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southern wood fern

Leaves

somewhat dimorphic, green through winter, 35–120 × 10–30 cm.

Petiole

more than 1/4 length of leaf, scaly at base;

scales scattered, brown.

Blade

dark green, lanceolate, pinnate-pinnatifid, herbaceous, not glandular.

Pinnae

nearly in plane of blade, lance-oblong;

fertile pinnae in distal 1/2 of leaf, distinctly narrower than proximal vegetative pinnae (only in this species);

basal pinnae lanceolate-oblong, much reduced, basal pinnules slightly shorter than adjacent pinnules, basal basiscopic pinnule slightly longer than basal acroscopic pinnule;

pinnule margins distantly serrate.

Indusia

lacking glands.

Sori

midway between midvein and margin of segments.

2n

= 82.

Dryopteris ludoviciana

Habitat Swamps and wet woods
Elevation 0–100 m (0–300 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AL; AR; FL; GA; LA; NC; SC
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Discussion

Dryopteris ludoviciana is endemic to southeastern United States. This diploid is one of the parents of D. celsa and D. cristata. It crosses with D. celsa to produce sterile hybrids.

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

Source FNA vol. 2.
Parent taxa Dryopteridaceae > Dryopteris
Sibling taxa
D. arguta, D. campyloptera, D. carthusiana, D. celsa, D. cinnamomea, D. clintoniana, D. cristata, D. expansa, D. filix-mas, D. fragrans, D. goldieana, D. intermedia, D. marginalis
Synonyms Aspidium ludovicianum, D. floridana
Name authority (Kunze) Small: Ferns S. E. States 281. (1938)
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