About Dryopteris campyloptera (Kunze) Clarkson
Dryopteris campyloptera, commonly called the mountain wood fern, is a large fern native to America that grows at higher elevations and latitudes. It was previously classified as Dryopteris spinulosa var. americana, and has also been mistakenly identified as D. austriaca and D. dilatata. A unique characteristic of this species is that the bottom innermost pinnule on its basal pinnae is roughly the same length as the combined span of the first two top innermost pinnules on the same pinnae. Dryopteris campyloptera is a tetraploid species of hybrid descent, with parent species Dryopteris intermedia and Dryopteris expansa. In terms of physical appearance, it strongly resembles its second parent species, Dryopteris expansa. In West Virginia, this fern only occurs at elevations above 3800 feet, while it is a common component of the native flora in northern New England.
