Montane. Rocks, moist areas. Summer.
Pagosa Springs area.

Dryopteris filix-mas leaf blades arch for their seven-to-forty inch length, easily attracting attention in their shaded niches in rocks, narrow canyon bottoms, thickets, moist woods, and stream banks.  Pinnae (the leaf segments) are longest near the middle and taper toward both ends.  The smallest individual leaf segments (the pinnules) are very finely serrated. 

Dryopteris filix-mas is a close relative of Christmas Ferns, Polystichum spp.

From specimens collected in Europe, Linnaeus named this Fern Polypodium filix-mas in 1753; Heinrich Schott renamed it Dryopteris filix-mas in 1834.   "Dryopteris" is derived from the Greek "drys" ("oak") and "pteris" ("fern").  Latin gives us both "filix" for "fern" and "mas" for "male".

Montane. Rocks, moist areas. Summer.
Vallecito Creek Trail, June 2, 2016 and September 12, 2011.

In the early spring, sori are very light green; by fall they ripen to golden brown.

Range map © John Kartesz,
Floristic Synthesis of North America

State Color Key

Species present in state and native
Species present in state and exotic
Species not present in state

County Color Key

Species present and not rare
Species present and rare
Species extirpated (historic)
Species extinct
Species noxious
Species exotic and present
Native species, but adventive in state
Eradicated
Questionable presence

Range map for Dryopteris filix-mas