Lady Fern

Lady fern, Athyrium filix-femina, is a fern of the family Athyriaceae widespread across the temperate Northern Hemisphere, growing in moist woodlands, along streambanks and in shaded meadows. Its finely divided, lace-like fronds are more delicate in appearance than those of the coarser male fern, a contrast that gave rise to both common names in old herbal tradition, and the species is widely grown as an ornamental garden plant for its graceful form.