Sweet Fern

Description

A deciduous, usually monoecious shrub to 2m, often shorter. Stems branching diffusely, glabrous, rust to grey; twigs hirsute at first. Leaves fern-like, aromatic when crushed, alternate on extension shoots or clustered at nodes of older shoots, linear to narrow-lanceolate, 6-12cm, closely pinnatifid, dull green with coarse rusty pubescence, lobes rounded. Male inflorescence catkin-like, to 3.5cm; female inflorescence spherical, to 2.5cm diameter when fruiting. Fruit a nutlet, narrow-ellipsoid.