Korea Flora: Habit: Similar to Dryopteris monticola but distinguished by horizontally spreading or downward-pointing scales; leaves fasciculate. Stipe: 10-20 cm long, densely scaly; base thickened. Scales: Spreading, linear to broadly linear; dark brown; reflexed; base dilated like a gourd shape. Blade: Oblong-ovate to ovate; apex acute; 15-30 cm × 10-15 cm. Pinnae: Shortly stalked. Pinnules: Linear-oblong to lanceolate; apex and base acute; decurrent; basal pinnules halfway to deeply pinnatifid. Sori: Central or near costa of pinnules; indusium round-reniform with entire margins. Related Taxa: Dryopteris saxifragivaria Nak. (Gwangneung-jokjebi-gosari): Hybrid between D. monticola and D. saxifraga Blade pentagonal Scales spreading in all directions Found in Gwangneung area 

Note: Distinguished from D. monticola by spreading or reflexed scales with gourd-shaped bases. 

[Translated from Flora of Korea by T.B. Lee]

Japan Flora: Rhizomes stout, covered with the basal stubs of old stipes; stipes several, 10-20 cm. long, rather stout, densely scaly, straw- colored, brown and thickened at base; scales spreading, linear to broadly so, black-brown, the upper ones and those of the rachis 3-7 mm. long, with a pale-brown dilated or saccate base, the lower ones longer, 7-12 mm. long, not prominently dilated at base; blades oblong-ovate to ovate, 15-30 cm. long, 10-15 cm. wide, acuminate; pinnae short-petiolulate; pinnules linear- oblong to lanceolate, acute, cuneate at base or decurrent on the axis, the lower ones pinatifid to pinnatiparted; scales on costas beneath and on rachis membranous, ovate, inflated, 0.5-1 mm. long, rusty-brown, often with a hairlike tail at the tip; sori in 2 rows on the pinnules, median or nearer to the costules; indusia orbicular-reniform, entire, about 1 mm. across. Rocks.

Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku, Kyushu (high mts.). Korea and Manchuria.