Lady-fern - Athyrium filix-femina

Has a short erect rhizome with many large scales. From this arises a crown of usually outwardly arched twice or three times pinnate yellowy green fronds 20 to 100 cm long with pinnules deeply cut. The j-shaped or half moon shaped sori are diagnostic.

Male, Buckler or Shield-ferns are superficially similar but have round or kidney-shaped sori

curved J or C-shaped sori on underside of leaflets

Photograph sori underneath leaflets, and general photo of whole plant

Woodlands and shady hedgebanks especially where there is humidity.

July to November

Perennial

Widespread and generally fairly frequent in Britain.

Fairly frequent in Leicestershire and Rutland. In the 1979 Flora survey of Leicestershire it was found in 129 of the 617 tetrads.