Fragrant shield fern

Family Dryopteridaceae. In nature it grows in the tundra and in the northern forest zone east of the Urals, in the mountains of the Far East, in Eastern Siberia, China, Korea, and North America.

A low (10–30 cm) blue-green plant with linear-lanceolate, bipinnately divided leaves, possessing a pleasant scent. Rhizome short, thick, oblique, with a dense tuft of overwintering leathery leaves. Leaf segments very small. The midrib and petioles are densely covered with large brown scales. Petioles are about 1/3 of the blade length. Sori develop along the entire length of the leaf. Produces spores in the second half of summer. Grows in open places, among rocky screes and on rocks; requires well-drained, light soil. Smells of fresh hay. Used for rock gardens. Edible and medicinal plant.