Dryopteris borreri (Newman) Oberh. & Tavel

Taxonomy: Fam. Dryopteridaceae// Genus: Dryopteris// Species: Dryopteris borreri (Newman) Oberh. & Tavel.

The classification is given according to The Euro+Med PlantBase (source: Christenhusz & Raab-Straube, 2013).

Determined according to the botanical keys by Heywood in Tutin et. al (1964), Heywood revised by Praser-Jenkins in Tutin et al. (1993), Micevski (1985), Fraser-Jenkins (2007), Szczęśniak, Tlałka, and Rostański in Szczęśniak and Gola (2009) and Woziwoda in Szczęśniak and Gola (2009).

Somewhat morphologically similar to Dryopteris filix-mas (L.) Schott, which also occurs in the Osogovo region. D. borreri differs in having somewhat darker and more reddish/brownish, denser petiole scales, and longer and denser rachis scales. Also differs in the shape of the pinnules, which are more oblong, with truncate apices, the lower with rectangular lobes and sometimes auricle. Indusium thin, in ripe sori shriveling and lifting upwards, obtaining cone-like shape (inverted cone or funnel). The specimens from Osogovo (gorge of “Kochanska” river, Ponikva – “Venechka” River region) usually have the proximal basioscopic pinnula of the basal pinnae partly adnate (c. 1/4) to the secondary rachis, while the proximal acroscopic pinnula is stipitate.

Lifeform: Perrenial; Hemicryptophyte according to the Raunkiær system.

Distribution: Native from Europe to Caucasus according to the distribution information provided by the Plants of the World Online portal (Royal Botanic Garden, Kew) and The Euro+Med Plantbase (Christenhusz & Raab-Straube, 2013+).

Habitat:  Found in somewhat shaded positions in oak and European beech forest, river gorges, from the lowland up to c. 1600 m altitude.

Locality: Jamishko Osoe region, above the springs of “Venechka” River.

Locality: Gorge of “Kochanska” River.

References:

Dryopteris Adanson. Heywood, V.H. in Tutin, T.G., Heywood, V.H., Burges, N.A., Moore, D.M., Valentine, D.H., Walters, S.M., & Webb, D.A. (1964). Flora Europaea. Volume 1. Lycopodiaceae to Platanaceae. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, p. 20 – 22.

Dryopteris Adanson. Heywood, V.H. (edition 1) revised by Praser-Jenkins, C.R. in Tutin, T.G., Burges, N.A. Chater, A. O., Edmondson, J. R., Heywood, V. H., Moore, D.M., Valentine, D.H., Walters, S.M. & Webb, D.A., assisted by Akeroyd, J.R. and Newton, M.E. (1993). Flora Europaea. Volume 1. Psilotaceae to Platanaceae, second edition. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, pp. 27 – 30.

Dryopteris Adanson. Micevski, K. (1985). The Flora of SR Macedonia Vol. 1, Book 1. Macedonian Academy of Sciences and Arts, pp. 67 – 72.

Dryopteris borreri. Christenhusz, M. & Raab-Straube, E. von (2013+): Polypodiopsida. – In: Euro+Med Plantbase – the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity. Published at https://europlusmed.org/cdm_dataportal/taxon/34933017-86bb-4e06-aac1-ac2522c71be5  [Accessed 30.10.2025].

Dryopteris affinis subsp. borreri (Newman) Fraser-Jenk. Plants of the World Online portal, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:17559670-1 [Accessed 30.10.2025].

Fraser-Jenkins, C.R. (2007). The species and subspecies in the Dryopteris affinis group. Fern Gazette, 18, 1, pp. 1–26. https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/120630#page/24/mode/1up [Accessed 30.10.2025].

Szczęśniak, E., Tlałka, D. and Rostański, A. (2009). Key to identification and descriptions of species of Buckler-ferns (Dryopteris Adans.) occurring in Poland, in Szczęśniak, E. and Gola, E. (eds.) Genus Dryopteris Adans. in Poland. Publisher: Polish Botanical Society & Institute of Plant Biology, University of Wrocław, Wrocław, pp. 5 – 34. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/268149664_5_Key-to-identification-and-descriptions-of-Dryopteris-species_5_Key_to_identification_and_descriptions_of_species_of_Buckler-ferns_Dryopteris_Adans_occurring_in_Poland [Accessed 30.10.2025].

Woziwoda, B. (2009). Morphological diversity of ferns in the Dryopteris affinis group in Central Poland, in Szczęśniak, E. and Gola, E. (eds.) Genus Dryopteris Adans. in Poland. Publisher: Polish Botanical Society & Institute of Plant Biology, University of Wrocław, Wrocław, pp. 45 – 59. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/268149664_5_Key-to-identification-and-descriptions-of-Dryopteris-species_5_Key_to_identification_and_descriptions_of_species_of_Buckler-ferns_Dryopteris_Adans_occurring_in_Poland [Accessed 30.10.2025].