male fern

Fern Dryopteris filix-mas, found in damp woods and hedgerows in northern temperate regions. Its light-green fronds grow to a height of 50–90 cm/20–36 in from a stout rhizome (underground stem). The spore capsules are borne in circular sori on the back of the fronds, and at first are covered by kidney-shaped scales.

The leaves have been eaten as a vegetable; the rhizomes have been used as a treatment for intestinal parasites such as tapeworms.