List of Canadian plants by family D facts for kids

This article is about some of the amazing plants you can find in Canada, focusing on those whose scientific family names start with the letter 'D'. Canada is a huge country with many different types of environments, from forests to mountains and even arctic tundras. This means it's home to a wide variety of plants, from tiny mosses to tall ferns. Learning about these plant families helps us understand how different plants are related and where they like to grow.

Families: A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I J K | L | M | N | O | P Q | R | S | T | U V W | X Y Z

Plant Families in Canada (D)

Daltoniaceae

The Daltoniaceae family is a group of mosses. Mosses are small, soft green plants that often grow in damp, shady places. They don't have true roots, stems, or leaves like bigger plants. Instead, they absorb water and nutrients directly from their surroundings.

• Daltonia splachnoides is one type of moss found in this family in Canada.

Dennstaedtiaceae

This family includes some well-known ferns. Ferns are ancient plants that reproduce using spores instead of seeds. They often have beautiful, feathery leaves called fronds.

• Dennstaedtia punctilobula, also known as the eastern hay-scented fern, gets its name because it smells like fresh hay, especially when its leaves are crushed.
• Pteridium aquilinum, or bracken fern, is a very common fern found all over the world, including Canada. It can grow quite tall and spread widely.

Diapensiaceae

The Diapensiaceae family consists of small, often low-growing plants that prefer cooler climates. Many of them are found in arctic or alpine regions.

• Diapensia lapponica, or Lapland diapensia, is a small, cushion-forming plant. It's known for its pretty white flowers and its ability to survive in very cold, harsh environments.

Dicranaceae

This is a very large family of mosses. Mosses from the Dicranaceae family are often called "fork mosses" because of the shape of their capsules, which hold their spores. They play an important role in their ecosystems, helping to prevent soil erosion and providing habitats for tiny creatures.

Some examples of mosses from this family found in Canada include:

• Dicranum scoparium, known as broom moss, is one of the most common mosses. It often forms dense, green mats on the forest floor.
• Dicranum elongatum is another type of broom-moss.
• Dicranum fuscescens is a common dicranum moss.
• Dicranum montanum is a montane dicranum moss, found in mountainous areas.
• Dicranum ontariense is named after Ontario, where it can be found.
• Dicranum polysetum is also called waxyleaf moss.
• Dicranum undulatum is known as bog broom moss, often found in wet, boggy areas.

Dioscoreaceae

This family is best known for yams, which are starchy root vegetables. In Canada, you can find a wild relative.

• Dioscorea quaternata, or fourleaf yam, is a type of wild yam. Unlike the yams you might eat, this plant is native to North America and grows in forests.

Disceliaceae

This is a small family of mosses with only one known species.

• Discelium nudum is a unique moss. It's often found in disturbed areas, like bare soil, and is known for its tall, slender stalk that holds its spore capsule.

Ditrichaceae

Another family of mosses, the Ditrichaceae are often found growing on soil or rocks. They are generally small and can be quite common in many different habitats.

Some mosses from this family in Canada include:

• Ceratodon purpureus is a very widespread moss, often seen in urban areas and disturbed ground. It can have a reddish-purple color, especially when dry.
• Saelania glaucescens is sometimes called blue dew moss because of its slightly bluish-green color.

Droseraceae

This is a super interesting family because it includes carnivorous plants! These plants get some of their nutrients by trapping and digesting insects.

• Drosera anglica, or English sundew, has long, spoon-shaped leaves covered in sticky tentacles. Insects get stuck to these tentacles, and the plant then digests them.
• Drosera filiformis, the threadleaf sundew, has very long, thin leaves that look like threads.
• Drosera intermedia is known as the spoon-leaved sundew.
• Drosera linearis is the slenderleaf sundew, with very narrow leaves.
• Drosera rotundifolia, or roundleaf sundew, has round leaves covered in sticky hairs. It's quite common in bogs and wet areas.
• Drosera x belezeana and Drosera x obovata are natural hybrids, meaning they are crosses between two different sundew species.

Dryopteridaceae

This is a large family of ferns, often called the "wood ferns" or "shield ferns." They are known for their often large, divided fronds and are common in forests.

Some of the ferns in this family found in Canada include:

• Dryopteris carthusiana, the spinulose shieldfern, is a common fern in eastern North America.
• Dryopteris cristata, the crested shieldfern, often grows in wet, swampy woodlands.
• Dryopteris expansa, the spreading woodfern, is found in many parts of Canada.
• Dryopteris filix-mas, known as male fern, is a large and robust fern.
• Dryopteris intermedia, the evergreen woodfern, keeps its green fronds through the winter.
• Dryopteris marginalis, the marginal woodfern, gets its name from the sori (spore clusters) being located near the margins (edges) of the fronds.
• Matteuccia struthiopteris, the ostrich fern, is famous for its tall, vase-shaped fronds. Its young fiddleheads are even eaten as a vegetable in some areas!
• Onoclea sensibilis, the sensitive fern, is named because its fronds are very sensitive to frost and die back quickly in the fall.
• Polystichum acrostichoides, the Christmas fern, is an evergreen fern. Its fronds are often used in Christmas decorations because they stay green all winter.
• Polystichum munitum, the western swordfern, is a very common and striking fern in western Canada.