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Conservation Status
IUCN: not evaluated
USFWS: Endangered
Family: PTERIDACEAE Genus: Doryopteris Species: angelica Species Author: K. Wood & W. H. Wagner Vernacular: Kauai Digit Fern
Doryopteris angelica is a comparatively large terrestrial fern, with fronds up to 60 cm long. The stipes are 2-4 times longer that the triangular leaf blade, which is up to 30 x 30 cm, and the rachises are winged between the lowest two pinnae. The species name angelica alludes to the prominent wing-like ridges on the stipes or leaf stalks of this species.
Propagation
This species has been successfully propagated at the National Tropical Botanical Garden from spores. Gametophytes are sown on a mixture of potting medium and forest soil. After the young sporophytes appear and are large enough, they are transplanted to pots with cinders as a growth medium. This shows that even some of the rarest native Hawaiian ferns can be propagated using the right techniques.
Found only in mesic forests on Kauai, Hawaii.
Doryopteris angelica is a fern found in diverse mesic forest at 800-890 m elevation, only on the island of Kauai, Hawaii. It is very rare and localized, and only three populations that are known to exist in the wild: one in Kuia Valley with around 20 individuals, one in Makaha Valley with around 10 individuals, and one in Awaawapuhi with only a few individuals.
The biggest threats to this extremely rare fern are the same as for many other endemic Hawaiian plants and include feral pigs and deer and competition from invasive alien plant species.
(Hawaiian Ecosystems at Risk Project. Doryopteris Angelica. Website accessed on 10/28/08. www.hear.org/starr/hiplants/maps/doryopteris_angelica.htm)
(Palmer, D. D. 2002. Hawai`i’s Ferns and Fern Allies. University of Hawaii Press, Honolulu.)
(United States Department of Agriculture Plant Profile. K.Wood and W.H. Wagner. Website accessed 10/27/08. http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=DOAN2)
We currently have 34 herbarium specimens for Doryopteris angelica in our collection. Click on any specimen below to view the herbarium sheet data.
