Ontario Ferns website

Marginal Shield Fern
Dryopteris marginalis

Marginal Shield Fern (Dryopteris marginalis) Other common names: Marginal Wood Fern

Other scientific names: Aspidium marginale, Polypodium marginale, Thelypteris marginalis

French names: Dryoptère à sores marginaux 

Family: Wood Fern Family (Dryopteridaceae)

Similar species:
  •   Wood Ferns

  •   Long Beech Fern (Phegopteris connectilis) - also has sori along the edges of the leaflets, but has an entirely different overall shape.

  •   Ostrich Fern (Matteuccia struthiopteris)

  •   Cinnamon Fern (Osmundastrum cinnamomeum)

Fronds: Twice divided

Habitat: Forests

Native/Non-native: Native

Status: Somewhat common.

Photographs: 105 photographs available, of which 14 are featured on this page. SCROLL DOWN FOR PHOTOGRAPHS.

Range Map is at the bottom of the page

Marginal Shield Fern (Dryopteris marginalis)

Here's how this fern gets its name - the sori are arranged along the margins of the leaflets (on the underside).

Marginal Shield Fern (Dryopteris marginalis)

A different plant, with fewer sori. Note that "margins" includes the places where the margin goes inward to a notch.

Marginal Shield Fern (Dryopteris marginalis)

Closeup view of developing sori (early July).

Marginal Shield Fern (Dryopteris marginalis)

Sori in early November.

Marginal Shield Fern (Dryopteris marginalis)

A Marginal Shield Fern in the woods.

Marginal Shield Fern (Dryopteris marginalis)

Marginal Shield Fern (Dryopteris marginalis)

Typical frond.

Marginal Shield Fern (Dryopteris marginalis)

Marginal Shield Fern (Dryopteris marginalis)

Marginal Shield Fern (Dryopteris marginalis)

Marginal Shield Fern (Dryopteris marginalis)

A herbarium specimen.

(Royal Botanical Gardens herbarium, Burlington, Ontario)..

Marginal Shield Fern (Dryopteris marginalis)

Marginal Shield Fern (Dryopteris marginalis)

The tip of the frond.

Marginal Shield Fern (Dryopteris marginalis)

Base of the plant. Note the stems (stalks) are scaly, and that all the fronds arise from one point.


Range map for Marginal Shield Fern (Dryopteris marginalis)

PLEASE NOTE: A coloured Province or State means this species occurs somewhere in that Province/State.
The entire Province/State is coloured, regardless of where in that Province/State it occurs.

(Range map provided courtesy of the USDA website and is displayed here in accordance with their Policies)