by Chuck Nishihira
I remember thinking to myself while taking these photos that this was the perfect opportunity to capture both the softness and the details of a filmy fern at the same time. The way that the leaves presented themselves on one plane, all facing in the same direction was perfect. This species was also one of my favorites of the trip. It could be a Hymenophyllum or Trichomanes, but I am unsure of it’s identity. It was small fern, the largest leaves being about 1″ tall. The rhizomes were black and hairy and seem to want to climb straight up instead of branching and heading off in multiple directions. While this may have been the perfect opportunity, the results were less than hoped for. Out of a larger set than normal, these are the best. I hope you can still get a feel for how special this one is.
