Plant · GBIF taxon 5275137
Wallich's wood fern
Dryopteris wallichianaAlso known as Alpine Wood Fern, Wallich's Fern
Wallich's wood fern forms a dramatic shuttlecock crown of arching fronds that unfurl from a central, densely scaly rootstock. Bright yellowish-green foliage contrasts sharply with the dark brown or black scales clothing the midribs, creating a striking appearance on cool mountain slopes. It thrives in high-altitude moist forests and shaded ravines across several widely separated mountain ranges around the world.
MontaneShade-TolerantPerennial
—observations
—countries
—peak records
Not EvaluatedConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXNot Evaluated — not placed on the risk ladderRed List categories, explained →
Diet & prey
- Autotrophic
Predators
- Herbivorous insects
- Slugs
- Deer
ThreatsDeforestation, high-altitude habitat disruption, climate change
HabitatsMontane forests, cloud forests, alpine ravines, rocky slopes
Life spanPerennial (decades)
Size / weightNot available
Classification
- FamilyDryopteridaceae
- SpeciesDryopteris wallichiana
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskLow
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is low
- Safe to observe at a normal distance.
Responsible observation
- Identification: Examine the main stem for a dense coating of dark brown or black scales.
- Habitat Spotting: Look in cool, humid mountain slopes and shaded ravines at higher elevations.
- Photography: Capture the crown from above to highlight the contrast between black scales and green fronds.
Look-alike (c) Tom Norton, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Tom Norton · cc-by
Ecological Neighbor (c) Ashley Basil, some rights reserved (CC BY) · cc-by
Close Relative Carl Axel Magnus Lindman / Public domain · cc0
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