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The "Mukashi-beni-shida" (Dryopteris anadroma) belongs to the family Dryopteridaceae. It is an evergreen fern that is an endemic species found on Yakushima Island in Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan. It grows in forests near mountain streams and reaches a height of about 30 cm. Its leaves are triangular, 2-3 times pinnately compound, and measure about 50 cm in length and 20 cm in width. Unlike typical Autumn fern (Dryopteris erythrosora), it is characterized by the fact that even as it matures, its small pinnae and leaf veins continue to Anadromous pattern (Note 1). (In typical Autumn fern, young plants growing from the prothallus exhibit Anadromous pattern, but this changes to Catadromous pattern (Note 2) as they mature.) Its Japanese name was given to signify that it possesses the characteristics of Autumn fern from the past, unlike modern ones. It is classified as Critically Endangered (CR) in the Ministry of the Environment's Red List.

*Note 1: Anadromous pattern refers to a form in which the first vein produced faces inward (upward).
*Note 2: Catadromous pattern refers to a form in which the first vein branches towards the base of the frond (outward, downward).
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