Polystichum munitum, the western swordfern, is an evergreen perennial fern native to western North America, where it is one of the most abundant ferns in forested areas. It occurs along the Pacific coast from southeastern Alaska to southern California, and also inland east to southeastern British Columbia, northern Idaho and western Montana, with disjunctive populations in northern British Columbia, Canada; the Black Hills in South Dakota, United States; and Guadalupe Island off of Baja California, Mexico. Western swordfern is known to have locally naturalized in parts of Great Britain and Ireland.
Polystichum is a genus of ferns in the family Dryopteridaceae, subfamily Dryopteridoideae, according to the Pteridophyte Phylogeny Group classification of 2016. The genus has about 500 species and has a cosmopolitan distribution. The highest diversity is in eastern Asia, with about 208 species in China alone; the region from Mexico to Brazil has at least 100 additional species; Africa, North America, and Europe have much lower diversity. Polystichum species are terrestrial or rock-dwelling ferns of warm-temperate and montane-tropical regions. They are often found in disturbed habitats such as road cuts, talus slopes, and stream banks.
Polystichum setiferum, the soft shield fern, is an evergreen or semi-evergreen fern native to southern and western Europe. The stalks and most midribs are coated with attractive cinnamon-brown scales. The Latin specific epithet setiferum means "with bristles".
Polystichum acrostichoides, commonly denominated Christmas fern, is a perennial, evergreen fern native to eastern North America, from Nova Scotia west to Minnesota and south to Florida and eastern Texas. It is one of the most common ferns in eastern North America, being found in moist and shady habitats in woodlands, stream banks and rocky slopes. The common name derives from the evergreen fronds, which are often still green at Christmas.
Polystichum aleuticum, the Aleutian holly fern or Aleutian shield fern, is an endangered species of the Polystichum genus and currently consisting of a small, vulnerable population endemic found only on Adak Island, Alaska, a remote island of the Aleutian Islands chain in the northern Pacific Ocean. In 1992, 112 specimens existed in the wild, and a recovery plan was implemented.
Pedicularis dudleyi is a rare species of flowering plant in the family Orobanchaceae known by the common name Dudley's lousewort. It is endemic to central California, where it is known from about ten scattered occurrences along the coast and in the coastal mountain ranges. It has been found in three locations along the Central California coast. The species was named for 19th-century Stanford University botanist William Dudley.
Polystichum californicum is a species of fern known by the common name California sword fern. It is native to western North America from British Columbia to California, where it occurs in the coastal mountain ranges and the Cascade Range through the Sierra Nevada. Its habitat includes forest understory and open rocky slopes. This fern produces several arching or erect leaves up to a meter long. Each lance-shaped leaf is made up of many sharp-toothed segments. The undersides bear rounded sori which contain the spores. This fern arose as a hybrid between other Polystichum species and readily forms hybrids of its own.
Polystichum imbricans is a species of fern known by the common names narrowleaf swordfern and imbricate sword fern. It is native to western North America from British Columbia and Idaho to southern California, where it grows in rocky soil and cracks in rock outcrops in coastal and inland mountain ranges and foothills.
Polystichum kruckebergii is a species of fern known by the common names Kruckeberg's sword fern and Kruckeberg's hollyfern. It is native to western North America from Alaska to Utah to California, where it grows in rocky mountain habitat in subalpine and alpine climates.
Polystichum lemmonii is a species of fern known by the common names Lemmon's holly fern and Shasta fern. It is native to western North America from the Sierra Nevada of California north to Washington. It is also known from British Columbia, where there is a single occurrence in the mountains above the Okanagan Valley.
Polystichum lonchitis is a species of fern known by the common name northern hollyfern, or simply holly-fern. It is native to much of the Northern Hemisphere from Eurasia to Alaska to Greenland and south into mountainous central North America. It has stiff, glossy green, erect fronds and grows in moist, shady, rocky mountain habitats.
Polystichum scopulinum is a species of fern known by the common names mountain hollyfern and rock sword fern. It is native to much of western North America, and it is known from disjunct occurrences in eastern Canada as well. It grows in rocky habitat, often in full sun. It is widespread but mostly found in small populations, and is noted to be most abundant on serpentine soils. This fern produces several erect, narrowly lance-shaped leaves up to 50 centimeters in length. The leaves narrow near the bases. Each leaf is divided into many lance-shaped or oblong leaflets up to 3 centimeters long. The toothed leaflets are sometimes twisted on their axes and overlapping.
Polystichum proliferum, commonly known as mother shield fern is an Australian endemic fern. The genus name Polystichum is derived from Greek poly - many, and stichos - rows referring to the many rows of sori. The species name is derived from Latin, Proli – offspring and fer - bearing referring to the proliferous buds, a prominent feature of the species.
William Russel Dudley was an American botanist. He headed the botany department at Stanford University from 1892 to 1911. His collection built at Stanford is considered to be one of the most important contributions to knowledge of the flora of California. This became the nucleus of what was known as the Dudley Herbarium.
Triteleia dudleyi is a species of flowering plant known by the common name Dudley's triteleia. It is endemic to California, where it is known from sections of the High Sierra Nevada and the Transverse Ranges. It is a plant of subalpine climates, growing in mountain forests. It is a perennial herb growing from a corm. It produces two or three basal leaves up to 30 centimeters long by one wide. The inflorescence arises on an erect stem up to 30 or 35 centimeters tall and bears an umbel-like cluster of many flowers. Each flower is a funnel-shaped yellow bloom that dries purple. The flower has six lobes measuring up to 1.2 centimeters long. There are six stamens with lavender anthers.
Polystichum vestitum, commonly known as the prickly shield fern or pūnui (Maori), is a hardy, evergreen or semi-evergreen ground fern.
Polystichum luctuosum is a species of fern known by the common names Korean rock fern and Tsushima holly fern. It is a small, clump-forming, tufted, evergreen to semi-evergreen fern native to Japan, Korea, Taiwan, China, Vietnam, and Thailand, as well as southern Africa. The fern grows to about 1–1.5 feet in height, with a spread of 1–1.5 feet, with stipe up to 30 cm long, pale to mid-brown, with dark brown to almost black scales, and bi-pinnate, glossy, dark green fronds.
Polystichum makinoi is a species of fern in the genus Polystichum in the family Dryopteridaceae.
