Dryopteris Adans.
Terrestrial ferns. Rhizomes erect, very scaly. Fronds (1)-2-3-(6)-pinnate, scaly at least on stipes, often dying down in winter; veins free. Sori round, borne on veins, usually protected by reniform indusia attached centrally. Spores monolete.
Key
2
Secondary pinnae obliquely truncate at apices, entire or toothed only at apices; stipes and rachises densely scaly; primary pinnae (when fresh) with a blackish patch near junction with rachis
Secondary pinnae rounded at apices, serrate all round; stipes and rachises sparsely scaly; primary pinnae (when fresh) lacking a blackish patch near junction with rachis
c. 150 spp., cosmopolitan, but chiefly N. temperate. Naturalised spp. 3.
The 3 naturalised spp. all have round sori and reniform indusia. D. affinis is distinguished from D. filix-mas by its truncate secondary pinnae, whilst D. dilatata differs in having a more highly divided frond (Fig. 4).
