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Clinton's Woodfern
Dryopteris clintoniana (Dryopteris cristata var. clintoniana)
Clinton's woodfern originated as a hybrid of Goldie's fern and crested woodfern, and its characteristics are mostly intermediate between the two parents. The fertile fronds of Clinton's woodfern are taller, narrower, and more upright than its sterile fronds, but the difference is less pronounced than it is in crested woodfern. Like crested woodfern, Clinton's woodfern's lowest leaflets are broadly triangular. The fronds are wider than crested woodfern fronds, but narrower than Goldie's fern fronds.
• Family: Dryopteridaceae
• Habitat: wet woods, swamps
• Height: 2-4 feet
• Location of spores: underside of fronds
• Stipe (leaf stalk): green; dark brown and scaly at the base
• Growth pattern: asymmetric clump
• Persistence: evergreen
Photo © Don Lubin, courtesy of Ferns et al. of New England.
This Clinton's wood fern has only sterile fronds.
A Clinton's fern frond.
Underside of a leaflet from the frond shown above.