/Unreported
	Native, No County Data		Introduced, No County Data		Both, No County Data

Native Status:

L48

NAV

CAN

SPM

Images

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Steve Hurst. Provided by ARS Systematic Botany and Mycology Laboratory. United States, PA. Usage Requirements.

Britton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913. An illustrated flora of the northern United States, Canada and the British Possessions. 3 vols. Charles Scribner's Sons, New York. Vol. 1: 586. Provided by Kentucky Native Plant Society. Scanned by Omnitek Inc. Usage Requirements.

Synonyms

Symbol	Scientific Name
COPEA	Comptonia peregrina (L.) J.M. Coult. var. aspleniifolia (L.) Fernald
LIAS2	Liquidambar aspleniifolia (L.) L.
LIPE8	Liquidambar peregrina L.
MYAS	Myrica aspleniifolia L.
MYAST	Myrica aspleniifolia L. var. tomentosa (A. Chev) Gleason
MYPE4	Myrica peregrina (L.) Kuntze

Classification

Click on a scientific name below to expand it in the PLANTS Classification Report.

Rank	Scientific Name and Common Name
Kingdom	Plantae – Plants
Subkingdom	Tracheobionta – Vascular plants
Superdivision	Spermatophyta – Seed plants
Division	Magnoliophyta – Flowering plants
Class	Magnoliopsida – Dicotyledons
Subclass	Hamamelididae
Order	Myricales
Family	Myricaceae – Bayberry family
Genus	Comptonia L'Hér. ex Aiton – sweet fern
Species	Comptonia peregrina (L.) J.M. Coult. – sweet fern

Subordinate Taxa

This plant has no children

Legal Status

Threatened and Endangered Information:
This plant is listed by the U.S. federal government or a state. Common names are from state and federal lists. Click on a place name to get a complete protected plant list for that location.
Illinois sweet-fern Endangered
Kentucky sweet-fern Endangered
Ohio sweet-fern Threatened
Tennessee sweet-fern Endangered

Wetland Status

Interpreting Wetland Status

Related Links

More Accounts and Images
ARS Germplasm Resources Information Network (COPE80)
CalPhotos (COPE80)
Flora of North America (COPE80)
Integrated Taxonomic Information System (COPE80)
Integrated Taxonomic Information System (COPEA)
Integrated Taxonomic Information System (MYAS)
Integrated Taxonomic Information System (MYAST)
Integrated Taxonomic Information System (MYPE4)
Kemper Center for Home Gardening (COPE80)
Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center Native Plant Information Network (COPE80)
Native American Ethnobotany (University of Michigan - Dearborn) (COPE80)
USDA Forest Service Fire Effects Information System (COPE80)
University of Tennessee Herbarium (Distribution) (COPE80)
University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point Freckmann Herbarium (COPE80)

Wildlife

Food

Source	Large Mammals	Small Mammals	Water Birds	Terrestrial Birds
Martin	Low	Minor		Minor

Cover

Source	Large Mammals	Small Mammals	Water Birds	Terrestrial Birds
Martin				Minor

Sources

Martin, A.C., H.S. Zim, and A.L. Nelson. 1951. American wildlife and plants: A guide to wildlife food habits. Dover Publications. New York.

Description of Values

Value Class	Food	Cover
High	Average 25-50% of diet	Regular source of cover
Low	5-10% of diet	Infrequently used as cover
Minor	2-5% of diet	Sparsely used as cover
Moderate	Average 10-25% of diet	Occasional source of cover