I saw this fern during a trip to the Wild Center in Tupper Lake. The light really brought out the earthy combination of browns and greens so I stopped to snap a shot. After some research, I believe this species is the hayscented fern, known to grow in a manner that "carpets" the forest floor. It is very common, with light-green lacy fronds, and thrives in any woody area (perhaps partly because deer ignore this particular fern). The hayscented fern is often confused with the New York fern, but this species has triangular fronds while the New York fern tapers at both ends. On the underside of the fronds are small, dark circular spores which are the mechanism for fern reproduction. You can see these dark spores in the center of this picture.