Other common names:
Northern Lady Fern Other scientific names: Aspidium angustum, Asplenium filix-femina, Athyrium angustum French names:
Athyrie fougère-femelle Family: Wood Fern Family (Dryopteridaceae) Distinctive features:
Scaly lower main stalk, lower 2 pinnae point downwards, comma-shaped indusia. Similar species: • Spinulose Wood Fern (Dryopteris carthusiana) • Intermediate Wood Fern (Dryopteris intermedia) • Male Fern (Dryopteris filix-mas) • Marsh Fern (Thelypteris palustris) Leaves: Thrice divided Height:
1 m (2-4 ft) Stem:
Usually has scales, especially at the bottom of the stalk. Habitat: Forests Native/Non-native:
Native Status:
Common.
Notes:
I have found this fern to be really hard to learn, and easily confused with others.
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Overall shape and form.
An entire frond.
Close up of the pinnae & pinnules.
Sori forming on the underside of the pinnules in spring (late May).
The sori are shaped sort of like commas.
"Ripe" sori, early August. Note the comma shape.
Fiddleheads in spring.
Fiddleheads of the wine-coloured form known as forma rubellum. Just the stalks are reddish.
The red-stalked form again (forma rubellum).
Herbarium specimen, showing detail of the pinnules.
(Royal Botanical Gardens Herbarium,Burlington,Ontario).
