Dryopteris campyloptera

Dryopteris campyloptera, also known as the mountain wood fern, is a large American fern of higher elevations and latitudes. It was formerly known as Dryopteris spinulosa var. americana. This species also has been mistakenly referred to as D. austriaca and D. dilatata.

Dryopteris campyloptera
Conservation status
Secure  (NatureServe)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Division:	Polypodiophyta
Class:	Polypodiopsida
Order:	Polypodiales
Suborder:	Polypodiineae
Family:	Dryopteridaceae
Genus:	Dryopteris
Species:	D. campyloptera
Binomial name
Dryopteris campyloptera (Kunze) Clarkson
Synonyms
List Aspidium campylopterum Kunze Aspidium spinulosum var. concordianum (Davenp.) Eastman Dryopteris austriaca Woynar Dryopteris austriaca var. concordiana (Davenp.) C.V.Morton Dryopteris dilatata var. americana (Fisch. ex Kuntze) Benedict Dryopteris dilatata subsp. campyloptera (Clarkson) C.V.Morton Dryopteris intermedia var. concordiana (Davenp.) M.Broun Dryopteris intermedia f. concordiana (Davenp.) Clute Dryopteris spinulosa var. americana (Fisch. ex Kuntze) Fernald Dryopteris spinulosa var. concordiana (Davenp.) Eastman Filix spinulosa var. americana (Fisch. ex Kuntze) Farw. Filix spinulosa var. concordiana (Davenp.) Farw. Filix-mas rigida var. americana (Fisch. ex Kuntze) Farw. Filix-mas spinulosa var. americana (Fisch. ex Kuntze) Farw. Nephrodium spinulosum var. concordianum Davenp. Thelypteris dilatata var. americana (Fisch. ex Kuntze) House Thelypteris spinulosa var. americana (Fisch. ex Kuntze) Weath. Thelypteris spinulosa var. concordiana (Davenp.) Weath.

A distinctive feature of this fern is that the bottom innermost pinnule on the basal pinnae spans approximately the first two top innermost pinnules on the same pinnae.

This fern is a tetraploid species of hybrid origin, the parents being Dryopteris intermedia and Dryopteris expansa. Phenotypologically, the fern greatly resembles the second parent.

In West Virginia, this species may only be found above 3800 feet elevation, but is a part of the normal flora in northern New England.