Athyrium filix-femina

(Linnaeus) Roth ex Mertens

Arch. Bot. (Leipzig) 2(1): 106. 1799.

Common names: Lady fern athyrie fougère-femelle
Illustrated
Basionym: Polypodium filix-femina Linnaeus Sp. Pl. 2: 1090. 1753
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 2.

Stems short-creeping or ascending. Petiole straw-colored distally, 7–60 cm, base dark redbrown or black, swollen, with 2 rows of teeth; scales light to dark-brown, linear to ovatelanceolate, 7–20 × 1–5 mm. Blade elliptic, lanceolate to oblanceolate, 2-pinnate to 2-pinnate-pinnatifid, 18–30 × 5–50 cm, herbaceous but with cartilaginous margin, narrowed to base, apex acuminate. Pinnae sessile to short-stalked, linear-oblong to lanceolate, apex acuminate. Pinnules pinnatifid, segments oblong-linear to narrowly deltate, margins serrate. Rachis, costae, and costules glabrous or with glands or hairs. Veins pinnate. Sori straight, hooked at distal end, or horseshoe-shaped; indusia dentate or ciliate.

Distribution

Alta., B.C., Man., N.B., N.S., N.W.T., Nfld. and Labr. (Nfld.), Ont., P.E.I., Que., Sask., Yukon, Ala., Alaska, Ariz., Ark., Calif., Colo., Conn., Del., Fla., Ga., Idaho, Ill., Ind., Iowa, Kans., Ky., La., Maine, Mass., Md., Mich., Minn., Miss., Mo., Mont., N.C., N.Dak., N.H., N.J., N.Mex., N.Y., Nebr., Nev., Ohio, Okla., Oreg., Pa., R.I., S.C., S.Dak., Tenn., Tex., Utah, Va., Vt., W.Va., Wash., Wis., Wyo., Mexico, Central America, South America, Europe, Asia

Discussion

Athyrium filix-femina is circumboreal, and this or closely related species extend into Mexico, Central America, and South America. The delimitation and infraspecific classification of A. filix-femina need detailed study.

Varieties ca. 5 (4 in the flora).

Selected References

None.

Key

1 Petiole scales more than 1 cm; blades ca. 2 times length of petioles, elliptic to oblanceolate. > 2
1 Petiole scales 1 cm or less; blades 1-1.5 times length of petioles, elliptic to lanceolate. > 3
2 Pinnules narrowly deltate or oblong-lanceolate, nearly equilateral at base; indusia long-ciliate; spores yellow. Athyrium filix-femina var. cyclosorum
2 Pinnules linear-oblong or linear-lanceolate, inequilateral at base; indusia dentate or long-ciliate; spores brown. Athyrium filix-femina var. californicum
3 Petiole scales brown to dark brown; blades elliptic, narrowed to base, broadest near or just below middle; pinnae sessile or short-stalked; pinnules linear to oblong; indusia not glandular; spores yellow. Athyrium filix-femina var. angustum
3 Petiole scales light brown to brown; blades ovate-lanceolate to lanceolate, slightly narrowed to base, broadest just above base; pinnae usually stalked; pinnules oblong-lanceolate to narrowly deltate; indusia glandular or not; spores dark brown. Athyrium filix-femina var. asplenioides

"timeslengthofblade" is not declared as a valid unit of measurement for this property.

... more about "Athyrium filix-femina"
acuminate +
Masahiro Kato +
(Linnaeus) Roth ex Mertens +
black;dark redbrown +
persisting +
swollen +
Polypodium filix-femina +
simple to commonly +
18 cm180 mm <br />0.18 m <br /> (?) +  and 30 cm300 mm <br />0.3 m <br /> (?) +
narrowed;lanceolate;oblanceolate 2-pinnate +
reduced +
5 cm50 mm <br />0.05 m <br /> (50 cm500 mm <br />0.5 m <br />) +
roundish +
Lady fern +  and athyrie fougère-femelle +
Alta. +, B.C. +, Man. +, N.B. +, N.S. +, N.W.T. +, Nfld. and Labr. (Nfld.) +, Ont. +, P.E.I. +, Que. +, Sask. +, Yukon +, Ala. +, Alaska +, Ariz. +, Ark. +, Calif. +, Colo. +, Conn. +, Del. +, Fla. +, Ga. +, Idaho +, Ill. +, Ind. +, Iowa +, Kans. +, Ky. +, La. +, Maine +, Mass. +, Md. +, Mich. +, Minn. +, Miss. +, Mo. +, Mont. +, N.C. +, N.Dak. +, N.H. +, N.J. +, N.Mex. +, N.Y. +, Nebr. +, Nev. +, Ohio +, Okla. +, Oreg. +, Pa. +, R.I. +, S.C. +, S.Dak. +, Tenn. +, Tex. +, Utah +, Va. +, Vt. +, W.Va. +, Wash. +, Wis. +, Wyo. +, Mexico +, Central America +, South America +, Europe +  and Asia +
often +  and glabrous +
ciliate +  and dentate +
monomorphic +
straw-colored +
7 cm70 mm <br />0.07 m <br /> (60 cm600 mm <br />0.6 m <br />) +
sessile +  and short-stalked +
pinnatifid +
sessile +  and short-petiolulate +
Arch. Bot. (Leipzig) +
with glands or hairs +  and glabrous +
round +, cuplike +, hoodlike +, reniform +, falcate +  and linear +
light;dark-brown +
persistent +
linear;ovatelanceolate +
0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br /> (?) +  and 0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br /> (?) +
crenate +  and serrulate +
oblong-linear +  and narrowly deltate +
straight +
persistent +
with narrow sinus +  and attached +
discrete +
horseshoe--shaped +  and hooked +
Illustrated +
reniform +  and oblong +
dictyostelic +, unbranched +  and branched +
ascending +  and short-creeping +
Athyrium filix-femina +
Athyrium +
species +
epiphytic +  and hemiepiphytic +