Gymnocarpium dryopteris (L.) Newman

northern oak fern (Gymnocarpium dryopteris)

Gymnocarpium dryopteris, the western oakfern, common oak fern, oak fern, or northern oak fern, is a deciduous fern of the family Cystopteridaceae. It is widespread across much of North America and Eurasia. It has been found in Canada, the United States, Greenland, China, Japan, Korea, Russia, and most of Europe. It is a seedless, vascular plant that reproduces via spores and have a life cycle with alternating, free-living sporophyte and gametophyte phases.

Source: Wikipedia

Synonyms 23

Aspidium dryopteris, Carpogymnia dryopteris, Currania dryopteris, Dryopteris dryopteris, Dryopteris linnaeana, Dryopteris pulchella, Dryopteris pumila, Dryopteris triangularis, Filix pumila, Gymnocarpium dryopteris, Lastrea dryopteris, Nephrodium dryopteris, Phegopteris dryopteris, Phegopteris triangularis, Polypodium conjunctum, Polypodium dryopteris, Polystichum dryopteris, Thelypteris dryopteris, Phegopteris dryopteris var. minor, Polypodium dryopteris var. glabrum, Polypodium dryopteris var. glandulosum, Polypodium dryopteris var. rigidius, Phegopteris dryopteris f. interrupta

285,652 GBIF occurrences
20,733 iNaturalist observations

Conservation status code

Conservation: status label

Least Concern

Conservation: population trend

Stable

Conservation: year assessed

2017

IUCN Red List page

https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/18821343/85427035

Habitats

IUCN: population narrative

The species can occur in large numbers and locally cover large areas of forest ground. The plants are clonal and thus it is often difficult to count the individuals in a subpopulation. The overall population trend is stable.

IUCN: habitat narrative

The species is most commonly found in shady situations in coniferous and deciduous woods (Komarov 1968), on shady slopes, rocky slopes and sometimes on humid shaded masonry, often on siliceous substrates, but also sometimes on chalk where organic matter has sufficiently acidified the soil (Page 1997, Prelli 2001). It has a wide range, down to sea level in northern Europe, but in France it is mostly found at medium elevations (G. Rouhan pers. comm. 2016). Its elevation limits are 0 - 2,500 m.

IUCN: threats narrative

There are no major threats to the species. It is abundant, and even though deforestation can eradicate a certain subpopulation, it can recover and returns when the forest is regenerated.

IUCN: conservation narrative

When walls housing this species need repair, they are best re-grouted with traditional lime mortar, and when possible, at least some or all plants need to be left in place when grouting. The species can also be assisted by reintroducing it to new forest plantations, if required. It is not considered of conservation concern and it is found in protected areas throughout its range. It is assessed as Near Threatened in England (Stroh et al. 2014) and Least Concern in Serbia (Jakovljević et al. 2015).

IUCN: rationale

European regional assessment: Least Concern (LC)EU 28 regional assessment: Least Concern (LC)This is a widespread fern species that is locally abundant and whose population trend is stable. There are no major threats to the species, and it is therefore assessed as Least Concern.

Gymnocarpium dryopteris (L.) Newman

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