Hart's-tongue Fern

We spent part of today walking through lovely woodland, tiny walled fields and limestone pavement around Silverdale. There was plenty to see, but a particular feature, giving a rather exotic, jungle feel, was all the fresh fern fronds. The Hart's-tongue ferns were particularly showy against the earth banks and limestone blocks. The common name refers to the likeness to the long tongue of a deer. The Latin name, Phyllitis scolopendrium, draws attention to the resemblance of the stripes of spore clusters on the underside of each frond to the legs of a centipede, 'scolopendrium' meaning centipede.