Dryopteris

Dryopteris

Many of the small to medium-sized ferns growing in the woods belong to a large group of woodferns with over 1200 species worldwide, included in the genus Dryopteris, though some species have had other generic names such as Aspidium. Many of them are evergreen, remaining under the snow in the winter time to emerge the following spring. Their leaves are subdivided and are definitely fernlike and the spore-bearing leaves look much the same as the sterile ones. Spore cases are covered by a kidney-shaped fruit-cover or indusium. [CH] {EN}