categoryZFerns Ferns List 

BROAD BUCKLER-FERN

Dryopteris dilatata

Buckler-Fern Family [Dryopteridaceae]

Fronds:
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Spores:
spores8jul spores8july spores8aug

category
category8Ferns
 
status
statusZnative
 
stem
stem8fluted
1 flute

26th April 2014, woodland, Runcorn East, Cheshire. Photo: © RWD
Three larger ferns are common, and this is one of them, although size can vary from a short 10cm to 1.5m. Upright rhizome as are the less common Hay-scented Buckler-Fern ((Dryopteris aemula), Northern Buckler-Fern (Dryopteris expansa) but not the semi-creeping rhizome of Narrow Buckler-Fern (Dryopteris carthusiana). Fronds are spread out sideways (as opposed to erect for Narrow Buckler-Fern).


26th April 2014, woodland, Runcorn East, Cheshire. Photo: © RWD
All Buckler-ferns are tripinnate. This one has dark-green leaves with linear tapers (isosceles triangle) - from a broad base to a pointed end.


26th April 2014, woodland, Runcorn East, Cheshire. Photo: © RWD
Individual pinnules usually curved backwards (unlike Hay-scented Buckler-Fern which are curved upwards, and Northern Buckler-Fern which are flat or Narrow Buckler-Fern which are flat or only slightly curved backwards


26th April 2014, woodland, Runcorn East, Cheshire. Photo: © RWD
The costa (side stem) and side-branches are grooved lengthways on the top only.


26th April 2014, woodland, Runcorn East, Cheshire. Photo: © RWD
The leaflets have a thumb which has 2 or 3 points. Most of its other leaflets have 1 or 2 points.


26th April 2014, woodland, Runcorn East, Cheshire. Photo: © RWD
Only the more distal pinna (those not close to the base of a frond) will eventually bear sori. Here they are small, paler green and and immature.


26th April 2014, woodland, Runcorn East, Cheshire. Photo: © RWD
The sori are few and well separated.


26th April 2014, woodland, Runcorn East, Cheshire. Photo: © RWD
Like all Dryoptera species the sori are C-shaped Text goes here


26th April 2014, woodland, Runcorn East, Cheshire. Photo: © RWD
The scales on the stipe are rowing-boat-shaped and brown with a darker-brown broad stripe in the centre.


26th April 2014, woodland, Runcorn East, Cheshire. Photo: © RWD
Stipe smooth with brown scales.


26th April 2014, woodland, Runcorn East, Cheshire. Photo: © RWD
Comparison of, top to bottom: Common Male-Fern, Lady-Fern and Broad Buckler-Fern on 5mm squared paper.


Easily confused with : other Buckler-ferns such as:

  • Hay-scented Buckler-fern (Dryopteris aemula)
  • Narrow Buckler-Fern (Dryopteris carthusiana)
  • Crested Buckler-fern (Dryopteris cristata)
  • Northern Buckler-fern (Dryopteris expansa)
  • Rigid Buckler-Fern (Dryopteris submontana)
  • Scaly Buckler-fern (Dryopteris remota)

Distinguished from the bipinnate Male-Ferns by their tripinnate nature.

Hybridizes with :

  • Narrow Buckler-fern (Dryopteris carthusiana) to produce Dryopteris × deweveri which occurs frequently with both parents but present in only about 100 hectads (up to 2010)
  • Northern Buckler-fern (Dryopteris expansa) to produce Dryopteris × ambroseae which occurs in very few hectads scattered in the North and West of Britain.

A native fern that belongs to the Dryopteris genus containing Male-Ferns and Buckler-Ferns. Likes to grown in drier and acidic soils in woods, hedge-banks, heaths, ditches, hillsides and mountains. On of the more common Buckler-ferns, widely distributed throughout the UK, but decreasing, now absent from certain areas of the UK and much of Ireland.


  Dryopteris dilatata  ⇐ Global Aspect ⇒ Dryopteridaceae  

Distribution
 family8Buckler-Fern family8Dryopteridaceae
 BSBI maps
genus8Dryopteris
Dryopteris
(Buckler-Ferns)

BROAD BUCKLER-FERN

Dryopteris dilatata

Buckler-Fern Family [Dryopteridaceae]