Fiddleheads: Matteuccia struthiopteris

This five stem composition of the Fiddlehead (Ostrich Fern) was painted in watercolour. These ancient and strangely elegant fronds shoot up in early Spring from a tightly woven and intricate circular stem formation. Throughout history the many species of Ferns have held a fascination for artists. They are named for their resemblance to scrolls on a fiddle. These five stems demonstrate the stages of early frond development.