Dryopteridaceae

Southern woodfern

Dryopteris ludoviciana (Kunze) Small

Family: Dryopteridaceae
Genus: Dryopteris

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Southern woodfern: Photograph of the leaves of the Southern Wood Fern en ( Dryopteris ludoviciana en ). Photo taken at the Mt. Cuba Center where it was identified. Camera and Expo — Photo: Photo by and, CC BY-SA 2.5, from Wikimedia Commons

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Common names

By language (1)

English: Southern woodfern

Synonyms

Aspidium cristatum var. floridanum Christ
Aspidium floridanum Eaton
Aspidium ludovicianum Kunze
Dryopteris floridana (Hook.) Kuntze
Filix floridana Farw.
Filix-mas cristata var. floridana Farw.
Lastrea floridana (Hook.) K.Koch
Lastrea floridanum J.Sm.
Lastrea petiolata Riddell
Nephrodium floridanum Hook.

Characteristics

Growth habit: Forb/herb
Lifespan: Perennial
In the US and Canada: Lower 48 states: native

Photos

Photo: Photo by and, CC BY-SA 2.5, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Leila Dasher, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist
Photo: Étienne Lacroix-Carignan, CC0, from iNaturalist
Photo: Photo by and, CC BY-SA 2.5, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: harrier, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist
Photo: Photo by and, CC BY-SA 2.5, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Anne P, CC0, from iNaturalist
Photo: Photo by David J. Stang, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Laura Gaudette, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist
Photo: Photo by David J. Stang, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Étienne Lacroix-Carignan, CC0, from iNaturalist
Photo: Photo by David J. Stang, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons

More in Dryopteris

Sources: classification, synonyms from World Flora Online Plant List (2026-06, CC0 1.0); common names, popularity from Wikidata (2026-10-26, CC0 1.0); common names, US characteristics from USDA PLANTS Database (2025-05-29, CC0 1.0). About our plant data.