Dryopteris campyloptera — mountain wood fern
![Plant form: Dryopteris campyloptera. ~ By Arthur Haines. ~ Copyright © 2024 Arthur Haines. ~ arthur.d.haines[at]gmail.com](https://newfs.s3.amazonaws.com/taxon-images-1000s1000/Dryopteridaceae/dryopteris-campyloptera-ha-ahaines-a.jpg)
![Leaf: Dryopteris campyloptera. ~ By Elizabeth Farnsworth. ~ Copyright © 2024 New England Wild Flower Society. ~ Image Request, images[at]newenglandwild.org](https://newfs.s3.amazonaws.com/taxon-images-1000s1000/Dryopteridaceae/dryopteris-campyloptera-le-efarnsworth.jpg)
![Detail of leaf and/or divisions: Dryopteris campyloptera. ~ By Arthur Haines. ~ Copyright © 2024 Arthur Haines. ~ arthur.d.haines[at]gmail.com](https://newfs.s3.amazonaws.com/taxon-images-1000s1000/Dryopteridaceae/dryopteris-campyloptera-ld-ahaines-b.jpg)
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Facts
Mountain wood fern inhabits cool forests in most of New England, though it is typically found at higher elevations in the southern states. Native Americans in Alaska and British Columbia used a tea of the leaves to treat stomachaches, and used the rhizomes for food.
Habitat
Alpine or subalpine zones, forests
New England distribution
Adapted from BONAP data
Native: indigenous.
Non-native: introduced (intentionally or unintentionally); has become naturalized.
County documented: documented to exist in the county by evidence (herbarium specimen, photograph). Also covers those considered historical (not seen in 20 years).
State documented: documented to exist in the state, but not documented to a county within the state. Also covers those considered historical (not seen in 20 years).
Note: when native and non-native populations both exist in a county, only native status is shown on the map.
Found this plant? Take a photo and post a sighting.
enlargeCharacteristics
- Habitat
- terrestrial
- New England state
-
- Connecticut
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- New Hampshire
- Vermont
- Leaf divisions
-
- the leaf blade is three times compound (divided into leaflets, which are further divided into leaflets, which are further divided into leaflets), or more
- the leaf blade is twice compound (divided into leaflets, which are further divided into leaflets)
- Plant growth form
- the leaves grow from a rhizome growing at or below the ground
- Spore-bearing leaflets
- the spore-bearing fronds are similar in size and shape to the sterile fronds
- Sorus shape
- the sori are circular or kidney-shaped
- Leaf stalk scales
- the leaf stalk has scales
- Leaf stalk hairs
- there are no hairs on the leaf stalk
- Leaf blade length
- 30–60 cm
- Leaf vein tips
- the veins end in small round expanded areas, and do not reach the edge of the leaf blade
-
Growth form
- Life form
- the plant is herbaceous and terrestrial
- Life stage
- the plant is visible as a typical leaf-bearing fern (sporophyte)
- Spore-bearing leaflets
- the spore-bearing fronds are similar in size and shape to the sterile fronds
-
Leaves
- Features of leaves
- there are no special features on the leaves
- Leaf blade length
- 30–60 cm
- Leaf blade shape
-
- the leaf blades are roughly triangular
- the leaf blades are widest above the base, then taper broadly towards the tip (ovate)
- Leaf blade width
- At least 20 cm
- Leaf divisions
-
- the leaf blade is three times compound (divided into leaflets, which are further divided into leaflets, which are further divided into leaflets), or more
- the leaf blade is twice compound (divided into leaflets, which are further divided into leaflets)
- Leaf lifespan
- the leaves drop off in winter
- Leaf stalk color
- yellow to brown
- Leaf stalk hairs
- there are no hairs on the leaf stalk
- Leaf stalk length
- 78–450 mm
- Leaf stalk relative length
- the leaf stalk is more than a quarter, but less than three quarters as long as the blade
- Leaf stalk scale location
-
- the scales are present on both the lower and upper halves of the leaf stalk
- the scales are present only on the lower half of the leaf stalk
- Leaf stalk scales
- the leaf stalk has scales
- Leaf stalk vessels
- 3 to 9 bundles
- Leaf vein branching
- the secondary veins of the leaf blade branch dichotomously (two equal branches at each branch point)
- Leaf vein tips
- the veins end in small round expanded areas, and do not reach the edge of the leaf blade
- Leaflet relative size
- the bottom leaflets are about half as long as, to slightly longer than, the leaflets from the middle of the frond
- Leaflet stalks
- the leaflets are stalked
- Lobe or leaflet length
- 72–266 mm
- Lobe or leaflet pairs
- 15–20
- Lobe or leaflet shape
- the lobe or leaflet is widest below the middle and tapering at both ends; lance-shaped
- Lobe or leaflet width
- 21–103 mm
- Plant growth form
- the leaves grow from a rhizome growing at or below the ground
- final leaf segment margin
- the topmost lobe or leaflet of the leaf blade has an edge with teeth tipped with bristles
-
Place
- Habitat
- terrestrial
- New England state
-
- Connecticut
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- New Hampshire
- Vermont
- Specific habitat
-
- alpine or subalpine zones
- forests
-
Spores or spore cones
- Sorus features
- the indusium of the sorus has glands on stalks (stipitate glands)
- Sorus shape
- the sori are circular or kidney-shaped
- Sporangia location
- the spores are clustered on sori on the lower surface of the leaf blade
- Sporangium type
- the sporangia are opaque without an annulus and usually without a stalk (leptosporangiate)
- Spore forms
- there is only one type of spore present
Wetland status
Usually occurs in non-wetlands, but occasionally in wetlands. (Wetland indicator code: FACU)
In New England
Distribution
- Connecticut
- present
- Maine
- present
- Massachusetts
- present
- New Hampshire
- present
- Rhode Island
- absent
- Vermont
- present
Conservation status
Exact status definitions can vary from state to state. For details, please check with your state.
- Connecticut
- extremely rare (S-rank: S1), endangered (code: E)
- Maine
- unranked (S-rank: SNR)
- Massachusetts
- uncommon (uncertain) (S-rank: S3?)
From Flora Novae Angliae dichotomous key
1. Dryopteris campyloptera (Kunze) Clarkson N
mountain wood fern. Dryopteris austriaca (Jacq.) Woynar ex Schinz & Thellung; D. spinulosa (O.F. Muell.) Watt var. americana (Fischer ex Kunze) Fern. • CT, MA, ME, NH, VT; also reported from RI by Montgomery and Wagner (1993), but voucher specimens are unknown. Cool forests, including north-temperate, boreal, and subalpine communities; increasingly at higher elevation to the south.
1×8. Dryopteris campyloptera × Dryopteris intermedia → This very rare (or possibly very overlooked) wood fern hybrid is known from VT. It is identified by its intermediate morphology.
1×9. Dryopteris campyloptera × Dryopteris marginalis → This rare wood fern hybrid is known from VT. It is intermediate between the parental taxa and displays the typical near-marginal sori positioning of D. marginalis hybrids.
Native to North America?
Yes
Sometimes confused with
- Dryopteris intermedia:
- first lower leafule on lower leaflet shorter than the adjacent leafule and rachis and midrib of leaflets and leafules with stipitate glands (vs. D. campyolptera, with the first lower leafule on lower leaflet as long as or longer than adjacent leafule and rachis and midrib of leaflets and leafules without stipitate glands).
- Dryopteris carthusiana:
- first pair of leafules on lowest leaflet nearly opposite one another, and with wide occurrence, mostly at low elevation (vs. D. campyloptera, with the first pair of leafules on lowest leaflet obviously offset from one another and mainly occurring in the mountains and more northern areas).
Synonyms
- Dryopteris austriaca (Jacq.) Woynar ex Schinz & Thellung
- Dryopteris spinulosa (O.F. Muell.) Watt var. americana (Fischer ex Kunze) Fern.