Dryopteris carthusiana aka Narrow Buckler Fern

Dryopteris carthusiana, also known as the narrow buckler-fern in the United Kingdom and the spinulose woodfern in North America, is a species of fern found in damp forests throughout the Holarctic Kingdom. This tetraploid fern is a hybrid of Dryopteris intermedia, also called the intermediate wood fern, and an extinct species called Dryopteris semicristata. It is often mistaken for other wood fern species like D. intermedia, D. campyloptera, and D. expansa, but can be distinguished by the length of the innermost pinnule on the bottom side of the bottom pinna. While it shares its range with D. intermedia, D. carthusiana is sub-evergreen, surviving mild winters but dying back in harsh ones. Interestingly, it has the ability to grow in areas devoid of natural light by utilizing artificial light, as seen in places like Niagara Cave. This semi-evergreen fern forms clumps and has intricately dissected and finely toothed foliage, giving it a lacy appearance. Native to Europe, Asia, and North America, Dryopteris Filix-Mas, also known as the dry-OP-ter-iss, FY-liks mas, is a beautiful semi-evergreen wood fern in the Dryopteridaceae family. Its large triangular fronds are light green in color and can create a substantial clump.