Male fern Dryopteris filix-mas

Features

Dryopteris filix-mas, the male fern. It favours damp shaded areas in the understory of woodlands, but also shady places on hedge-banks, rocks, and screes.

Species	Perrenial
Living space	Dark forest
Size	up to 150 cm

Description

The semi-evergreen leaves have an upright habit and reach a maximum length of 150 cm, with a single crown on each rootstock. The bipinnate leaves consist of 20–35 pinnae on each side of the rachis. The leaves taper at both ends, with the basal pinnae about half the length of the middle pinnae. The pinules are rather blunt and equally lobed all around. The stalks are covered with orange-brown scales. On the abaxial surface of the mature blade 5 to 6 sori develop in two rows. When the spores ripen in August to November, the indusium starts to shrivel, leading to the release of the spores. It is a popular ornamental plant that got its name from the fact that it was sometimes used to prepare medicines for internal parasites.