Greek dryos, oak or tree, + pteris, fern; the ferns of this genus often grow in woodlands.
Terrestrial. Rhizomes erect or decumbent, often bearing old stipes or fronds, scaly, scales not clathrate. Fronds small to large, erect to pendulous, often forming rosettes. Stipes usually close, cross section showing few to many small, round vascular bundles arranged in a semi-circle. Blades 1-pinnate to 5-pinnate; rachises grooved or not. Veins free or anastomosing. Sori round, or reniform. Indusia present or not, reniform or peltate.
A family of about twenty-nine genera with worldwide distribution. Represented in Hawai 'i by seven genera.
