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Woodwardia resources
Flora
Flora of North AmericaFlora of North America
Taxonomy
also distributionalso distribution

All Ferns
  Blechnaceae
   Woodwardia
     areolata
     virginica

 Other Genera
    Adiantum  Arachniodes
    Aspidotis  Asplenium
    Astrolepis  Athyrium
    Blechnum  Cheilanthes
    Cryptogramma  Cyrtomium
    Cystopteris  Dennstaedtia
    Deparia  Diplazium
    Dryopteris  Gymnocarpium
    Lygodium  Matteuccia
    Onoclea  Oreopteris
    Osmunda  Pellaea
    Phegopteris  Pleopeltis
    Polypodium  Polystichum
    Pteridium  Pteris
    Pyrrosia  Thelypteris
    Woodsia
 
Woodwardia Smith (Blechnaceae) Earlier placement: Polypodiaceae

Chain fern

Etymology Named for Thomas Jenkinson Woodward, (1745-1820), an English botanist.
Description Rhizome: long-creeping, scales.
Frond: deciduous, monomorphic or dimorphic.
Stipe: scaly or not, vascular bundles: variable.
Blade: pinnatifid to 1-pinnate-pinnatifid, thin-textured, scales on emergence in W. areolata, but glabrous later.
veins free or partly netted.
Sori: in chainlike rows, but distinct, along the costae, indusium: flap-like, opening towards the costa.
Distinctive Characteristics Linear sori adjacent to the costae characterize Woodwardia.
W. virginica: chains of sori
Woodwardia is characterized by chains of sori as shown here.  Photo: Dennis Woodland
Notes
Taxonomy The two species here have little in common. W. areolata is dimorphic, W. virginica monomorphic. W. areolata is net-veined throughout; W. virginica is basically free-veined with a net surrounding the sori. W. areolata has 2 vascular bundles; W. virginica has 7-9 at the base. W. areolata has scaly stipes; W. virginica is glabrous. These species were once in separate genera, and such (or fewer) differences continue to be regarded as sufficient to justify separation; FNA (see the resource above, left) intimates there is disagreement.
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