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Dicranopteris flexuosa
Drooping Forked Fern
Florida native
A rare fern of open disturbed slopes in the central peninsula and also found in scattered locations from south Florida to the western Panhandle. The distribution includes Alabama, the Caribbean, Central America and South America.
A distinctive fern with fronds repeatedly branching into forked pairs. Blades are lanceolate in outline, 9-30cm (3-1/2 to 12 in.) long and 2-6cm (3/4 to 2-1/3 in.) wide, deeply pinnatifed with alternately arranged pinnules. Stems, petioles and rachis may be green, straw-colored or reddish-brown. Clusters of round yellowish sporangia are arranged near the midrib.
Dicranopteris flexuosa is a member of the Gleicheniaceae - Forking Fern family.
Atlas of Florida Vascular Plants (Institute for Systemic Botany) profile for this species
USDA Plant Profile for this species
Date record last modified: Jan 30, 2023
