Dryopteris filix-mas — male wood fern
![Sori: Dryopteris filix-mas. ~ By Arthur Haines. ~ Copyright © 2024 Arthur Haines. ~ arthur.d.haines[at]gmail.com](https://newfs.s3.amazonaws.com/taxon-images-1000s1000/Dryopteridaceae/dryopteris-filix-mas-so-ahaines-c.jpg)
![Plant form: Dryopteris filix-mas. ~ By Lawrence Newcomb. ~ Copyright © 2024 New England Wild Flower Society. ~ Image Request, images[at]newenglandwild.org](https://newfs.s3.amazonaws.com/taxon-images-1000s1000/Dryopteridaceae/dryopteris-filix-mas-ha-lnewcomb.jpg)
![Plant form: Dryopteris filix-mas. ~ By Arthur Haines. ~ Copyright © 2024 Arthur Haines. ~ arthur.d.haines[at]gmail.com](https://newfs.s3.amazonaws.com/taxon-images-1000s1000/Dryopteridaceae/dryopteris-filix-mas-ha-ahaines-a.jpg)
![Sori: Dryopteris filix-mas. ~ By Arthur Haines. ~ Copyright © 2024 Arthur Haines. ~ arthur.d.haines[at]gmail.com](https://newfs.s3.amazonaws.com/taxon-images-1000s1000/Dryopteridaceae/dryopteris-filix-mas-so-ahaines-b.jpg)
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Facts
Male wood fern has an unusual distribution that includes the western mountains of North America, around the Great Lakes, and in Europe and Asia. In New England it is a very rare inhabitant of rich, rocky forests of Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont.
Habitat
Forests, talus and rocky slopes
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
-
- Maine
- New Hampshire
- Vermont
-
Leaves
- Features of leaves
- there are no special features on the leaves
-
Place
- Habitat
- terrestrial
- New England state
-
- Maine
- New Hampshire
- Vermont
- Specific habitat
-
- forests
- talus or rocky slopes
Wetland status
Not classified
In New England
Distribution
- Connecticut
- absent
- Maine
- present
- Massachusetts
- absent
- New Hampshire
- present
- Rhode Island
- present
- Vermont
- present
Conservation status
Exact status definitions can vary from state to state. For details, please check with your state.
ssp. brittonii
- Maine
- extremely rare (S-rank: S1), endangered (code: E)
- New Hampshire
- extremely rare (S-rank: S1), endangered (code: E)
- Vermont
- rare (S-rank: S2), threatened (code: T)
Subspecies and varieties
Our subspecies is Dryopteris filix-mas (L.) Schott ssp. brittonii.
From Flora Novae Angliae dichotomous key
5. Dryopteris filix-mas (L.) Schott ssp. brittonii Fras.-Jenk. & Widen NC
male wood fern. Polypodium filix-mas L. • ME, NH, VT. Rich, mesic, often rocky, forests.
3×5. Dryopteris clintoniana × Dryopteris filix-mas → This very rare wood fern hybrid is known from VT. It generally resembles Dryopteris clintoniana but has scales of two sizes on the petiole and some microscales on the costules. It can be separated from D. filix-mas by the relative paucity of scales on the rachis and costules and the relatively broader leaflets (lanceolate to triangular-lanceolate vs. narrow-lanceolate or narrow-triangular-lanceolate in D. filix-mas).
5×9. Dryopteris filix-mas × Dryopteris marginalis → Dryopteris ×montgomeryi Fras.-Jenk. & Widen is a very rare wood fern hybrid known from ME, VT. It shows sori positioned closer to the margin than the midrib of the ultimate segments and fairly dense scales at the base of the petiole (as with other D. marginalis hybrids). However, the general aspect of the plant is very similar to D. filix- mas, including the leaf blade tapering to the base and to the apex, numerous pairs of leaflets per blade, and abundant scales on the rachis and costae.
Native to North America?
Yes and no (some introduced)
Sometimes confused with
- Dryopteris marginalis:
- sori borne near margins of ultimate segments and scales not of two distinct sizes (vs. D. filix-mas, with sori born between the margins and veins of the ultimate segments and scales of two distinctly different sizes).