Cystopteris protrusa - Lowland bladder fern (Cystopteridaceae).
Rich forests or boulder fields. Mt: Common; Pd: Uncommon; CP: Absent.
Note that the veinlets reach the pinnule margins in this species (photo at right). Veinlets do not reach the margins in the superficially similar Woodsia obtusa (below).

      

Woodsia obtusa - Blunt-lobed cliff fern (Woodsiaceae).
Outcrops (not restricted to cliffs per se). Mt: Common; Pd: Common; CP: Uncommon.
Veinlets do not reach the pinnule margins in this species (in contrast to Cystopteris protrusa [see above]).

      

Myriopteris lanosa - Hairy lipfern (Pteridaceae).
Dry outcrops. Mt: Common; Pd: Uncommon; CP: Absent.
Note the long hairs on the rachis and pinnae, which help distinguish this species from Cystopteris protrusa and Woodsia obtusa (see above).

      

Asplenium montanum - Mountain spleenwort (Aspleniaceae).
Crevices in rock outcrops, mostly at medium to high elevations, but also lower. Mt: Common; Pd: Common; CP: Absent.

      

Anchistea virginica - Virginia chain fern (Blechnaceae).
Bogs, depressions, bottomlands, pocosins. Mt: Uncommon; Pd: Uncommon; CP: Common.
Note how the veinlets near the center of each pinnule come together to form slightly curved cells.

      

Osmunda claytoniana - Interrupted fern (Osmundaceae).
Moist to dry forest, woodlands, and balds. Mt: Common; Pd: Rare; CP: Absent.
Note that the veinlets have a "wishbone" appearance, a character state shared with Osmundastrum cinnamomea (see below) and Thelypteris palustris (see below). However, the pinnules are much narrower and not as broadly rounded in both of these species. In addition, the veinlets near the tip of the pinnules are often twice divided in O. claytoniana, whereas in T. palustris, they are divided only once or not at all.

      

Osmundastrum cinnamomea - Cinnamon fern (Osmundaceae).
Bottomlands, bogs, pocosins, wetlands. Mt: Common; Pd: Common; CP: Common.
Note that the veinlets have a "wishbone" appearance, branching once before reaching the margin. This character state is shared with Osmunda claytoniana and Thelypteris palustris. However, note the presence of curly hairs in O. cinnamomea.

      

Parathelypteris noveboracensis - New York fern (Thelypteridaceae).
Bottomlands, moist forests, bogs. Mt: Common; Pd: Common; CP: Uncommon.
Note the elliptic shape of the frond, with a more or less even taper from the middle to the tip and base. In addition, note the relatively long pinnule marginal hairs, as well as that the veinlets rarely, if at all, branch before reaching the margin.

      

Thelypteris palustris - Marsh fern (Thelypteridaceae).
Bogs, marshes, bottomland forests. Mt: Uncommon; Pd: Common; CP: Common.
Note that the veinlets have a "wishbone" appearance, branching once before reaching the pinnule margin. This character state is shared with Osmunda claytoniana and Osmundastrum cinnamomea (see above). However, Osmunda claytoniana exhibits distinctly broader and more rounded pinnules and the veinlets often branch more than once near the tip of the pinnule (in T. palustris, the veinlets near the pinnule tip branch only once or not at all). Osmundastrum cinnamomea exhibits curly hairs on the pinnae.

      

Athyrium asplenioides - Southern lady fern (Athyriaceae).
Moist forests. Mt: Common; Pd: Common; CP: Common.
One of our most common ferns of moist woods throughout the state. Pinnule margins in this species can vary from shallowly to deeply toothed (consequently, the species also appears in the next section). Note that the rachis and costal grooves are continuous with one another (inset) and that pinnule margins are doubly toothed, especially toward the base of the pinnule (arrowed). The species could be confused at a glance with Deparia acrostichoides, but that species exhibits pinnules singly toothed, rachises hairy above, and rachis and costa grooves discontinuous with one another (see below).

      

Deparia acrostichoides - Silvery spleenwort (Athyriaceae).
Moist forests. Mt: Common; Pd: Uncommon; CP: Rare.
In contrast to both Athyrium asplenioides and Dryopteris marginalis, the rachis groove in D. acrostichoides is not continuous with that of the costa (inset). Note also the more or less appressed, antrorse hairs on the upper side of the rachis.

      

Dryopteris marginalis - Marginal wood-fern (Dryopteridaceae).
Rocky/boulderfield forests. Mt: Common; Pd: Uncommon; CP: Rare.
As in Athyrium asplenioides (but in contrast to Deparia acrostichoides), the rachis groove is continuous with that of the costa (inset). In contrast to Athyrium asplenioides, the pinnule margins are only singly toothed (doubly so in A. asplenioides).

      

Athyrium asplenioides - Southern lady fern (Athyriaceae).
Moist forests. Mt: Common; Pd: Common; CP: Common.
One of our most common ferns of moist woods throughout the state. Pinnule margins in this species can vary from shallowly to deeply toothed (consequently, the species also appears in the preceding section). Note that the rachis and costal grooves are continuous with one another and that pinnule margins are doubly toothed, especially toward the base and middle of the pinnule (arrowed). Doubly-toothed pinnule margins are also found in Dennstaedtia punctilobula, but the rachis and costae in that species exhibit stiff, spreading hairs (see below).

      

Dennstaedtia punctilobula - Hay-scented fern (Dennstaedtiaceae).
Various habitats from rocky woods to outcrops and roadsides. Mt: Common; Pd: Uncommon; CP: Rare.
This species shares doubly toothed pinnule margins with Athyrium asplenioides (see above). However, in contrast to that species, D. punctilobula exhibits a conspicuously hairy rachis and costae, with stiff, spreading hairs. In addition, the pinnule margins are generally also more deeply toothed.

      

Dryopteris intermedia - Fancy fern (Dryopteridaceae).
Moist forests. Mt: Common; Pd: Uncommon; CP: Rare.
Note the sharp-tipped pinnule teeth (arrowed), a character state absent in Athyrium asplenioides and Dennstaedtia punctilobula (see above).