5. Dryopteris affinis (Lowe) Fraser-Jenk. (Fern Gaz. 12: 56. 1979). —Yellow golden-scaled male-fern, scaly male-fern, common golden-scaled male-fern.— Fig. 6.

D. abbreviata (DC.) Newman ex Manton non (Schrader) Kuntze

D. pseudomas (Woll.) Holub & Pouzar

Rhizome erect, producing offshoots. Stipe 1/6 to 1/4 the blade length, stipe and rachis densely scaly, scales mostly ovate-lanceolate, usually gold-brown often darker at the base; blade pinnate-pinnatifid or to 2-pinnate at the base next to the rachis, mostly lanceolate, to ca. 100 cm long,30 cm wide, dark bluish-green, new growth yellow-green, leathery; pinna costa on underside next to the rachis usually with a blackish blotch, the costal scales lanceolate; pinnules often lobed or slightly auriculate at the base, lowest basiscopic pinnule next to the rachis adnate to the costa on distal side or winged to the next pinnule; segments parallel sided and subentire, margins slightly recurved, segment apex usually obtuse to subtruncate and bearing wide-based but acute to obtuse pointed teeth. Sori medial; indusia thick and when young with margins tucked under sorus.

Dryopteris affinis is native to Europe to the Caspian Sea and northwest Africa. This species is best recognized by the dark blotch on the underside of the costa next to the rachis, although it is absent on a plant reportedly from Madeira, and may fade in dried specimens of ssp. borreri (Newman) Fraser-Jenk. It may be faintly present on sun-exposed, old, leathery fronds of D. filix-mas, and is present on fresh fronds of D. pseudo-filix-mas. Should fronds of D. filix-mas have faint blotches they may be separated by its slightly tapered segments with sharper teeth extending down the sides of the segment and the stipe and rachis scales that are pale, thin, membranous and variable in width. In southers California, D. filix-mas also tends to become deciduous much earlier than the does D. affinis. Dryopteris pseudo-filix-mas may be separated from D. affinis by the characters in the key.

Dryopteris affinis is a very difficult species complex and the delineation of its many variants is quite controversial. Some botanists maintain an informal approach and designate the variants as morphotypes, whereas others take a more formal approach and designate them as subspecies. Even with experience most variants are difficult to separate. For more details on the subspecies or morphotypes see Jermy and Camus (1991), Stace (1989), Fraser-Jenkins (1982, 1996), Hutchinson and Thomas (1996), Dyer (1996), Jermy (1996), and Piggott (1997).

Studies on D. affinis subspecies (or morphotypes) are incomplete and emphasize mostly British natives. The native origin of cultivated plants is usually unknown and some may be subspecies different from the British natives. Therefore the following treatment of the cultivated plants should be regarded as tentative.

The following subspecies and hybrids have been found in U.S. cultivation and most grow well in southern California:

5.1 Dryopteris affinis ssp. affinis—Western scaly male fern.

Description and distribution the same as for the species. Stipe scales dense, deep gold to dark gold; blade glossy, thin-leathery, base more or less tapering; segment apex rounded with obtuse to slightly acute teeth; indusia thick, well tucked under the sporangia, not shriveling but lifting slightly at maturity. Attractive for its densely scaly stipe, glossy dark bluish-green colored fronds. Particularly noticeable is the yellow-green color of new growth. Diploid, apogamous. It is hardy to a January average of 25°F, deciduous to semi-deciduous, the old fronds often lasting until spring, easily cultivated. The plant circulating among gardeners as D. affinis from Madeira is distinct by the absence of a dark spot at the base of the pinna costa on the abaxial side, and the presence of very minute glands on the indusial margin and on the tissue protruding from the upper surface of the indusium near the center. These observations were made on plants growing in southern California. It is uncertain what the taxonomic status of this plant is. It is a sturdy grower and tends to produce a stout rhizome bearing fronds in a well defined fascicular pattern. The stipes are noticeably short and thick. The spores were reportedly collected by Clive Jerny in Madeira, Spain, and weere grown and distributed by Judith Jones.

5.2. Dryopteris affinis ssp. borreri (Newman) Fraser-Jenk. (Willdenowia 10: 110. 1980.—Borrer’s scaly male fern,
          common scaly male fern.

Stipe scales moderately dense, pale straw to mid brown with dark bases; blade slightly glossy, base truncate; segment apex squarely truncate to more pointed with sharp acute teeth frequently longer at the corners (resembling cat’s ears) rarely with the lowest basiscopic pinnule next to the rachis elongate and pinnatifid; indusia thin, with partial flat rim, lifting into a disc, then into a cone at maturity. Same range as ssp. affinis. Triploid (2n=123), apogamous, culture as for the ssp. affinis, fronds dying back progressively through the winter.

5.3 Dryopteris affinis ssp. cambrensis Fraser-Jenk. in L.N. Derrick, Jermy & A.M. Paul (Sommerfeltia 6: xi.
        1987).—Narrow scaly male fern.

Stipe scales, dense, ginger to reddish gold; blade slightly glossy, narrowly elliptic to oblanceolate, base tapering, segment apex rounded-truncate to more pointed with slightly obtuse to acute teeth; indusia thick, with margins just enclosing the sporangia, shriveling and lifting to form a cone upon maturity. Range same as for the species except absent in parts of central and S. Europe. Triploid (2n=123), apogamous, culture as for ssp. affinis, fronds dying back rapidly after first frost.

5.4 Dryopteris. ¥complexa Fraser-Jenk. in L.N. Derrick, Jermy & A.M. Paul (Sommerfeltia 6:xi. 1987).

Stipe scales moderately dense, brown; blade lanceolate to ovate-lanceolate, matte, base slightly narrowed, truncate, pinnae outline somewhat uneven, segment margins shallowly crenate-lobed or toothed, segment apex round-truncate; indusia shriveling and lifting to form a distorted cone when mature,. spores mostly aborted. A hybrid of D. affinis ¥ filix-mas. Range uncertain, probably where both parents exist. Tetraploid (2n=164), apogamous. Widely sold in the trade as D. filix-mas undulata robusta (sometimes as D. affinis ¥ filix-mas "Robust’ or D. undulata). Culture as for ssp. affinis, semi-deciduous. Vigorous growing, producing many fronds with pinnae often overlapping slightly to give a full foliaceous appearance.

In addition, the following cultivars have been found in the U.S. trade:

Dryopteris affinis ‘Congesta Cristata’. —Fronds dwarf to 23 cm, congested and crested.

Dryopteris affinis ‘Crispa’.—Frond dwarf and broad, to 20 cm long and 14 cm wide, crisped and congested, the
segments held in different planes or somewhat twisted giving an irregular outline; from ssp. affinis. Plants by this name in the current trade are normal sized with segments twisted.

Dryopteris affinis ‘Crispa Gracilis’.—Dwarf, congested, upright leathery fern with the pinnae apices curved and hook-like. It has similar culture requirements to sssp. affinis from which it originated. Probably the same as the plant sold in the Dutch trade as D. ‘Crispa Congesta’ or D. ‘Congesta Crispa’.

Dryopteris affinis ‘Cristata’ ( ‘Cristata The King’) .—Fronds to 120 cm, arching blade apex and pinnae each ending in a tassel; from ssp. affinis.

Dryopteris affinis ‘Cristata Angustata’.—Like cv. Cristata except narrower and smaller, to ca. 45 cm long by 5 cm wide; from ssp. affinis. Current trade material by this name reaches 80 cm by 7 cm.

Dryopteris affinis ‘Grandiceps’.—Frond apex wih a heavy terminal crest.

Dryopteris affinis ‘Polydactyla’.—A group of crested forms with flat tassels on the pinnae tips and 2 large crests on the blade apex.

Dryopteris affinis ‘Revolvens’.—Tips of pinnae recurved, fronds to 100 cm.; from ssp. borreri.

Dryopteris affinis ‘Stableri’.—Erect to slightly arching, narrow fronds, to 1 m. Reported to be a hybrid between D. affinis var. affinis ‘Pinderi’ (an abnormal narrow form of the species) and D. filix-mas (Fraser-Jenkins, 1996).

Dryopteris affinis ‘Stableri Crisped’.—Very upright narrow fronds of medium height, margins crisped.