Rigid Buckler-Fern

Dryopteris villarii typically reaches heights around 30 to 60 cm. The rigid, leathery fronds are of a matt glaucous to dark green colour, with scaly reddish petioles and rachis. Fronds may present tufted, erect or spreading. The short bipinnate leaflets are slightly dentate and narrowly oblong-lanceolate, attenuating closer to the base, with yellowish aromatic glands on either side. Rhizomes are far creeping and adventitious, horizontal to ascending. Sori between 0.7 mm to 1 mm, usually with glandular indusium and arranged in two rows along the midrib, usually four to six per row. They do not cover the apex.

Dryopteris villarii appears within dolomite and limestone pavements, scree, cliffsides, rocky outcrops, scrub and non-alpine and non-saline grasslands. It is found between 500 m to 2000 m. It is tolerant of any soil type although prefers alkaline.