Interesting Facts
Description
Family Dryopteridaceae
Plants
perennial
, terrestrial
or on rock, occasionally hemiepiphytic
or epiphytic. Stems creeping
to erect
, rarely arborescent
, sometimes climbing
, branched or unbranched, dictyostelic, bearing scales
. Leaves circinate
in bud, monomorphic
or dimorphic
. Petiole
usually not articulate
to stem, scales usually persistent
at base
, in cross
section
with 2--many roundish bundles, or bundles 2 and lunate
. Blade
simple
to commonly 1--5-pinnate or more divided
, leaf buds
absent or present. Veins pinnate or parallel in ultimate
segments, simple or forked
, free
or anastomosing, areoles sometimes with included
free veinlets. Indument
on blade commonly of glands
, hairs
, and/or scales, especially on rachis and costae abaxially. Sori borne abaxially on veins or at vein
tips
(but usually not marginal
), or sporangia acrostichoid
and covering abaxial
surface, if in discrete sori then variously shaped (round
, oblong
, or elongate
) ; receptacle not or only slightly elevated
, with or without indusium, indusium variously linear
, falcate
, or reniform
, sometimes hoodlike, cuplike, or round. Sporangia with stalk
of 2--3 rows
of cells
; annulus vertical
, interrupted
by stalk. Spores all of 1 kind, usually not green (except Matteuccia, Onoclea ), oblong or reniform in outline, monolete, variously ornamented (often broadly winged
), 64 per sporangium (32 in apogamous spp.
) . Gametophytes green, aboveground, cordate, glabrous
or often bearing glands or hairs; archegonia and antheridia borne on lower surface, antheridia 3-celled.
Genera ca.
60, species perhaps exceeding 3000 (18 genera, 79 species in the flora
) : worldwide.
The family
Dryopteridaceae has been variously circumscribed; it is here delimited in a manner similar to that of R. M.
Tryon and A. F. Tryon (1982) but with the inclusion of Nephrolepis . In many works, the family has gone under the illegitimate
name
Aspidiaceae. Some authorities define Dryopteridaceae more narrowly, to exclude Athyrium, Deparia, Diplazium, Cystopteris, and Gymnocarpium (Athyriaceae or Woodsiaceae), Woodsia (Woodsiaceae), Lomariopsis (Lomariopsidaceae), Nephrolepis (Nephrolepidaceae or Davalliaceae), Onoclea and Matteuccia (Onocleaceae), and Ctenitis and Tectaria (Tectariaceae) . Characteristics holding Dryopteridaceae (as circumscribed here) together include the bilateral
, monolete spores, often broadly winged perispore, absence of needlelike hairs, scaly
stem and petiole bases, abaxial (nonmarginal) sori, base chromosome number of 40 or 41 (also 38 and 39 in Woodsia, 37 in Onoclea, 42 in Cystopteris ), and usually indusiate
sori. Loss of indusium, dimorphism
, areolate
venation
, and reduced blade dissection have occurred repeatedly along many evolutionary lines
in Dryopteridaceae, and in general these characteristics are often not very useful in delimiting genera or assessing intergeneric relationships
.
In some genera, especially Phanerophlebia and Polystichum, the blade bears very narrow scales (sometimes called microscales) that resemble uniseriate
hairs. These scales may be only one or two cells wide. Every intergradation exists between these filiform
microscales and more typical, wider scales, and the two types are the same color, generally tan to brownish. Microscales are probably not homologous with true hairs, which may be either unicellular or multicellular
, uncolored or sometimes reddish (as in Tectaria and Ctenitis ), glandular
(as in Woodsia ) or not. Hairs in Dryopteridaceae, if present at all, are generally readily distinguishable from the needlelike, transparent ones found in Thelypteridaceae.[1]
Genus Dryopteris
Plants
terrestrial
, rarely on rock. Stems short-creeping to erect
, stolons absent. Leaves monomorphic
, green through winter or dying back in winter. Petiole
ca.
1/4--2/3 blade
length
, bases
swollen or not; vascular bundles
more than 3, arranged in an arc, ± round
in cross
section
. Blade deltate-ovate to lanceolate, 1--3-pinnate-pinnatifid, gradually reduced distally to pinnatifid
apex, herbaceous to somewhat leathery. Pinnae not articulate
to rachis, segment margins
entire, crenate
, or serrate, spinulose
or not; proximal
pinnae reduced (several pairs), same size as or enlarged relative to more distal pinnae, sessile to petiolulate
, equilateral
or often inequilateral
with pinnules
on basiscopic side longer
than those on acroscopic
side; costae adaxially grooved
, grooves
continuous from rachis to costae to costules
; indument
of linear
to ovate
scales
abaxially, also sometimes with glands
, blades ± glabrous
adaxially. Veins free
, forked
. Sori in 1 row
between margin and midrib
, round; indusia round-reniform, attached at narrow sinus
, persistent
or caducous
. Spores brownish, coarsely rugose
or with folded wings
. x
= 41.
Species ca. 250: mostly in temperate
Asia.
The relationships
of the North American species are reasonably well understood, but species identifications are complicated by the frequent presence of hybrids in field
populations. Sterile
hybrids can be distinguished from fertile
species by their misshapen spores and intermediate morphology. They are not included
in the key
, but they may be identified as to parentage by combinations
of characters in the key (e.g.
, marginal
sori for Dryopteris marginalis, narrow blades for D . cristata) . Relationships are shown in the accompanying reticulogram.[2]
Taxonomy
- Domain:
Eukaryota
(
)
- Whittaker & Margulis,1978
- eukaryotes
- Kingdom:
Plantae
(
)
- Haeckel, 1866
- Plants
- Subkingdom:
Viridaeplantae
(
)
- Cavalier-Smith, 1981
- Phylum:
Tracheophyta
(
)
- Sinnott, 1935 ex Cavalier-Smith, 1998
- Vascular Plants
- Subphylum:
Euphyllophytina
(
)
- Infraphylum:
Moniliformopses
(
)
- Kenrick & Crane, 1997, Nom. Nud.
- Class:
Polypodiopsida
(
)
- Cronquist et al.
- Order:
Polypodiales
(
)
- Link
- Family:
Dryopteridaceae
(
)
- Ching, 1965, nom. cons.
- Wood Fern Family
- Genus:
Dryopteris
(
)
- M. Adanson, 1763, nom. cons.
- Wood fern, shield fern [Greek drys, tree, and pteris, fern]
- Specific epithet:
quatanensis
- Ching
- Botanical name: - Dryopteris quatanensis Ching
- Specific epithet:
quatanensis
- Ching
- Genus:
Dryopteris
(
- Family:
Dryopteridaceae
(
- Order:
Polypodiales
(
- Class:
Polypodiopsida
(
- Infraphylum:
Moniliformopses
(
- Subphylum:
Euphyllophytina
(
- Phylum:
Tracheophyta
(
- Subkingdom:
Viridaeplantae
(
- Kingdom:
Plantae
(
Similar Species
Members of the genus Dryopteris
ZipcodeZoo has pages for 100 species, subspecies, varieties, forms, and cultivars in this genus:
D. acutidens (Pointed Woodfern) · D. affinis (Golden Male Fern) · D. affinis cambrensis (Male Fern) · D. affinis pseudodisjuncta (Golden-Scale Male Fern) · D. affinis var. azorica (Golden-Scale Male Fern) · D. affinis 'Crispa Congesta' (Male Fern) · D. affinis 'Crispa Gracilis' (Male Fern) · D. affinis 'Cristata' (Golden Male Fern) · D. affinis 'Cristata The King' (Crested Male Fern) · D. affinis 'Stablerii' (Crisped Golden-Scaled Male Fern) · D. algonquinensis (Algonquin Woodfern) · D. arguta (Coastal Wood Fern) · D. atrata (Shaggy Shield Fern) · D. australis (Dixie Wood Fern) · D. benedictii (Benedict's Woodfern) · D. bissetiana (Beaded Wood Fern) · D. boottii (Boott's Woodfern) · D. burgessii (Burgess' Woodfern) · D. campyloptera (Mountain Woodfern) · D. carthusiana (Spinulose Shield Fern) · D. celsa (Log Fern) · D. championii (Champion's Wood Fern) · D. cinnamomea (Cinnamon Woodfern) · D. clintoniana (Broad Swamp Fern) · D. crassirhizoma (Thick-Stemmed Wood Fern) · D. crinalis (Serpent Woodfern) · D. cristata (Crested Shield Fern) · D. cristata × intermedia (Crested Buckler Fern) · D. cristata × marginalis (Crested Buckler Fern) · D. cristata × spinulosa (Crested Buckler Fern) · D. cycadina (Shaggy Shield Fern) · D. dilatata campyloptera (Mountain Wood Fern) · D. dilatata var. americana (Mountain Wood Fern) · D. dilatata 'Cristata' (Crested Broad Buckler Fern) · D. dilatata 'Jimmy Dyce' (Broad Buckler Fern) · D. dilatata 'Lepidota Cristata' (Broad Buckler Fern) · D. dilatata 'Recurvata' (Broad Buckler Fern) · D. dowellii (Dowell's Woodfern) · D. erythrosora (Autumn Fern) · D. erythrosora 'Brilliance' (Autumn Fern) · D. expansa (Alpine Buckler Fern) · D. felix-mas 'Robusta' (Male Fern) · D. felix-mas 'Undulata Robusta' (Robust Male Fern) · D. filix-mas (Male Fern) · D. filix-mas 'Barnesii' (Barnesii Fern) · D. filix-mas 'Crispa Cristata' (Male Fern) · D. filix-mas 'Cristata' (Male Fern) · D. filix-mas 'Digitata' (Male Fern) · D. filix-mas 'Gracilis' (Male Fern) · D. filix-mas 'Linearis' (Slender Crested Male Fern) · D. filix-mas 'Linearis Polydactyla' (Slender Crested Male Fern) · D. filix-mas 'Parsley' (Male Fern) · D. filix-mas 'Undulata Robusta' (Robust Male Fern) · D. fragrans (Fragrant Cliff Wood-Fern) · D. fragrans var. fragrans (Fragrant Woodfern) · D. fragrans var. remotiuscula (Fragrant Fern) · D. fuscoatra (Crowned Woodfern) · D. glabra (Kilaw) · D. goldiana (Giant Wood Fern) · D. goldieana celsa (Goldie´s Wood Fern) · D. hawaiiensis (Hawai'i Woodfern) · D. hondoensis (Hondo Fern) · D. intermedia (Evergreen Wood Fern) · D. lacera (Lacerate Wood-Fern) · D. leedsii (Leeds' Woodfern) · D. ludoviciana (Florida Shield Fern) · D. marginalis (Evergreen Wood Fern) · D. neowherryi (Woodfern) · D. pacifica (Asian Pacific Beaded Wood Fern) · D. parvula (Little Woodfern) · D. pittsfordensis (Pittsford's Woodfern) · D. podosora (Kauaikinana Wood Fern) · D. pseudo-filix-mas (Mexican Male Fern) · D. pseudo filix-mas (Mexican Male Fern) · D. remota (Remote Wood Fern) · D. rossii (Ross' Wood Fern) · D. sandwicensis (Hawaii Woodfern) · D. scottii (Scotts Wood Fern) · D. separabilis (Woodfern) · D. sieboldii (Siebolds Wood Fern) · D. slossoniae (Slosson's Woodfern) · D. subbipinnata (Ainahou Valley Woodfern) · D. tenebrosa (Na Pali-Kona Woodfern) · D. tokyoensis (Tokyo Wood Phone) · D. triploidea (Triploid Woodfern) · D. uliginosa (Woodfern) · D. unidentata (One-Tooth Woodfern) · D. uniformis (Uniform Wood Fern) · D. wallichiana (Alpine Woodfern) · D. × algonquinensis (Algonquin Woodfern) · D. × benedictii (Benedict's Woodfern) · D. x boottii (Boott's Woodfern) · D. × burgessii (Burgess' Woodfern) · D. x complexa 'Robust' (Robust Male Fern) · D. × dowellii (Dowell's Woodfern) · D. x triploidea (Triploid Woodfern) · D. algonquinensis (Algonquin Woodfern) · D. benedictii (Benedict's Woodfern) · D. burgessii (Burgess' Woodfern) · D. dowellii (Dowell's Woodfern)
More Info
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Further Reading
- Carlson, T. J. and W. H. Wagner Jr. 1982. The North American distribution of the genus Dryopteris. Contr. Univ. Michigan Herb. 15: 141--162.
- Fraser-Jenkins, C. R. 1989. A classification of the genus Dryopteris (Pteridophyta: Dryopteridaceae). Bull. Brit. Mus. (Nat. Hist.), Bot. 18: 323--477.
- Montgomery, J. D. 1982. Dryopteris in North America. Part II. The hybrids. Fiddlehead Forum 9: 23--30.
- Montgomery, J. D. and E. M. Paulton. 1981. Dryopteris in North America. Fiddlehead Forum 8: 25--31.
- Petersen, R. L. and D. E. Fairbrothers. 1983. Flavonols of the fern genus Dryopteris: Systematic and morphological implications. Bot. Gaz. 144: 104--109.
- Viane, R. L. 1986. Taxonomical significance of the leaf indument in Dryopteris (Pteridophyta): I. Some North American, Macronesian and European taxa. Pl. Syst. Evol. 153: 77--105.
- Wagner, W. H. Jr. 1971. Evolution of Dryopteris in relation to the Appalachians. In: P. C. Holt, ed. 1971. The Distributional History of the Biota of the Southern Appalachians. Part 2. Flora. Blacksburg, Va. Pp. 147--192. [Virginia Polytechnic Inst. and State Univ., Res. Div. Monogr. 2.]
- Werth, C. R. 1991. Isozyme studies on the Dryopteris "spinulosa" complex. I: The origin of the log fern Dryopteris celsa. Syst. Bot. 16(3): 446--461.
Notes
Contributors
- Brands, S.J. (comp.) 1989-present. The Taxonomicon. Universal Taxonomic Services, Zwaag, The Netherlands. Accessed January 11, 2012.
Identifiers
- Biodiversity Heritage Library NamebankID: 9383154
- Global Biodiversity Information Facility Taxonkey: 15458180
- Globally Unique Identifier: urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:17523430-1
- Zipcode Zoo Species Identifier: 3384126
Footnotes
- Alan R. Smith "Dryopteridaceae". in Flora of North America Vol. 2. Oxford University Press. Online at EFloras.org. [back]
- James D. Montgomery, Warren H. Wagner Jr. "Dryopteris". in Flora of North America Vol. 2. Oxford University Press. Online at EFloras.org. [back]
