Species: Dryopteris filix-mas (L.) Schott

comments | credits | copyright

Back to: Plants at Risk in Saskatchewan

Dryopteris filix-mas (L.) Schott

Species Image Gallery
(opens in a new window)

TAXONOMY

Family:

Dryopteridaceae

Genus:

Dryopteris

Species Synonyms:

none

Common Names:

male fern
male woodfern

DISTRIBUTION

Canada:

southern British Columbia – southwestern Alberta, northwestern Saskatchewan, southern Ontario – Newfoundland

Saskatchewan:

northwestern Saskatchewan; Lake Athabasca

Ecoregion:

Tazin Lake Upland

HABITAT

Saskatchewan:

dense woods and talus slopes on limestone

RARITY STATUS

Provincial Status According
to Harms (2003):

Endangered

Nature Conservancy Status:

G5 S1

Saskatchewan Species at
Risk Status:

None

COSEWIC Status:

None

Male fern is endangered in Saskatchewan because it is extremely rare. It is only known from one location in northern Saskatchewan and the population is locally sparse. No immediate threats are known for this species but are possible in the future.

SPECIES DESCRIPTION

Roots:

rhizome stout, covered in old leaf stalk bases; scales to 1 cm long, membranous, margin entire to square-toothed

Leaves:

fertile and sterile leaves appearing similar, 28 – 200 cm tall

Stalks:

5 – 40 cm long, 1/4 length of blade, stout, straw-coloured towards blade, dark brown or reddish near base; scales scattered, of two distinct kinds (broad and hair-like)

Blades:

20 – 160 cm long, 6 – 35 cm wide, oval to lance-shaped, base narrowed, tapered to a long point, pinnate-lobed to bipinnate at base, firm but not leathery, not glandular

Pinnae:

20 – 30 pairs, basal pair ovate, reduced, lance-shaped

Pinnules:

basal ± same length as adjacent pinnules, margin saw-toothed to lobed

Indusia:

0.8 – 2 mm wide, glands lacking, persistent

Sori:

midway between midvein and margin, often confined to lower 1/2 or 1/3 of pinnule, large, ~ 1 mm diameter

DRYOPTERIS KEY FOR SPECIES FOUND IN SASKATCHEWAN

1 Leaves aromatic, leaves persisting in conspicuous gray or brown clumps; blades glandular on margins; indusia overlapping; dry environments	D. fragrans
1 Leaves not aromatic, leaves not persisting in gray or brown clumps; blades rarely glandular on margins; indusia not overlapping; moist woodlands	2

2 Blades 2 – 3 x pinnate; pinnule with spiny teeth; indusia small, < 1 mm	D. carthusiana
2 Blades 2 x pinnate; pinnules without spiny teeth; indusia large, ~ 1 mm	3

3 Larger pinnae with 4 – 10 pairs of pinnules; leaf stalk scales broad to narrow, but not hair-like	D. cristata
3 Larger pinnae with 12 + pairs of pinnules; leaf stalk scales of two kinds: broad and hair-like	D. filix-mas