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, Pinene s, 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.
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