Thelypteris dentata

Common Name: downy maiden fern, downy shield fern

Family: Thelypteridaceae

Common Synonyms: Thelypteris reducta

USDA Hardiness Zone: NA

Growth Habit: Small herb

Origin: Unknown

FISC Category: 2

FDACS Listed Noxious Weed: No

Introduction Date: Earliest Florida specimen vouchered in 1919

IFAS Assessment:

• North: OK
• Central: CAUTION
• South: CAUTION

Description

Stems short-creeping, 4--6 mm diam. Leaves often somewhat dimorphic, evergreen, often closely placed, 50--150 cm, fertile leaves with longer petioles and more contracted pinnae. Petiole often purplish brown, 15--50 cm × 3--6 mm, at base with brown, linear-lanceolate, hairy scales. Blade (25--)40--100 cm, 1--4(--6) proximal pairs of pinnae reduced, blade gradually tapered to pinnatifid apex. Pinnae 7--17 × 1--3 cm, incised 1/2--3/4 of width; segments rounded at apex, basal acroscopic segment of proximal pinnae often auriculate; proximal pair of veins from adjacent segments united at obtuse angle below sinus with excurrent vein 2--4 mm. Indument abaxially of uniformly short hairs 0.1--0.2 mm on costae, veins, and blade tissue; veins adaxially with stouter hairs, also with hairs 0.1--0.2 mm on blade tissue. Sori round, medial to supramedial; indusia tan, pubescent, hairs 0.1--0.3 mm; sporangial stalks with orangish, stalked glands. 2 n = 144.

Habitat

NA

Comments

NA

Control Methods

• Manual: NA
• Chemical: NA
• Biological: NA

Control Notes

NA

References

IFAS, UF. 2023. Assessment of Non-Native Plants in Florida's Natural Areas. https://assessment.ifas.ufl.edu/assessments/ Accessed August 9, 2023.

eFloras (2008). Published on the Internet http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=200003413 [accessed 8 August 2023] Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.