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log fern

dryoptère fragrante, fragrant wood fern

Leaves

monomorphic, dying back in winter, 65–120 × 15–30 cm.

monomorphic, green through winter, 6–40 × 1–6 cm, old leaves persistent as gray or brown conspicuous clump at plant base (only in this species).

Petiole

1/3 length of leaf, scaly at least at base;

scales scattered, dark brown or tan with dark central stripe.

1/3 length of leaf, scaly throughout;

scales dense, brown to red-brown.

Blade(s)

green, ovate-lanceolate, gradually tapering to tip, pinnate-pinnatifid, herbaceous, not glandular.

green, linear-lanceolate, pinnate-pinnatifid to 2-pinnate, papery, densely scaly (only in this species) abaxially, glandular, aromatic when handled (only in this species).

Pinnae

± in plane of blade, lanceolate-ovate;

basal pinnae linear-oblong, much reduced, basal pinnules longer than adjacent pinnules, basal basiscopic pinnule and basal acroscopic pinnule equal;

pinnule margins crenately toothed.

± in plane of blade, linear-oblong;

basal pinnae linear-oblong, much reduced, basal pinnules longer than adjacent pinnules, basal basiscopic pinnule and basal acroscopic pinnule equal;

pinnule margins crenately toothed.

Indusia

lacking glands.

glandular.

Sori

midway between midvein and margin of segments.

midway between midvein and margin of segments.

2n

= 164.

= 82.

Dryopteris celsa

Dryopteris fragrans

Habitat Seepage slopes, hammocks and logs in swamps, mostly on the Piedmont and Coastal Plain Shaded cliffs and talus, often of limestone
Elevation 50–800 m (200–2600 ft) 50–1800 m (200–5900 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AL; AR; DE; GA; IL; KY; LA; MD; MI; MO; NC; NJ; NY; PA; SC; TN; VA; WV
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AK; ME; MI; MN; NH; NY; VT; WI; AB; BC; MB; NB; NF; NS; NT; ON; QC; SK; YT; Greenland; Europe in n Finland; Asia in n, nw former Soviet republics
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Dryopteris celsa is a fertile allotetraploid derived from hybridization between D. goldieana and D. ludoviciana. Dryopteris celsa hybridizes with six species; hybrids can usually be identified by the dark-striped scales.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Dryopteris fragrans is a northern species and is not closely related to the other species in North America. The only hybrid known to involve D. fragrans is with D. marginalis, producing D. × algonquinensis D. Britton.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Source FNA vol. 2. FNA vol. 2.
Parent taxa Dryopteridaceae > Dryopteris Dryopteridaceae > Dryopteris
Sibling taxa
D. arguta, D. campyloptera, D. carthusiana, D. cinnamomea, D. clintoniana, D. cristata, D. expansa, D. filix-mas, D. fragrans, D. goldieana, D. intermedia, D. ludoviciana, D. marginalis
D. arguta, D. campyloptera, D. carthusiana, D. celsa, D. cinnamomea, D. clintoniana, D. cristata, D. expansa, D. filix-mas, D. goldieana, D. intermedia, D. ludoviciana, D. marginalis
Synonyms D. goldiana subsp. celsa Polypodium fragrans, D. fragrans var. remotiuscula
Name authority (W. Palmer) Knowlton: W. Palmer, & Pollard, Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash. 13: 202. (1900) (Linnaeus) Schott: Gen. Fil. plate 9. (1834)
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