Only Cystopteris fragilis has prominent branching dark green veins visible from both sides of leaf, extending to the edge of the leaf.

Only Woodsia oregana has short glandular hairs on distal part of stem and the leaves (use hand lens, very small). If the hairs are longer it is W. scopulina.

There are differences in the young indusium but they are transient and subtle to my eye.

Quoted "yeah, exactly -- short hairs with glandular tips. Cystopteris will have basically no indument on the leaves, and have a characteristic-but-hard-to-describe look--mainly the leaves are thin, and you can see that the veins extend right to the leaf margin. If you can see the veins in Woodsia, you can see that they stop just short of the leaf margin in an expanded depression (hydathode). It can certainly be subtle..."

Posted on March 8, 2023 03:49 PM by jhorthos