Home/Species/ Crested Shieldfern

Dryopteris cristata

(L.) Gray

Crested Shieldfern

G5Secure Found in 9 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →

G5SecureGlobal Rank

UnknownThreat Impact

Identity

Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.161205

Element CodePPDRY0A090

Record TypeSPECIES

ClassificationSpecies

Classification StatusStandard

Name CategoryVascular Plant

Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations

KingdomPlantae

PhylumFilicinophyta

ClassFilicopsida

OrderFilicales

FamilyDryopteridaceae

GenusDryopteris

Synonyms

Aspidium cristatum(L.) Sw.

Other Common Names

crested woodfern (EN) Crested Woodfern (EN) Dryoptère à crêtes (FR)

Concept Reference

Kartesz, J.T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. 2nd edition. 2 vols. Timber Press, Portland, OR.

Conservation Status

Rank Method Rank calculation - Biotics v2

Review Date2024-09-30

Change Date1986-02-19

Edition Date2024-09-30

Edition AuthorsJohnson, J. (2024)

Threat ImpactUnknown

Range Extent>2,500,000 square km (greater than 1,000,000 square miles)

Number of Occurrences> 300

Rank Reasons

Dryopteris cristata is a perennial fern with a broad distribution in temperate areas of the northern hemisphere. With a large range extent, more than 2000 occurrences, abundant habitat, and broad habitat preferences, this species is considered secure.

Range Extent Comments

Dryopteris cristata is native across a broad area of the eastern United States, Europe, and northwestern Asia. In North America, Dryopteris cristata is found from Manitoba east to Newfoundland and south as far as Mississippi with a disjunct cluster in southern British Columbia, northeast Washington, and northwest Montana. Range extent was estimated using herbarium specimens and photo-based observations documented between 1993 and 2024 (GBIF 2024, iNaturalist 2024, SEINet 2024).

Occurrences Comments

By applying a 1 km separation distance to herbarium records and photo-based observations documented between 1993 and 2024, there are estimated to be more than 2000 occurrences worldwide (GBIF 2024, iNaturalist 2024, SEINet 2024).

Threat Impact Comments

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

Ecology & Habitat

Description

Buckler Fern is an herbaceous perennial with clustered fronds arising from a short rhizome. The stalked fronds have narrowly elliptic blades pinnately divided into numerous pairs of pinnately lobed leaflets, or pinnae. The fertile fronds, 3-6 dm long, are erect and deciduous, while the sterile ones are evergreen, smaller, and more lax. Clusters of spores, or sori are borne along either side of the pinnae midveins on the underside of fertile fronds. Sori are covered by a whitish, broadly horseshoe-shaped membrane, or indusium.

Diagnostic Characteristics

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. Dryopteris cristata hybridizes with five species; these hybrids can be identified by the narrow blades and deltate proximal pinnae (FNA 1993).

Habitat

Dryopteris cristata grows in swamps, swampy woods, or open shrubby wetlands (FNA 1993).

Palustrine Habitats

HERBACEOUS WETLANDSCRUB-SHRUB WETLANDFORESTED WETLAND

Other Nations (2)

CanadaN5

Province	Rank	Native
Manitoba	S3	Yes
Nova Scotia	S5	Yes
Saskatchewan	S3	Yes
Prince Edward Island	S5	Yes
Ontario	S5	Yes
New Brunswick	S5	Yes
Alberta	S3	Yes
Island of Newfoundland	S3	Yes
Quebec	S5	Yes
British Columbia	S4	Yes

United StatesN5

Province	Rank	Native
West Virginia	S4	Yes
Ohio	SNR	Yes
New York	S5	Yes
Illinois	S2	Yes
Washington	S2	Yes
North Carolina	S3	Yes
Massachusetts	SNR	Yes
Alabama	SNR	Yes
New Hampshire	SNR	Yes
Maryland	SNR	Yes
Georgia	SNA	No
Iowa	S3	Yes
Indiana	SNR	Yes
Minnesota	SNR	Yes
Rhode Island	SNR	Yes
Tennessee	S2	Yes
New Jersey	S4	Yes
Michigan	SNR	Yes
Virginia	S5	Yes
Connecticut	SNR	Yes
Vermont	S5	Yes
Missouri	S1	Yes
District of Columbia	SNR	Yes
Idaho	S2	Yes
Wisconsin	SNR	Yes
Pennsylvania	S5	Yes
North Dakota	S3	Yes
Nebraska	S1	Yes
Delaware	S4	Yes
Montana	S3	Yes
Maine	SNR	Yes

Threat Assessments

Threat	Scope	Severity	Timing
1 - Residential & commercial development	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown
2 - Agriculture & aquaculture	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown
5 - Biological resource use	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown
5.3 - Logging & wood harvesting	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown
7 - Natural system modifications	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown
7.2 - Dams & water management/use	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown

Plant Characteristics

DurationPERENNIAL

Economic Value (Genus)No

Roadless Areas (9)

Michigan (1)

Area	Forest	Acres
Delirium	Hiawatha National Forest	190

Montana (1)

Area	Forest	Acres
Lebeau RA 1507	Flathead National Forest	5,450

North Carolina (1)

Area	Forest	Acres
Overflow Creek	Nantahala National Forest	3,379

Tennessee (2)

Area	Forest	Acres
Flint Mill Gap	Cherokee National Forest	9,494
Slide Hollow	Cherokee National Forest	4,057

Washington (2)

Area	Forest	Acres
Abercrombie - Hooknose	Colville National Forest	33,862
Salmo - Priest B	Colville National Forest	11,869

West Virginia (2)

Area	Forest	Acres
Cranberry Glades Botanical Area	Monongahela National Forest	785
Falls Of Hills Creek	Monongahela National Forest	6,925

References (9)

Britton, D. M. 1972. The spores of DRYOPTERIS CLINTONIANA and its relatives. Canadian Journal of Botany 50:2027-2029.
Caicco, S. L. 1987. Field investigations of selected sensitive plant species on the Idaho Panhandle National Forest. Idaho Natural Heritage Program, Idaho Department of Fish and Game, Boise, Idaho. 44 pp.
Carlson, T. M. and W. H. Wagner 1982. The North American distribution of the genus DRYOPTERIS. Contr. Univ. Mich. Herb. 15:141-162.
Cody, W.J., and D.M. Britton. 1985. Male fern, <i>Dryopteris filix-mas</i>, a phytogeographically important discovery in northern Saskatchewan. Canadian Field-Naturalist 99(1):101.
Flora of North America Editorial Committee (FNA). 1993a. Flora of North America north of Mexico. Vol. 2. Pteridophytes and gymnosperms. Oxford Univ. Press, New York. xvi + 475 pp.
Greuter, W., B. Zimmer, and H.-D. Bdhnke (eds.). 1987. Abstracts from the XIV International Botanical Congress. 24 July-01 Aug. Berlin, Germany. 272 pp.
Kartesz, J.T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. 2nd edition. 2 vols. Timber Press, Portland, OR.
Montgomery, J.D. and W.H. Wagner Jr. 2020. Flora of North America: <i>Dryopteris cristata</i>. Accessed: September 7, 2022. http://floranorthamerica.org/Dryopteris_cristata
Southern Appalachian Species Viability Project. 2002. A partnership between the U.S. Forest Service-Region 8, Natural Heritage Programs in the Southeast, NatureServe, and independent scientists to develop and review data on 1300+ regionally and locally rare species in the Southern Appalachian and Alabama region. Database (Access 97) provided to the U.S. Forest Service by NatureServe, Durham, North Carolina.

Dryopteris cristata

Description

Diagnostic Characteristics

Habitat

—