Dryopteris
Dryopteris, commonly called the wood ferns, male ferns, or buckler ferns, is a fern genus in the family Dryopteridaceae, subfamily Dryopteridoideae, according to the Pteridophyte Phylogeny Group classification of 2016. There are about 300-400 species in the genus. The species are distributed in Asia, the Americas, Europe, Africa, and the Pacific islands, with the highest diversity in eastern Asia. It is placed in the family Dryopteridaceae, subfamily Dryopteridoideae, according to the Pteridophyte Phylogeny Group classification of 2016. Many of the species have stout, slowly creeping rootstocks that form a crown, with a vase-like ring of fronds. The sori are round, with a peltate indusium. The stipes have prominent scales.
Hybridization and polyploidy are well-known phenomena in this group, with many species formed via these processes. The North American Dryopteris hybrid complex is a well-known example of speciation via allopolyploid hybridization.
The fossil record of this genus shows that it was widespread even as far back as the Cretaceous with fossils being found in Late Cretaceous rock layers from North America down to Antarctica.
Selected species
The genus has a large number of species. The PPG I classification suggested there were about 400 species; as of 2020, the Checklist of Ferns and Lycophytes of the World listed 328 species and 83 hybrids. Some genera sunk into Dryopteris, such as Dryopsis and Nothoperanema, are distinguished by other sources.- Dryopteris acutodentata
- Dryopteris adnata
- Dryopteris aemula – hay-scented buckler fern
- Dryopteris affinis – scaly male fern
- Dryopteris aitoniana
- Dryopteris × alejandrei
- Dryopteris × algonquinensis
- Dryopteris alpestris
- Dryopteris × alpirsbachensis
- Dryopteris amblyodonta
- Dryopteris × ambroseae
- Dryopteris amurensis
- Dryopteris aneitensis
- Dryopteris angustifrons
- Dryopteris angustipalea
- Dryopteris annamensis
- Dryopteris antarctica
- Dryopteris anthracinisquama
- Dryopteris apiciflora
- Dryopteris approximata
- Dryopteris × apuana
- Dryopteris aquilinoides
- Dryopteris arborescens
- Dryopteris ardechensis
- Dryopteris × arecesiae
- Dryopteris arguta – coastal wood fern
- Dryopteris arunachalensis
- Dryopteris ascensionis
- Dryopteris assamensis
- Dryopteris × asturiensis
- Dryopteris athamantica
- Dryopteris atrata
- Dryopteris aurantiaca
- Dryopteris × australis
- Dryopteris austroindica
- Dryopteris bamleriana
- Dryopteris baniensis
- Dryopteris barbigera
- Dryopteris basisora
- Dryopteris × benedictii
- Dryopteris bernieri
- Dryopteris bhutanica
- Dryopteris bissetiana
- Dryopteris blandfordii
- Dryopteris bodinieri
- Dryopteris bojeri
- Dryopteris × boottii
- Dryopteris borbasii
- Dryopteris × brathaica
- Dryopteris × burgessii
- Dryopteris burnatii
- Dryopteris cacaina
- Dryopteris campyloptera – mountain wood fern
- Dryopteris camusiae
- Dryopteris × cantabrica
- Dryopteris caperata
- Dryopteris caroli-hopei
- Dryopteris carpatica
- Dryopteris carthusiana – narrow buckler fern
- Dryopteris caucasica
- Dryopteris caudipinna
- Dryopteris × cedroensis
- Dryopteris celsa – log fern
- Dryopteris chaerophyllifolia
- Dryopteris championii
- Dryopteris chichisimensis
- Dryopteris chinensis
- Dryopteris christenseniae
- Dryopteris chrysocoma
- Dryopteris cicatricata
- Dryopteris cinnamomea – cinnamon wood fern
- Dryopteris clarkei
- Dryopteris clintoniana – Clinton's wood fern
- Dryopteris cochleata
- Dryopteris cognata
- Dryopteris collucata
- Dryopteris commixta
- Dryopteris comorensis
- Dryopteris × complexa
- Dryopteris conjugata
- Dryopteris conversa
- Dryopteris coreanomontana
- Dryopteris corleyi
- Dryopteris × correllii
- Dryopteris costalisora
- Dryopteris crassirhizoma
- Dryopteris crinalis
- Dryopteris crispifolia
- Dryopteris cristata – crested buckler fern
- Dryopteris cycadina
- Dryopteris cyclopeltidiformis
- Dryopteris cyclosorus
- Dryopteris damingshanensis
- Dryopteris daozhenensis
- Dryopteris decipiens
- Dryopteris dehuaensis
- Dryopteris dickinsii
- Dryopteris dilatata – broad buckler fern
- Dryopteris dracomontana
- Dryopteris enneaphylla
- Dryopteris erythrosora – autumn fern
- Dryopteris erythrovaria
- Dryopteris expansa – northern buckler fern
- Dryopteris fadenii
- Dryopteris fangii
- Dryopteris filix-mas – male fern
- Dryopteris flemingii
- Dryopteris formosana
- Dryopteris fragrans – fragrant buckler fern, fragrant wood fern
- Dryopteris fructuosa
- Dryopteris fuscipes
- Dryopteris gamblei
- Dryopteris goerigiana
- Dryopteris goldieana – Goldie's wood fern
- Dryopteris guanchica
- Dryopteris gymnophylla
- Dryopteris gymnosora
- Dryopteris hasseltii
- Dryopteris hendersoni
- Dryopteris hirtipes
- Dryopteris immixta
- Dryopteris inaequalis
- Dryopteris integriloba
- Dryopteris integripinnula
- Dryopteris intermedia – intermediate wood fern
- Dryopteris juxtaposita
- Dryopteris kinkiensis
- Dryopteris labordei
- Dryopteris lacera
- Dryopteris lepidopoda
- Dryopteris lepidorachis
- Dryopteris ludoviciana – southern wood fern
- Dryopteris macropholis
- Dryopteris marginalis – marginal wood fern
- Dryopteris mindshelkensis – rigid buckler fern
- Dryopteris monticola
- Dryopteris montigena
- Dryopteris nigropaleacea
- Dryopteris odontoloma
- Dryopteris oreades – mountain male fern
- Dryopteris pallida
- Dryopteris panda
- Dryopteris peninsulae
- Dryopteris podophylla
- Dryopteris polita
- Dryopteris raiateensis
- Dryopteris reflexosquamata
- Dryopteris remota – scaly buckler fern
- Dryopteris rosthornii
- Dryopteris sacrosancta
- Dryopteris saxifraga
- Dryopteris scottii
- Dryopteris sericea
- Dryopteris × shibipedis
- Dryopteris sichotensis
- Dryopteris sieboldii
- Dryopteris sikkimensis
- Dryopteris sordidipes
- Dryopteris sparsa
- Dryopteris squamiseta
- Dryopteris stenolepis
- Dryopteris subatrata
- Dryopteris subexaltata
- Dryopteris sublacera
- Dryopteris submarginata
- Dryopteris subtriangularis
- Dryopteris tenuicula
- Dryopteris tokyoensis – Tokyo wood fern
- Dryopteris tyrrhena
- Dryopteris uniformis
- Dryopteris varia
- Dryopteris villarii
- Dryopteris wallichiana – alpine wood fern
- Dryopteris wulingshanensis
- Dryopteris wuyishanica
- Dryopteris xanthomelas
- Dryopteris yongdeensis
- ''Dryopteris zayuensis''
Ecology
Cultivation and uses
Many Dryopteris species are widely used as garden ornamental plants, especially D. affinis, D. erythrosora, and D. filix-mas, with numerous cultivars.Dryopteris filix-mas was throughout much of recent human history widely used as a vermifuge, and was the only fern listed in the U.S. Pharmacopoeia.
Traditional use in Scandinavia against red mite infestation is to place fronds in nesting boxes under nesting material and under floor covering material.