Akademik

American fern whose clustered sporangia resemble a snake's rattle

1. : any of several American grape ferns (especially Botrychium virginianum) with clustered sporangia resembling a snake's rattles

2. : chain fern

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

[1805-15, Amer.]

rattlesnake fern,

a fern characterized by clusters of sporangia that resemble the rattles of a rattlesnake.