Online Virtual Flora of Wisconsin - Dryopteris carthusiana

Dryopteris carthusiana (Vill.) H.P.Fuchs

Family: Dryopteridaceae

spinulose wood fern, toothed wood fern

[Aspidium spinulosum (O.F.Müll.) Sw., more...]

Christopher Noll

Marcie O'Connor

University of Wisconsin - Madison (WIS-VP)

Open Interactive Map

Etymology: Dryopteris: from 2 Greek words drys, "oak," and pteris, "fern," possibly referring to the plant's habitat
Plants: perennial fern
Habitat: woods
Conservation Status: Native

Mesic or wet deciduous, mixed, or coniferous forests, swamps, streambanks, bog margins and hummocks, marshes, and wet meadows. It is one of the most common ferns in Wisconsin, usually growing with lady fern and fancy wood fern. Dryopteris carthusiana is a fertile tetraploid that is thought to have originated from hybridization between D. intermedia, a diploid species, and another diploid species now extinct. Hybrids with D. intermedia produce D. x triploidea Wherry. This is probably the most common sterile triploid hybrid among Wisconsin species of Dryopteris. It suggests a tall D. carthusiana but it can be distinguished by the combination of lower innermost pinnules only slightly larger than adjacent pinnules, glands on the indusia and deformed spores. Rare hybrids with D. cristata have been named D. x uliginosa (A.Braun) Druce, and hybrids with D. marginalis are D. x pittsfordensis Slosson.