Dryopteris villarii, commonly known as the rigid buckler fern,[2] is a perennial leptosporangiate fern native to Central and South East Europe as well as the Western Caucasus.

[1] Dryopteris villarii typically reaches heights around 30 to 60 cm.

[3] The rigid, leathery fronds are of a matt glaucous to dark green colour, with scaly reddish petioles and rachis.

[5] The short bipinnate leaflets are slightly dentate and narrowly oblong-lanceolate, attenuating closer to the base, with yellowish aromatic glands on either side.

[3][4][5] Dryopteris villarii appears within dolomite and limestone pavements, scree, cliffsides, rocky outcrops, scrub and non-alpine and non-saline grasslands.