DRYOPTERIDACEAE

WOOD FERN FAMILY

Alan R. Smith and Thomas Lemieux

Perennial, in soil or rock crevices; rhizome generally short-creeping, suberect, or erect, scales large, generally tan to brown, generally 1-colored
Leaves generally tufted, 5–200+ cm, generally ± alike; petiole generally firm, base generally darker, with 2–many vascular strands; blade 1–4-pinnate, often with scales, hair-like scales, hairs (except clear, needle-like hairs generally 0), or short-stalked glands on axes, sometimes between veins, veins free to netted; 1° and 2° axes generally grooved on upper side
Sporangia: sori round, less often oblong or J-shaped, along or at tips of veins; indusia peltate, round-reniform, oblong to linear, J-shaped, hood-like, or cup-like, rarely 0; spores elliptic, winged, ridged, or spiny, scar linear
Genera in family: ± 60 genera, > 1000 species: worldwide, especially tropical, wooded areas. Woodsia sometimes in Woodsiaceae; Athyrium, Cystopteris sometimes in Athyriaceae.

DRYOPTERIS

WOOD FERN

Rhizome short-creeping or ascending to suberect, stout
Leaf: petiole > 1.5 mm wide, firm, more densely scaly than midrib, base in X -section with many round vascular strands in an arc; blade 1–3-pinnate or more, veins free, simple or forked; segments deeply pinnately lobed or not
Sporangia: sori round; indusium round-reniform, ± centrally attached at a sinus, generally persistent
Species in genus: ± 100 species: ± worldwide, especially eastern Asia
Etymology: (Greek: oak, fern)
Hybrids unknown in CA, frequent in eastern North America
Reference: [Montgomery & Paulton 1981 Fiddlehead Forum 8:25–31]

Native

D. expansa (C. Presl) Fraser-Jenk. & Jermy

Leaf 30–80(100+) cm, 10–30(40) cm wide; petiole generally darker on lower surface, scales generally with a dark central stripe; blade ± lanceolate to widely-deltate, ± 3-pinnate, segments deeply pinnately lobed, teeth with bristle-like tips or not, veins generally ending short of margin; longest 1° leaflets near base
Chromosomes: 2n=82
Ecology: Shaded, wooded areas, especially banks of streams, creeks
Elevation: < 500 m (1300 m in MP).
Bioregional distribution: North Coast, Outer North Coast Ranges, Central Coast, Modoc Plateau (caves in Lava Beds National Monument)
Distribution outside California: to Alaska, Canada, Rocky Mtns
Synonyms: D. assimilis S. Walker; D. dilatata (Hoffm.) A. Gray misapplied
Horticultural information: 4, 5, IRR, SHD: 1, 6, 7, 14, 15, 16, 17.