:''The

moth Moths are a paraphyletic group of insects that includes all members of the order Lepidoptera that are not butterflies, with moths making up the vast majority of the order. There are thought to be approximately 160,000 species of moth, many of w ...

genus ''Dryopteris'' is now considered a

junior synonym The Botanical and Zoological Codes of nomenclature treat the concept of synonymy differently. * In botanical nomenclature, a synonym is a scientific name that applies to a taxon that (now) goes by a different scientific name. For example, Linn ...

of '' Oreta. ''Dryopteris'' , commonly called the wood ferns, male ferns (referring in particular to '' Dryopteris filix-mas''), or buckler ferns, is a

fern A fern (Polypodiopsida or Polypodiophyta ) is a member of a group of vascular plants (plants with xylem and phloem) that reproduce via spores and have neither seeds nor flowers. The polypodiophytes include all living pteridophytes exce ...

genus in the family

Dryopteridaceae The Dryopteridaceae are a family of leptosporangiate ferns in the order Polypodiales. They are known colloquially as the wood ferns. In the Pteridophyte Phylogeny Group classification of 2016 (PPG I), the family is placed in the suborder ...

, subfamily Dryopteridoideae, according to the Pteridophyte Phylogeny Group classification of 2016 (PPG I). There are about 300-400 species in the genus. The species are distributed in Asia, the Americas, Europe, Africa, and the Pacific islands, with the highest diversity in eastern Asia. It is placed in the

family Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...

Dryopteridaceae, subfamily Dryopteridoideae, according to the Pteridophyte Phylogeny Group classification of 2016 (PPG I). Many of the species have stout, slowly creeping rootstocks that form a crown, with a vase-like ring of

frond A frond is a large, divided leaf. In both common usage and botanical nomenclature, the leaves of ferns are referred to as fronds and some botanists restrict the term to this group. Other botanists allow the term frond to also apply to the lar ...

s. The sori are round, with a

peltate The following is a list of terms which are used to describe leaf morphology in the description and taxonomy of plants. Leaves may be simple (a single leaf blade or lamina) or compound (with several leaflets). The edge of the leaf may be regular ...

indusium A sorus (pl. sori) is a cluster of sporangia (structures producing and containing spores) in ferns and fungi. A coenosorus (plural coenosori) is a compound sorus composed of multiple, fused sori. Etymology This New Latin word is from Ancient ...

. The stipes have prominent scales.

Hybridization Hybridization (or hybridisation) may refer to: *Hybridization (biology), the process of combining different varieties of organisms to create a hybrid *Orbital hybridization, in chemistry, the mixing of atomic orbitals into new hybrid orbitals *Nu ...

and

polyploidy Polyploidy is a condition in which the biological cell, cells of an organism have more than one pair of (Homologous chromosome, homologous) chromosomes. Most species whose cells have Cell nucleus, nuclei (eukaryotes) are diploid, meaning they ha ...

are well-known phenomena in this group, with many species formed via these processes. The North American ''Dryopteris'' hybrid complex is a well-known example of

speciation Speciation is the evolutionary process by which populations evolve to become distinct species. The biologist Orator F. Cook coined the term in 1906 for cladogenesis, the splitting of lineages, as opposed to anagenesis, phyletic evolution withi ...

via allopolyploid hybridization.

Selected species

The genus has a large number of species. The PPG I classification suggested there were about 400 species; , the ''Checklist of Ferns and Lycophytes of the World'' listed 328 species and 83 hybrids. Some genera sunk into ''Dryopteris'', such as ''Dryopsis'', ''Stenolepia'' and ''Nothoperanema'', are distinguished by other sources. *'' Dryopteris abbreviata'' *''

Dryopteris aemula ''Dryopteris aemula'', the hay-scented buckler-fern or hay-scented fern, is a species of perennial leptosporangiate fern. Description ''Dryopteris aemula'' grows as a crown of fronds arising from a short ascending rhizome. The rachis is dark ...

'' – hay-scented buckler fern *''

Dryopteris affinis ''Dryopteris affinis'', the scaly male fern or golden-scaled male fern, is a fern native to western and southern Europe and southwestern Asia. It is most abundant on moist soils in woodlands in areas with high humidity, such as the British Isles ...

'' – scaly male fern *''

Dryopteris alpestris :''The moth genus ''Dryopteris'' is now considered a junior synonym of '' Oreta. ''Dryopteris'' , commonly called the wood ferns, male ferns (referring in particular to '' Dryopteris filix-mas''), or buckler ferns, is a fern genus in the family D ...

'' *''

Dryopteris amurensis :''The moth genus ''Dryopteris'' is now considered a junior synonym of '' Oreta. ''Dryopteris'' , commonly called the wood ferns, male ferns (referring in particular to '' Dryopteris filix-mas''), or buckler ferns, is a fern genus in the family D ...

'' *''

Dryopteris apicisora :''The moth genus ''Dryopteris'' is now considered a junior synonym of '' Oreta. ''Dryopteris'' , commonly called the wood ferns, male ferns (referring in particular to '' Dryopteris filix-mas''), or buckler ferns, is a fern genus in the family D ...

'' *''

Dryopteris arguta ''Dryopteris arguta'', with the common name coastal woodfern, is a species of wood fern. It is native to the west coast and western interior mountain ranges of North America, from British Columbia, throughout California, and into Arizona. It gr ...

'' – coastal wood fern *''

Dryopteris azorica :''The moth genus ''Dryopteris'' is now considered a junior synonym of '' Oreta. ''Dryopteris'' , commonly called the wood ferns, male ferns (referring in particular to '' Dryopteris filix-mas''), or buckler ferns, is a fern genus in the family D ...

'' *''

Dryopteris backeri :''The moth genus ''Dryopteris'' is now considered a junior synonym of '' Oreta. ''Dryopteris'' , commonly called the wood ferns, male ferns (referring in particular to '' Dryopteris filix-mas''), or buckler ferns, is a fern genus in the family D ...

'' *''

Dryopteris barbigera :''The moth genus ''Dryopteris'' is now considered a junior synonym of '' Oreta. ''Dryopteris'' , commonly called the wood ferns, male ferns (referring in particular to '' Dryopteris filix-mas''), or buckler ferns, is a fern genus in the family D ...

'' *''

Dryopteris bissetiana :''The moth genus ''Dryopteris'' is now considered a junior synonym of '' Oreta. ''Dryopteris'' , commonly called the wood ferns, male ferns (referring in particular to '' Dryopteris filix-mas''), or buckler ferns, is a fern genus in the family D ...

'' *''

Dryopteris blandfordii :''The moth genus ''Dryopteris'' is now considered a junior synonym of '' Oreta. ''Dryopteris'' , commonly called the wood ferns, male ferns (referring in particular to '' Dryopteris filix-mas''), or buckler ferns, is a fern genus in the family D ...

'' *''

Dryopteris bodinieri :''The moth genus ''Dryopteris'' is now considered a junior synonym of '' Oreta. ''Dryopteris'' , commonly called the wood ferns, male ferns (referring in particular to '' Dryopteris filix-mas''), or buckler ferns, is a fern genus in the family D ...

'' *'' Dryopteris borreri'' *'' Dryopteris cambrensis'' – narrow male fern *''

Dryopteris campyloptera ''Dryopteris campyloptera'', also known as the mountain wood fern, is a large American fern of higher elevations and latitudes. It was formerly known as ''Dryopteris spinulosa'' var. ''americana''. This species also has been mistakenly referred ...

'' – mountain wood fern *'' Dryopteris canaliculata'' *''

Dryopteris carthusiana ''Dryopteris carthusiana'' is a species of fern native to damp forests throughout the Holarctic Kingdom. It is known as the narrow buckler-fern in the United Kingdom, and as the spinulose woodfern in North America. It is a tetraploid of hybrid o ...

'' – narrow buckler fern *''

Dryopteris caucasica :''The moth genus ''Dryopteris'' is now considered a junior synonym of '' Oreta. ''Dryopteris'' , commonly called the wood ferns, male ferns (referring in particular to '' Dryopteris filix-mas''), or buckler ferns, is a fern genus in the family D ...

'' *'' Dryopteris caudifrons'' *''

Dryopteris celsa ''Dryopteris celsa'', the log fern, is a perennial fern in the family Dryopteridaceae The Dryopteridaceae are a family of leptosporangiate ferns in the order Polypodiales. They are known colloquially as the wood ferns. In the Pteridophyte Ph ...

'' – log fern *''

Dryopteris championii :''The moth genus ''Dryopteris'' is now considered a junior synonym of '' Oreta. ''Dryopteris'' , commonly called the wood ferns, male ferns (referring in particular to '' Dryopteris filix-mas''), or buckler ferns, is a fern genus in the family D ...

'' *''

Dryopteris changii :''The moth genus ''Dryopteris'' is now considered a junior synonym of '' Oreta. ''Dryopteris'' , commonly called the wood ferns, male ferns (referring in particular to '' Dryopteris filix-mas''), or buckler ferns, is a fern genus in the family D ...

'' *'' Dryopteris chapaensis'' *'' Dryopteris chinensis'' *'' Dryopteris chrysocoma'' *'' Dryopteris cinnamomea'' – cinnamon wood fern *''

Dryopteris clintoniana ''Dryopteris clintoniana'', commonly known as Clinton's wood fern, is a fern of hybrid origin native to the northern hemisphere. It is a fertile hexaploid, arising as a species by doubling of its chromosome number from a hybrid between '' Dryopt ...

'' – Clinton's wood fern *'' Dryopteris confertipinna'' *'' Dryopteris cordipinna'' *'' Dryopteris corleyi'' *'' Dryopteris costalisora'' *''

Dryopteris crassirhizoma ''Dryopteris crassirhizoma'' is a fern species in the wood fern family Dryopteridaceae. This semi-evergreen fern grows to tall and broad, with narrowly-divided fronds growing in a vase-like shape from a central crown, which is brown in colour. ...

'' *'' Dryopteris crinalis'' *''

Dryopteris crispifolia :''The moth genus ''Dryopteris'' is now considered a junior synonym of ''Oreta. ''Dryopteris'' , commonly called the wood ferns, male ferns (referring in particular to ''Dryopteris filix-mas''), or buckler ferns, is a fern genus in the family Dry ...

'' *''

Dryopteris cristata ''Dryopteris cristata'' is a species of fern native to wetlands throughout the Northern Hemisphere. It is known as crested wood fern or crested buckler-fern. This plant is a tetraploid species of hybrid origin, one parent being '' Dryopteris ludo ...

'' – crested buckler fern *''

Dryopteris cyatheoides :''The moth genus ''Dryopteris'' is now considered a junior synonym of '' Oreta. ''Dryopteris'' , commonly called the wood ferns, male ferns (referring in particular to '' Dryopteris filix-mas''), or buckler ferns, is a fern genus in the family D ...

'' *'' Dryopteris cycadina'' *''

Dryopteris cyclopeltiformis :''The moth genus ''Dryopteris'' is now considered a junior synonym of ''Oreta. ''Dryopteris'' , commonly called the wood ferns, male ferns (referring in particular to ''Dryopteris filix-mas''), or buckler ferns, is a fern genus in the family Dry ...

'' *''

Dryopteris decipiens :''The moth genus ''Dryopteris'' is now considered a junior synonym of '' Oreta. ''Dryopteris'' , commonly called the wood ferns, male ferns (referring in particular to '' Dryopteris filix-mas''), or buckler ferns, is a fern genus in the family D ...

'' *'' Dryopteris dehuaensis'' *'' Dryopteris dickinsii'' *''

Dryopteris dilatata ''Dryopteris dilatata'', the broad buckler-fern, is a robust species of deciduous or semievergreen fern in the family Dryopteridaceae, native to Europe, particularly western and central Europe. In southern Europe, it is mostly found in mountainou ...

'' – broad buckler fern *'' Dryopteris discrita'' *'' Dryopteris enneaphylla'' *'' Dryopteris erythrosa'' *'' Dryopteris erythrosora'' – autumn fern *''

Dryopteris expansa ''Dryopteris expansa'', the alpine buckler fern, northern buckler-fern or spreading wood fern, is a species of fern native to cool temperate and subarctic regions of the Northern Hemisphere, south at high altitudes in mountains to Spain and Greec ...

'' – northern buckler fern *'' Dryopteris fibrilosa'' *'' Dryopteris fibrilosissima'' *'' Dryopteris filix-mas'' – male fern *'' Dryopteris floridana'' *'' Dryopteris formosana'' *'' Dryopteris fragrans'' – fragrant buckler fern, fragrant wood fern *'' Dryopteris fructuosa'' *'' Dryopteris fuscipes'' *''

Dryopteris gamblei :''The moth genus ''Dryopteris'' is now considered a junior synonym of '' Oreta. ''Dryopteris'' , commonly called the wood ferns, male ferns (referring in particular to '' Dryopteris filix-mas''), or buckler ferns, is a fern genus in the family D ...

'' *'' Dryopteris goerigiana'' *''

Dryopteris goldieana ''Dryopteris goldieana'', commonly called Goldie's wood fern, or giant wood fern is a fern native to the eastern United States and adjacent areas of Canada, from New Brunswick to Ontario and Georgia. It is the largest native North American speci ...

'' – Goldie's wood fern *'' Dryopteris gongboensis'' *''

Dryopteris guanchica :''The moth genus ''Dryopteris'' is now considered a junior synonym of ''Oreta. ''Dryopteris'' , commonly called the wood ferns, male ferns (referring in particular to ''Dryopteris filix-mas''), or buckler ferns, is a fern genus in the family Dry ...

'' *'' Dryopteris gushanica'' *'' Dryopteris gushiangensis'' *'' Dryopteris gymnophylla'' *'' Dryopteris gymnosora'' *'' Dryopteris hasseltii'' *'' Dryopteris hendersoni'' *'' Dryopteris hirtipes'' *''

Dryopteris huanganshanensis :''The moth genus ''Dryopteris'' is now considered a junior synonym of ''Oreta. ''Dryopteris'' , commonly called the wood ferns, male ferns (referring in particular to ''Dryopteris filix-mas''), or buckler ferns, is a fern genus in the family Dry ...

'' *'' Dryopteris hupehensis'' *'' Dryopteris hwangii'' *'' Dryopteris hypophlebia'' *'' Dryopteris immixta'' *''

Dryopteris inaequalis ''Dryopteris inaequalis'' is an Afrotropical fern species that ranges from tropical and southern Africa to Madagascar. It has been recorded in Tanzania, Zambia, Malawi, Mozambique, Zimbabwe and South Africa, where it is present in the Western Cap ...

'' *'' Dryopteris incisolobata'' *'' Dryopteris integriloba'' *''

Dryopteris integripinnula :''The moth genus ''Dryopteris'' is now considered a junior synonym of '' Oreta. ''Dryopteris'' , commonly called the wood ferns, male ferns (referring in particular to '' Dryopteris filix-mas''), or buckler ferns, is a fern genus in the family D ...

'' *''

Dryopteris intermedia ''Dryopteris intermedia'', the intermediate wood fern or evergreen wood fern, is a perennial, evergreen wood fern native to eastern North America. It is a diploid species, and is the parent of several species of hybrid origin, including ''Dryopt ...

'' – intermediate wood fern *'' Dryopteris junlianensis'' *'' Dryopteris juxtaposita'' *''

Dryopteris kinkiensis :''The moth genus ''Dryopteris'' is now considered a junior synonym of ''Oreta. ''Dryopteris'' , commonly called the wood ferns, male ferns (referring in particular to ''Dryopteris filix-mas''), or buckler ferns, is a fern genus in the family Dry ...

'' *'' Dryopteris labordei'' *'' Dryopteris lacera'' *'' Dryopteris lancipinnula'' *'' Dryopteris lepidopoda'' *'' Dryopteris lepidorachis'' *''

Dryopteris liyangensis :''The moth genus ''Dryopteris'' is now considered a junior synonym of '' Oreta. ''Dryopteris'' , commonly called the wood ferns, male ferns (referring in particular to '' Dryopteris filix-mas''), or buckler ferns, is a fern genus in the family D ...

'' *''

Dryopteris ludoviciana ''Dryopteris ludoviciana'', the southern woodfern, is fern native to southern United States from Florida west to Texas and as far north as Kentucky and North Carolina. It is an evergreen in mild climates. Its growth habit is tall and upright wit ...

'' – southern wood fern *'' Dryopteris macropholis'' *''

Dryopteris manshurica :''The moth genus ''Dryopteris'' is now considered a junior synonym of ''Oreta. ''Dryopteris'' , commonly called the wood ferns, male ferns (referring in particular to ''Dryopteris filix-mas''), or buckler ferns, is a fern genus in the family Dry ...

'' *''

Dryopteris marginalis ''Dryopteris marginalis'', vernacularly known as the marginal shield fern or marginal wood fern, is a perennial species of fern found in damp shady areas throughout eastern North America, from Texas to Minnesota and Newfoundland. It favors mode ...

'' – marginal wood fern *'' Dryopteris matsumurae'' *'' Dryopteris minjiangensis'' *'' Dryopteris monticola'' *'' Dryopteris montigena'' *'' Dryopteris nanpingensis'' *'' Dryopteris neolepidopoda'' *''

Dryopteris nigropaleacea ''Dryopteris nigropaleacea'' is a species of perennial leptosporangiate fern endemic to parts of Afghanistan, Pakistan, western Nepal, and Himachal Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh in India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is ...

'' *'' Dryopteris nigrosquamosa'' *'' Dryopteris nyalamensis'' *'' Dryopteris nyingchiensis'' *'' Dryopteris odontoloma'' *''

Dryopteris oreades :''The moth genus ''Dryopteris'' is now considered a junior synonym of '' Oreta. ''Dryopteris'' , commonly called the wood ferns, male ferns (referring in particular to '' Dryopteris filix-mas''), or buckler ferns, is a fern genus in the family D ...

'' – mountain male fern *'' Dryopteris pacifica'' *'' Dryopteris pallida'' *'' Dryopteris paludicda'' *'' Dryopteris panda'' *'' Dryopteris parasparsa'' *'' Dryopteris pedata'' *'' Dryopteris peninsulae'' *'' Dryopteris podophylla'' *'' Dryopteris polita'' *'' Dryopteris prosa'' *''

Dryopteris pseudo-sikkimensis :''The moth genus ''Dryopteris'' is now considered a junior synonym of '' Oreta. ''Dryopteris'' , commonly called the wood ferns, male ferns (referring in particular to '' Dryopteris filix-mas''), or buckler ferns, is a fern genus in the family D ...

'' *'' Dryopteris pseudoatrata'' *'' Dryopteris pseudodontoloma'' *'' Dryopteris pseudofibrillosa'' *'' Dryopteris pseudomarginata'' *'' Dryopteris pseudouniformis'' *'' Dryopteris pulcherrima'' *''

Dryopteris qandoensis :''The moth genus ''Dryopteris'' is now considered a junior synonym of '' Oreta. ''Dryopteris'' , commonly called the wood ferns, male ferns (referring in particular to '' Dryopteris filix-mas''), or buckler ferns, is a fern genus in the family D ...

'' *'' Dryopteris quatanensis'' *'' Dryopteris reflexosquamata'' *'' Dryopteris remota'' – scaly buckler fern *'' Dryopteris rigida'' *'' Dryopteris rosthornii'' *'' Dryopteris sacrosancta'' *'' Dryopteris saxifraga'' *'' Dryopteris scottii'' *'' Dryopteris semipinnata'' *'' Dryopteris sericea'' *'' Dryopteris serrato-dentata'' *'' Dryopteris shensicola'' *''

Dryopteris shibipedis ''Dryopteris shibpedis'' is a species of fern native Japan that was declared extinct in 2007, that has since been rediscovered in the Tsukuba Botanical Garden. Despite rediscovery, ''D. shibipedis'' is still ranked as extinct in the wild. Biolo ...

'' *'' Dryopteris sichotensis'' *'' Dryopteris sieboldii'' *''

Dryopteris sikkimensis :''The moth genus ''Dryopteris'' is now considered a junior synonym of '' Oreta. ''Dryopteris'' , commonly called the wood ferns, male ferns (referring in particular to '' Dryopteris filix-mas''), or buckler ferns, is a fern genus in the family D ...

'' *'' Dryopteris silaensis'' *'' Dryopteris sino-sparsa'' *'' Dryopteris sinoerythrosora'' *'' Dryopteris sinofibrillosa'' *'' Dryopteris sordidipes'' *'' Dryopteris sparsa'' *''

Dryopteris squamifera :''The moth genus ''Dryopteris'' is now considered a junior synonym of '' Oreta. ''Dryopteris'' , commonly called the wood ferns, male ferns (referring in particular to '' Dryopteris filix-mas''), or buckler ferns, is a fern genus in the family D ...

'' *'' Dryopteris squamiseta'' *'' Dryopteris stenolepis'' *'' Dryopteris subatrata'' *'' Dryopteris subbarbigera'' *'' Dryopteris subexaltata'' *'' Dryopteris sublacera'' *'' Dryopteris sublaeta'' *''

Dryopteris submarginata :''The moth genus ''Dryopteris'' is now considered a junior synonym of '' Oreta. ''Dryopteris'' , commonly called the wood ferns, male ferns (referring in particular to '' Dryopteris filix-mas''), or buckler ferns, is a fern genus in the family D ...

'' *''

Dryopteris submontana :''The moth genus ''Dryopteris'' is now considered a junior synonym of '' Oreta. ''Dryopteris'' , commonly called the wood ferns, male ferns (referring in particular to '' Dryopteris filix-mas''), or buckler ferns, is a fern genus in the family ...

'' – rigid buckler fern *'' Dryopteris subtriangularis'' *'' Dryopteris tarningensis'' *''

Dryopteris tenuicula :''The moth genus ''Dryopteris'' is now considered a junior synonym of '' Oreta. ''Dryopteris'' , commonly called the wood ferns, male ferns (referring in particular to '' Dryopteris filix-mas''), or buckler ferns, is a fern genus in the family D ...

'' *'' Dryopteris tenuissima'' *''

Dryopteris thibetica :''The moth genus ''Dryopteris'' is now considered a junior synonym of ''Oreta. ''Dryopteris'' , commonly called the wood ferns, male ferns (referring in particular to ''Dryopteris filix-mas''), or buckler ferns, is a fern genus in the family Dry ...

'' *'' Dryopteris tieluensis'' *'' Dryopteris tokyoensis'' – Tokyo wood fern *''

Dryopteris tsangpoensis :''The moth genus ''Dryopteris'' is now considered a junior synonym of ''Oreta. ''Dryopteris'' , commonly called the wood ferns, male ferns (referring in particular to ''Dryopteris filix-mas''), or buckler ferns, is a fern genus in the family Dry ...

'' *''Dryopteris tyrrhena'' *''Dryopteris uniformis'' *''Dryopteris varia'' *''Dryopteris venosa'' *''Dryopteris villarii'' *''Dryopteris wallichiana'' – alpine wood fern *''Dryopteris wenchuanensis'' *''Dryopteris wuyishanensis'' *''Dryopteris yigongensis'' *''Dryopteris yungtzeensis'' *''Dryopteris zayuensis'' File:Dryopteris goldiana.jpg, ''

'', Goldie's fern File:Dryopteris sieboldii - Atlanta Botanical Garden.JPG, '' Dryopteris sieboldii''

Ecology

''Dryopteris'' species are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species including ''Batrachedra, Batrachedra sophroniella'' (which feeds exclusively on ''D. cyatheoides'') and ''Sthenopiseauratus''.

Cultivation and uses

Many ''Dryopteris'' species are widely used as garden ornamental plants, especially ''D. affinis'', ''D. erythrosora'', and ''D. filix-mas'', with numerous cultivars. ''Dryopteris filix-mas'' was throughout much of recent human history widely used as a vermifuge, and was the only fern listed in the U.S. Pharmacopoeia. Traditional use in Scandinavia against red mite (Dermanyssus gallinae) infestation is to place fronds in nesting boxes under nesting material and under floor covering material.

References

External links

Flora Europaea: ''Dryopteris''

Flora of North America: ''Dryopteris''

Flora of China: ''Dryopteris'' species list
{{Taxonbar, from=Q1335106 Dryopteris, Fern genera

Selected species

Ecology

Cultivation and uses

See also

References

External links