''Dryopteris fragrans'', commonly known as the fragrant woodfern, a

circumboreal The Circumboreal Region in phytogeography is a floristic region within the Holarctic Kingdom in Eurasia and North America, as delineated by such geobotanists as Josias Braun-Blanquet and Armen Takhtajan. It is the largest floristic region in ...

fern, is the smallest of the ''

Dryopteris :''The moth genus ''Dryopteris'' is now considered a junior synonym of ''Oreta. ''Dryopteris'' , commonly called the wood ferns, male ferns (referring in particular to ''Dryopteris filix-mas''), or buckler ferns, is a fern genus in the family Dry ...

'' species. It can resemble ''

Woodsia ilvensis ''Woodsia ilvensis'', commonly known as oblong woodsia, is a fern found in North America and northern Eurasia. Also known as rusty woodsia or rusty cliff fern, it is typically found on sunny, exposed cliffs and rocky slopes and on thin, dry, acid ...

'' in the wild, with which it shares the same habitat of rocky areas, shady cliffs, screes, and limestone talus. It typically will not reach more than 25 cm (9.8 in) in height, and accumulates dead fronds around its base. The name refers to an appealing ''fruity'' fragrance (which some liken to primrose) that is exuded by aromatic glands found on the surface of fresh fronds. Others say that it has a spicy odor when dry. The fronds were traditionally made into a tea, as well as used as bedding by Native Americans. Like many other

fern The ferns (Polypodiopsida or Polypodiophyta) are a group of vascular plants (plants with xylem and phloem) that reproduce via spores and have neither seeds nor flowers. They differ from mosses by being vascular, i.e., having specialized tissue ...

s, and members of Dryopteris in particular, however, its plant material can potentially contain an

antinutrient Antinutrients are natural or synthetic compounds that interfere with the absorption of nutrients. Nutrition studies focus on antinutrients commonly found in food sources and beverages. Antinutrients may take the form of drugs, chemicals that natur ...

thiaminase Thiaminase is an enzyme that metabolizes or breaks down thiamine into pyrimidine and thiazole. It is an antinutrient when consumed. The old name was "aneurinase". There are two types with different Enzyme Commission numbers: * Thiamine pyridi ...

, as well as potentially

cytotoxic Cytotoxicity is the quality of being toxic to cells. Examples of toxic agents are toxic metals, toxic chemicals, microbe neurotoxins, radiation particles and even specific neurotransmitters when the system is out of balance. Also some types of dr ...

compounds.

References

fragrans Ferns of the Americas Ferns of Asia Ferns of Europe Ferns of the United States Ferns of Canada Flora of temperate Asia {{Dryopteridaceae-stub