Ferns List |
Buckler-Fern Family [Dryopteridaceae] |
Fronds: |
Spores: |
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-Fernwhich are curved upwards, and Northern Buckler-Fernwhich are flat or Narrow Buckler-Fernwhich 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:
Distinguished from the bipinnate Male-Ferns by their tripinnate nature. Hybridizes with :
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 |
Dryopteris (Buckler-Ferns) |
Buckler-Fern Family [Dryopteridaceae] |