Nature Atlas

How Nature Works
Sign In
Text size
100%
Theme
Specy

Male Fern

Ferns and Fern Allies

Male fern, Dryopteris filix-mas, is a fern of the family Dryopteridaceae found across much of the Northern Hemisphere in Europe, Asia and North America, typically growing in shaded woodlands and hedgerows. Its common name has no connection to plant sex, since ferns do not have male and female individuals the way flowering plants do; the name instead reflects an old herbal contrast with the more finely divided lady fern. Its rootstock was historically used in Europe as a folk remedy to expel intestinal tapeworms, an extract effective enough to see genuine medicinal use before safer treatments replaced it, though the compound is toxic in excess.

Facts
Classification
Diet
Photosynthetic Autotroph 1
System (Realm)
Terrestrial 1
Relationship to People
Eaten or Drunk by People 2
Comparison
NatureServe Rank
G5 Secure 3
CITES Appendix
Not Listed 4
Scientific Name
Dryopteris filix-mas 1
Conservation Status
Not Evaluated 5
Connections

Child Taxon Of

Dryopteris, Taxa
Source Wikidata: Male Fern

In Biome

Source NatureServe Explorer: Dryopteris filix-mas
Source NatureServe Explorer: Dryopteris filix-mas
In the Other Atlases

Found In

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Sources
1. Wikipedia: Dryopteris filix-mas
Wikipedia
  • Wikidata Q322994 (P225 taxon name)
  • lead sentence (diet), EntityId 316726
    Dryopteris filix-mas, the male fern, is a common fern of the temperate Northern Hemisphere, native to much of Europe, Asia, and North America.
  • lead paragraph (habitat realm), EntityId 316726
    It favours damp shaded areas in the understory of woodlands, but also shady places on hedge-banks, and rocks, and screes.
View the Source
2. Plants For A Future: Dryopteris filix-mas plant record
Plants For A FutureEdible Uses
Quote, Edible Uses
Young fronds - cooked[105, 177].
View the Source
3. NatureServe Explorer: Dryopteris filix-mas
NatureServe Explorer
  • Global rank (roundedGRank)
    "roundedGRank": "G5"
  • In Biome: Temperate Forest, Habitat comments: dense woods and talus slopes on limestone
    Dense woods and talus slopes on limestone in northeastern North America.
  • In Biome: Temperate Coniferous Forest, Habitat comments: coniferous forests and streamsides in Asia
    Coniferous forests and streamsides in Asia
View the Source
4. UNEP-WCMC Species+ database (CITES Secretariat): Species+: Polypodiales
UNEP-WCMC Species+ database (CITES Secretariat)Species+ taxon_concepts, id 12392
Quote, Species+ taxon_concepts, id 12392
"active":true,"cites_listing":"NC"
View the Source
5. GBIF Backbone Taxonomy (IUCN Red List category): IUCN Red List category of Dryopteris filix-mas
GBIF Backbone Taxonomy (IUCN Red List category)iucnRedListCategory record
Quote, iucnRedListCategory record
"category": "NOT_EVALUATED"
View the Source
GBIF Species API
GBIF Species APIView the Source
Wikidata: Male Fern
  • Wikidata Q322994, class allow-list match (w-wdresolver-0926)
  • Child Taxon Of: Dryopteris, Wikidata P171 (parent taxon)
View the Source
UNEP-WCMC Species+ database (CITES Secretariat): Species+: Dryopteridaceae
UNEP-WCMC Species+ database (CITES Secretariat)Species+ taxon_concepts, id 12480
Quote, Species+ taxon_concepts, id 12480
"active":true,"cites_listing":"NC"
View the Source
Comments (0)
No comments yet. Be the first to share a thought.
Reader Challenges (0)
No disputes yet. Spotted an error or a better source? Open the first one.