The narrow buckler-fern grows in Europe, rarely in Turkey, northern Iran, the Caucasus and Western Siberia and also in North America. In our country, it is a quite abundant species growing predominantly in humid damper marsh forests in the plains up to mountain regions. It also does well on peat, sand or loamy soils and in slightly shaded places. In exceptional cases we can find it growing in direct sunlight. We can also see it growing on living or dead trees, in the shrub layer or on the banks of streams, rocky slopes or old walls. The narrow buckler-fern is susceptible to a decrease in humidity and probably for that reason, it prefers habitats with a higher level of groundwater which is important for optimal growth and reproduction. It is primarily found in forests with a dominance of black alder, grey alder, European white elm and beech. Being part of the herb layer in the forest of Šúr near Svätý Jur, it also grows epiphytically on alder prop roots, above the level of flooded soil. It grows out of a rhizome from which long stalks with 2 or 3 pinnate compound leaves that have a light green blade and a lanceolate shape grow. They are 15 to 80 cm long. The shape of the stalked leaves ranges from lanceolate to ovate. They are saw-tooth edged with long tips. The sori that contain the spores on the lower side of leaves are 0.5-1 cm long in diameter.

Igor Kokavec