LADY FERN

Athyrium filix-femina

Lady-fern [Woodsiaceae]

Fronds:

Spores:

14th July 2009, a garden, Walkden, Gtr Mcr.

Photo: © RWD

Many atypical variants of Lady Fern are cultivated for garden use, but this specimen, although growing in a garden, appears to be within the normal variability of Lady Fern itself (expert verified). Grows up to 1.5m in tufts. Has lighter green fronds and is more graceful and dainty than Male Fern, Dryopteris filix-mas (which is also in a differing Genus, Dryopteris)

14th July 2009, a garden, Walkden, Gtr Mcr.

Photo: © RWD

Bottom leaf pairs often much smaller and swept backwards (but so do many other ferns).

14th July 2009, a garden, Walkden, Gtr Mcr.

Photo: © RWD

Fronds bi-pinnate. Outline of frond tapers at both ends, but outline of pinnae on the frond triangular.

14th July 2009, a garden, Walkden, Gtr Mcr.

Photo: © RWD

The rachis (stem of frond) has a groove in the upper surface.

14th July 2009, a garden, Walkden, Gtr Mcr.

Photo: © RWD

Pinnules much more deeply toothed than those of Male Fern.

14th July 2009, a garden, Walkden, Gtr Mcr.

Photo: © RWD

Several differing sizes of teeth on each pinnule.

14th July 2009, a garden, Walkden, Gtr Mcr.

Photo: © RWD

The underside of the frond, the rachis without a groove. This one lacking sori altogether. Text goes here

14th July 2009, a garden, Walkden, Gtr Mcr.

Photo: © RWD

Un-ripe sori on the pinnules. They are covered by a thin membraneous tissue called the indusium.

14th July 2009, a garden, Walkden, Gtr Mcr.

Photo: © RWD

Un-ripe sori in close-up.

14th July 2009, a garden, Walkden, Gtr Mcr.

Photo: © RWD

Ripe sori are long and curved.

14th July 2009, a garden, Walkden, Gtr Mcr.

Photo: © RWD

The sori of Lady Fern look like curled-up miniature slugs, brown on the outer side and much white on the inner side.

Easily confused with : other FERNS, but note the characteristics captioned under the photos.

Quite different to : Alpine Lady Fern (Athyrium distentifolium) [which has round sori rather than curved] and to Scottish Lady Fern (Athyrium flexile) which although of the same genus, are much rarer, the Scottish one especially so. Both of these grow only in some high Scottish mountains.

Fronds bi-pinnate.

Habitat: damp woods, hedge banks, rocks, streamsides, mountains. Widespread, but mainly growing on acid soils in the West of the UK, missing out Lincolnshire.

ANY TEXT GOES HERE

Distribution
family8Lady-fern family8Woodsiaceae

BSBI maps

Athyrium
(Lady-Ferns)