categoryZFerns Ferns List 

LEMON-SCENTED FERN

Oreopteris limbosperma

(Formerly: Thelypteris oreopteris)
Marsh & Beech Fern Family [Thelypteridaceae]

Fronds:
month8jul month8july month8aug month8sep month8sept month8oct

Spores:
spores8aug spores8sep spores8sept

category
category8Ferns
 
status
statusZnative
 
petals
petalsZ0
 
stem
stem8round
 
stem
stem8fluted
 
smell
smell8lemon
lemon
toxicity
toxicityZmedium
 

Midsummers Day 2013, Teesdale. Photo: © Dawn Nelson
Grows between 30 to 120cm long and like Male-Fern is tufted into a shuttlecock arrangement (there may be more than one plant present in this photo?).


Midsummers Day 2013, Teesdale. Photo: © Dawn Nelson
Differs from Male-Fern in both the yellowish-green leaves and the lemony smell of its fronds when crushed.


Photo: (CC by 2.0) Geoff Toone
The fronds are more narrowly tapered at the end than those of Male-Fern. The pinnae at the start of each frond are extremely short! (much less than half the length ).


Midsummers Day 2013, Teesdale. Photo: © Dawn Nelson


14th June 2013, Cwm Idwal, North Wales. Photo: © Dawn Nelson
The pinnae have curled edges in this specimen probably due to heat or sun stress.


14th June 2013, Cwm Idwal, North Wales. Photo: © Dawn Nelson
Spore cases are still shut up, not yet ripe.


4th Aug 2007, nr Calloways Fm, IoW. Photo: (CC by 2.0) Geoff Toone
The pinnae are rounded at the end with hardly discernible, very rounded, teeth. Underside of pinnae. Stem hairs mostly short (at least on this specimen).


4th Aug 2007, nr Calloways Fm, IoW. Photo: (CC by 2.0) Geoff Toone
The undersides of the pinnae seem to be covered in tiny yellowish glands which emanate a lemony smell when the fresh leaves are crushed.
The spore cases (not shown - this specimen still not ripe) are small, circular, and just inside the edges of the pinnae with about 6 to 8 on each side of the pinnae on those pinnae of the secondary leaflets closest to the main stem (much fewer on the pinnae near the end of the fronds). When ripe, the spores turn black.


Not to be semantically confused with : Lemon-scented Tea Tree (Leptospermum liversidgei) [a plant with similar name belonging to a differing family]

Slight resemblance to : Male-Fern (Dryopteris filix-mas) - see captions above.

Easily mistaken for : Beech Fern (Phegopteris connectilis) but see text below.

Lemon-scented Fern is similar to Beech Fern (Phegopteris connectilis) but the leaves do not smell of lemon when crushed and the leaves are shorter at just 50cm maximum and also the blade differs in shape: triangular to ovate-triangular for Beech Fern; oblanceolate in Lemon-scented Ferm.

It is native and is to be found in damp shady places and wood on acid soils (much the same locations as Beech Fern - but that is less common and can also be found in shady rocky places.

Lemon-scented Fern contains the terpenoids (E)-Nerolidol, α-Terpineol, β-Caryophyllene, Linalool, Limonene, Pinenes, γ-Terpinen-7-al and some Cartotenoid derivatives. Linalool is said to smell of sweet lavender with a touch of citrus.

Limonene exists as two differing stereoisomers, the first, (+)-Limonene [aka (R)-Limonene aka D-Limonene] is said to smell of oranges (it is indeed present in Orange peel) but is not present in Lemon-scented Fern.

The other stereoisomer (-)-Limonene [aka (L-Limonene], which is less common, is found in Mint plant oils and especially in coniferous trees particularly in species of Pinaceae and is said to smell similar to turpentine or pine trees but some folk suggest a lemony-type aroma - and this is the compound present in Lemon-scented Fern.


  Oreopteris limbosperma  ⇐ Global Aspect ⇒ Thelypteridaceae  

Distribution
 family8Marsh & Beech Fern family8Thelypteridaceae
 BSBI maps
genus8Oreopteris
Oreopteris
(Lemon-Scented Fern)

LEMON-SCENTED FERN

Oreopteris limbosperma

(Formerly: Thelypteris oreopteris)
Marsh & Beech Fern Family [Thelypteridaceae]