Lorinseria is a genus of fern in the subfamily Woodwardioideae of the family Blechnaceae. Its only species is Lorinseria areolata (synonym Woodwardia areolata), the netted chain fern or dwarf chain fern, native to eastern North America. The monotypic genus Lorinseria has been separated from Woodwardia in the Pteridophyte Phylogeny Group classification of 2016 (PPG I), on the basis of its anastamosing veins and lobed frond form, as well as its more marked frond dimorphism. However, the genus name Lorinseria appears to be a later homonym of Lorinsera <small>Opiz</small>, and will need to be replaced or conserved.
The sterile fronds are 40âÂÂ60 cm long, and the fertile fronds 50âÂÂ70 cm long.
It is superficially similar to Onoclea sensibilis and sometimes confused with it.
This species is native to the eastern United States, with a range spanning from Texas to Florida in the southeast and north to Massachusetts. A disjunct population also exists in southwestern Nova Scotia in Canada. It favors moist, sandy, acid soils, and has appeared in areas in the interior of the US around acid mine seeps, thus being one of the few species to benefit from acid mine drainage.
Habitat loss and degradation harm the netted chain fern. This species is presumed to be extirpated from Michigan and may be extirpated from Maine according to NatureServe.