Dryopteris cristata (L.) A. Gray:
Brazil (South America)
China (Asia)
United States (North America)

Canada

Origin: Native

Regularity: Regularly occurring

Currently: Present

Confidence: Confident

United States

Origin: Unknown/Undetermined

Regularity: Regularly occurring

Currently: Unknown/Undetermined

Confidence: Confident

Global Range: Newf. to B.C., south to NC, TN, KN, ND, nw. MT, n. ID, and WA. Peripheral.

Dryopteris cristata is believed to be an allotetraploid derived from D . ludoviciana and an unknown diploid called " D . semicristata " by W. H. Wagner Jr. (1971). This ancestral taxon could have been either North American or Eurasian and may have become extinct during the last glaciation (T. J. Carlson and W. H. Wagner Jr. 1982). Dryopteris cristata hybridizes with five species; these hybrids can be identified by the narrow blades and deltate proximal pinnae.

Leaves dimorphic, 35--70 × 8--12 cm; fertile leaves dying back in winter; sterile leaves several, small, green through winter, forming "rosette." Petiole 1/4--1/3 length of leaf, scaly at least at base; scales scattered, tan. Blade green, narrowly lanceolate or with parallel sides, pinnate-pinnatifid, not glandular. Pinnae of fertile leaves twisted out of plane of blade and perpendicular to it, deltate; basal pinnae deltate, somewhat reduced, basal pinnules longer than adjacent pinnules, basal basiscopic pinnule and basal acroscopic pinnule equal; pinnule margins distantly serrate, with spiny teeth. Sori midway between midvein and margin of segments. Indusia lacking glands. 2 n = 164.

The broadly horseshoe-shaped indusium identifies this species as a Dryopteris. Other members of the genus in our area have more highly divided leaves and sterile and fertile fronds that are similar to each other.

Polypodium cristatum Linnaeus, Sp. Pl. 2: 1090. 1753

Swamps, swampy woods, or open shrubby wetlands; 0--1200 m; Alta., B.C., Man., N.B., Nfld., N.S., Ont., P.E.I., Que., Sask.; Ala., Conn., Del., Ill., Ind., Iowa, Maine, Md., Mass., Mich., Minn., Mont., Nebr., N.H., N.J., N.Y., N.C., N.Dak., Ohio, Pa., R.I., Tenn., Vt., Va., W.Va., Wis.; Europe.

Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLDS) Stats
Public Records: 1
Species: 1
Species With Barcodes: 1

Canada

Rounded National Status Rank: N5 - Secure

United States

Rounded National Status Rank: NNR - Unranked

Rounded Global Status Rank: G5 - Secure

Comments: Land-use conversion and habitat fragmentation via the alteration of wetland habitats threaten this species. Commercial forestry in the northern portion of its range may impact this species (Southern Appalachian Species Viability Project 2002).