On my walk ... the hart's-tongue fern

 

One of the more common plants one will encounter when walking around Sidmouth is the hart's-tongue fern [Phyllitis scolopendrium]; it is common throughout the south west of England. Hart's-tongue is, in fact, a 'spleenwort' which is a sub-family of the fern group. 

It can be found in woods, especially woodland on hill sides, hedgerows, among rocks, on walls, on the sides of ditches, even inside water wells. In short, it likes warm, darkish, damp places. It is an indicator plant of ancient woodland so where it occurs in woodland it is likely the woodland dates back over 600 years. Hart's-tongue can be abundant where the environment is suitable. 

Unlike the 'classic' ferns that have rather complex leaf structures the hart's-tongue has a smooth, shiny, undivided leaf in its familiar 'deer's tongue' shape which is so unique and enables it to be easily identified. The Hart's-tongue is 'evergreen' and is in leaf all year round but produces new ones each spring. The spores are released from little brown 'pockets' that form on the back of the leaf. 

This plant is often grown in gardens where there is shade and it has medicinal uses too. The fronds contain compounds that are used to treat coughs, high blood pressure, dysentery, diarrhoea and digestive problems. A useful plant so it is good that it is so common.