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Key to Dryopteridaceae

Dryopteridaceae

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(c) harum.koh - CC-BY-SA
1 Leaf blades pentagonal in outline, ca. 1× as long as wide, the terminal pinna by far the largest; [introduced species, naturalized in moist ravines in SC]
(c) Bradley, Keith
(c) Cressler, Alan M.
1 Leaf blades lanceolate, oblong, or ovate in outline, 1.5× or more as long as wide.
(c) Bradley, Keith
  2 Costae rounded or flat on the upper surface; costae with dense, multicellular hairs
(c) Mae, Saryu - CC-BY
  2 Costae grooved on the upper surface; costae lacking hairs.
(c) Ward, Scott G
    3 Indusium reniform, attached laterally and with a sinus on one side
(c) Mae, Saryu - CC-BY
    3 Indusium peltate, round.
      4 Rhizomes creeping, leaves single; leaf blade < 40 cm long
      4 Rhizomes erect or ascending, leaves clustered; leaf blade > 40 cm.
(c) 渡辺仁, Hitoshi WATANABE - CC-BY
        5 Veins anastamosing, rejoining to form a netlike pattern; pinnae 4-25 pairs per leaf; [non-native, rarely naturalized]
(c) Fleming, Gary P.
        5 Veins branching dichotomously, free, not rejoining to form a netlike pattern; pinnae 25-50 pairs on larger leaves; [plant a common native species]