44. Dryopteris hondoensis Koidz. (Acta Phytotax.Geobot. 1: 31. 1932).—Fig. 46.

Rhizome ascending to sometimes short-creeping, branching to form inconspicuous crowns slightly distant from one another. Stipes in clusters, the scales light brown to blackish brown, larger scales narrowly triangular to ca. 10 mm long, dull, margins entire or sometimes with occasional fimbriations; blade triangular (frond 50—70 cm long), 2-pinnate to 3-pinnate or nearly so on larger fronds of old plants; bullate scales of the costa mostly light to medium brown, usually falling, frequently absent; pinnae pinnatifid to pinnate, apex pinnatifid to an acute or acuminate apex (proximal pinnae conspicuously stalked on more divided fronds on native plants); pinnules oblong, the margins incised-lobed or serrate, toothed, the apical teeth mostly acute or short spinescent, the basiscopic pinnule next to the rachis on the lowest pinnae usually reduced. Sori medial; indusia round-reniform, grayish white (for red indusia see f. rubisora).

Dryopteris hondoensis is an apogamous triploid fern from Japan. When young, this species looks very much like D. erythrosora and is often sold as such in the trade. At maturity, Dryopteris erythrosora is a larger, less compact plant, and its fronds tend to be more oblong and arching rather than more triangular and spreading with little arching as in D. hondoensis. Dryopteris erythrosora has a very stout crown which may divide to form more crowns adjacent to each other, while crowns of D. hondoensis are smaller and more distant. Stipe scales of D. erythrosora are darker, appearing somewhat stiff and glossy with smooth margins, but those of D. hondoensis are a lighter color, appearing softer, dull with slightly irregular margins sometimes bearing a few fimbriations. Other less consistent differences are: the pinnules or segments of D. erythrosora are narrower and more pointed, whereas those of D. hondoensis are broader and rounder at the apex; the indusia are generally closer to the pinnule midrib, neatly aligned and closely placed, in D. erythrosora , whereas they are more medial, and not so closely placed in D. hondoensis; the darker more persistent bullate scales and more brittle fronds of D. erythrosora differ some from the lighter colored, less persistent bullate scales (said to be absent on some wild forms), and less brittle fronds of D. hondoensis. Japanese botanists place much emphasis on the conspicuously stalked proximal pinnae found only on well developed fronds of older plants. This stalk is not conspicuous on U.S. cultivated plants.

Dryopteris hondoensis is a medium size fern hardy to a January average above 30°F. This species is more or less evergreen with new growth often reddish, and it is easily cultivated.

Plants with red sori are known as follows:

D. hondoensis f. rubisora Kurata (J. of Geobot. 13(2): 42. 1964).—in the red rather than grayish white color of the indusia.