The phenology of leaf life spans in woodland populations of the ferns Dryopteris filix-mas (L.) Schott and D. dilatata (Hoffm.) A. Gray in Derbyshire

WILLMOT, A., 1989. The phenology of leaf life spans in woodland populations of the ferns Dryopteris filix-mas (L.) Schott and D. dilatata (Hoffm.) A. Gray in Derbyshire. The results of a survey on the number of upright fronds per plant in a population of Dryopteris filix-mas and in a population of D. dilatata over a 14 month period are presented. These coupled with similar information on the number of developing fronds per plant demonstrate that large plants in the population of each species were summergreen, while small ones were wintergreen. This size-specific difference in leaf phenology does not seem to have been recorded before in Dryopteris filix-mas. It is suggested that this difference, in both species, may have been due to either the different environments in which the plants grew or to a risk-sensitive strategy in the small plants. It is considered that such a strategy might be concerned with the obtaining or retention of resources at a critical period in the life history of the species.