FLORA OF ICELAND elements: Dryopteris filix-mas, Male-fern, Stóriburkni

Dryopteris filix-mas; The Male-fern grows in lava cracks and other protected habitats. It is a relative large bipinnate fern species having sori/sporangia on the bottom-side of the leaflets. On every 2nd-order leaflets are 5 to 10 sori in two rows. They have round to reniform covering membranes (indusia) which stay persistent for a long time. It resembles the Northern Buckler-fern. Both are to be found mainly in the (northern) West-fjord district and to a lesser extent in the Snaefellsness district, the Reykjanes district in the south-west, and in the north. In addition, the Male-fern has also been recorded in some localities in the (south-)eastern parts of Iceland. It can be confused with the Northern Buckler-fern and the two Lady-fern species. The species though, can easily be recognized by the shape of the fronds. Like the other mentioned species it has bipinnate fronds. The lowest first order leaflets are at first short quickly increasing in length in the following leaflets. But soon after that these first order leaflets remain the more or less the same length (10 - 20cm) until at the top of the frond when they become shorter, finally ending in a triangular top. In the other species, the length of the primary leaflets also become longer from bottom upwards. But this goes on longer than in the Male-fern, leading to longer primary leaflets at about 1/3 of the frond. After that though, they immediately become shorter with every higher-placed leaflet. The series of equal-length leaflets in the Male-fern is a defining feature.
It is a member of the Dryopteridaceae - shield fern / wood fern family. The Icelandic name for this species is Stóriburkni.