Ontario Ferns website

Lady Fern
Athyrium filix-femina

Lady Fern (Athyrium filix-femina) 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)


Fronds: Thrice divided

Height: 1 m (2-4 ft)

Sori: Comma shaped, on underside of pinnules.

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.

Photographs: 120 photographs available, of which 15 are featured on this page. SCROLL DOWN FOR PHOTOGRAPHS.

Range Map is at the bottom of the page

Lady Fern (Athyrium filix-femina)

Overall shape and form.

Lady Fern (Athyrium filix-femina)

An entire frond.

Lady Fern (Athyrium filix-femina)

Close up of the pinnae & pinnules.

Lady Fern (Athyrium filix-femina)

Lady Fern (Athyrium filix-femina)

Sori forming on the underside of the pinnules in spring (late May).

Lady Fern (Athyrium filix-femina)

The sori are shaped sort of like commas.

Lady Fern (Athyrium filix-femina)

"Ripe" sori, early August. Note the comma shape.

Lady Fern (Athyrium filix-femina)

Fiddleheads in spring.

Lady Fern (Athyrium filix-femina)

Lady Fern (Athyrium filix-femina)

Lady Fern (Athyrium filix-femina)

Fiddleheads of the wine-coloured form known as forma rubellum. Just the stalks are reddish.

Lady Fern (Athyrium filix-femina)

The red-stalked form again (forma rubellum).

Lady Fern (Athyrium filix-femina)

Herbarium specimen, showing detail of the pinnules.

(Royal Botanical Gardens Herbarium,Burlington,Ontario).

Lady Fern (Athyrium filix-femina)

Herbarium specimen, showing overall shape and form.

(Royal Botanical Gardens Herbarium,Burlington,Ontario).

Lady Fern (Athyrium filix-femina)

Herbarium specimen showing the roots.

(Royal Botanical Gardens Herbarium,Burlington,Ontario).


Range map for Lady Fern (Athyrium filix-femina)

PLEASE NOTE: A coloured Province or State means this species occurs somewhere in that Province/State.
The entire Province/State is coloured, regardless of where in that Province/State it occurs.

(Range map provided courtesy of the USDA website and is displayed here in accordance with their Policies)