New York fern, thélyptéride de new york, fougère de New York

Polypodium noveboracense Linnaeus, Sp. Pl. 2: 1091. 1753; Dryopteris noveboracensis (Linnaeus) A. Gray; Parathelypteris noveboracensis (Linnaeus) Ching; Thelypteris thelypterioides (Michaux) Holub

Stems usually long-creeping, 1.5--2.5 mm diam. Leaves monomorphic, dying back in winter, mostly evenly spaced 1 cm or more (sun-gathering leaves in loose cluster), (25--)40--85 cm. Petiole straw-colored, 4--25 cm × 1--3 mm, at base with scales tan to reddish brown, ovate, glabrous. Blade elliptic, 15--60 cm, proximal 4--10 pinna pairs gradually smaller toward base (smallest often less than 5 mm), blade tapering gradually to pinnatifid apex. Pinnae deeply pinnatifid to within 1 mm of costa, 3--9(--13) × 1--2(--2.5) cm; segments oblong to linear, somewhat oblique, entire to crenulate; proximal pair of veins from adjacent segments meeting margin above sinus. Indument abaxially of moderately to densely set hairs to 1 mm on rachises, costae, and veins, glands lacking or yellowish to light orangish, mostly sessile on blade tissue; blades adaxially often with hairs on veins. Sori round, supramedial; indusia tan, often ciliate; sporangia glabrous. 2 n = 54.

Terrestrial in moist woods, especially near swamps, streams, and in vernal seeps of ravines, often in slightly disturbed secondary forests, frequently forming large colonies; 0--1100 m; St. Pierre and Miquelon; N.B., Nfld., N.S., Ont., P.E.I., Que.; Ala., Ark., Conn., Del., D.C., Ga., Ill., Ind., Ky., La., Maine, Md., Mass., Mich., Miss., N.H., N.J., N.Y., N.C., Ohio, Okla., Pa., R.I., S.C., Tenn., Vt., Va., W.Va.