Flora of North America species comparison

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Dryopteris celsa

Dryopteris intermedia

log fern

dryoptère spinuleuse, evergreen wood fern, fancy fern, intermediate woodfern
Leaves

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

monomorphic, green through winter, 32–90 × 10–20 cm.
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 at least at base;

scales scattered, tan.
Blade

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

green, ovate, 3-pinnate-pinnatifid, herbaceous, glandular.
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, lanceolate-oblong;

basal pinnae lanceolate, not reduced, basal pinnules longer than adjacent pinnules, basal basiscopic pinnule longer than basal acroscopic pinnule;

pinnule margins serrate, teeth spiny.
Indusia

lacking glands.

with minute glandular hairs.
Sori

midway between midvein and margin of segments.

midway between midvein and margin of segments.
2n

= 164.

= 82.

Dryopteris celsa

Dryopteris intermedia
Habitat Seepage slopes, hammocks and logs in swamps, mostly on the Piedmont and Coastal Plain Moist rocky woods, especially hemlock hardwoods, ravines, and edges of swamps
Elevation 50–800 m (200–2600 ft) 0–2000 m (0–6600 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
AL; CT; DE; GA; IA; IL; IN; KY; MA; MD; ME; MI; MN; MO; NC; NH; NJ; NY; OH; PA; RI; TN; VA; VT; WI; WV; NB; NF; NS; ON; PE; QC
[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.)

A related taxon, Dryopteris intermedia subsp. maderensis (J. Milde ex Alston) Fraser-Jenkins, occurs on eastern Atlantic islands.

Dryopteris intermedia and the other taxa in the " D. spinulosa complex" have long confounded taxonomists. Dryopteris intermedia is diploid and is one of the parents of the allotetraploids D. carthusiana and D. campyloptera. Dryopteris intermedia hybridizes with eight species. All hybrids are easily detected by the distinctive glandular hairs on the indusia and, usually, on the costae and costules.

(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. fragrans, D. goldieana, D. ludoviciana, D. marginalis
Synonyms D. goldiana subsp. celsa Aspidium intermedium, D. austriaca var. intermedia, D. spinulosa var. intermedia
Name authority (W. Palmer) Knowlton: W. Palmer, & Pollard, Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash. 13: 202. (1900) (Muhlenberg ex Willdenow) A. Gray: Manual 630. (1848)
Web links 
Unless otherwise noted, all data comes from the online version of the Flora of North America, who have made most of their content available via a Creative Commons license (CC BY 4.0).



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