OregonFlora: Polystichum imbricans vs. Polystichum scopulinum

	Polystichum imbricans	Polystichum scopulinum
	imbricate sword fern	mountain holly fern, rock sword fern
Stems		erect.
Leaves		small; to about 40 cm; bulbils absent.
Petiole(s)		highly variable in length; from short to over 33% length of the leaf.
Blades		1-pinnate-pinnatifid to more or less bipinnate proximally, linear-lanceolate; to 25 × 6 cm; widest below mid-length and narrowed to the apex and base; microscales narrow, confined to the abaxial costa.
Pinnae		ovate to narrowly ovate; to approximately 3 cm long, overlapping and twisted out of plane; distal part of pinna toothed, incised less than halfway to costa; teeth acute but not spine-tipped; proximal part (at least on the lower pinnae) deeply incised with 1– several pairs of pinnules; each entire to lobed/toothed, acroscopic pinnule somewhat enlarged.
Sori		with irregularly toothed indusial margins.
2n		=164.

	Polystichum imbricans	Polystichum scopulinum
Distribution	[WildflowerSearch map] [BONAP county map]	[WildflowerSearch map] [BONAP county map]
Discussion	[Species with one variety or subspecies in Oregon.]	Rock crevices. 700–3000 m. BR, BW, Casc, ECas, Owy, Sisk. CA, ID, NV, WA; western and northeastern North America. Native. This species is very similar to the rarer P. kruckebergii; see comments under that species.
Source	Flora of Oregon, volume 1	Flora of Oregon, volume 1, page 77 Duncan Thomas
Sibling taxa	P. andersonii, P. andersonii x Polystichum munitum, P. californicum, P. californicum x Polystichum munitum, P. kruckebergii, P. lemmonii, P. lonchitis, P. munitum, P. scopulinum	P. andersonii, P. andersonii x Polystichum munitum, P. californicum, P. californicum x Polystichum munitum, P. imbricans, P. kruckebergii, P. lemmonii, P. lonchitis, P. munitum
Subordinate taxa	P. imbricans ssp. imbricans
Synonyms		Polystichum mohrioides, Polystichum mohrioides var. scopulinum
Web links	Local floras: BC, CA, OR, WA Local Web sites: CalFlora, CalPhotos, Flora NW, PNW Herbaria WildflowerSearch iNaturalist (observations) USDA Plants Database LBJ Wildflower Center SEINet Plants of the World Online Encyclopedia of Life Wikipedia Google Image Search	Local floras: BC, CA, OR, WA Local Web sites: CalFlora, CalPhotos, Flora NW, PNW Herbaria WildflowerSearch iNaturalist (observations) USDA Plants Database LBJ Wildflower Center SEINet Plants of the World Online Encyclopedia of Life Wikipedia Google Image Search

Polystichum imbricans

Polystichum scopulinum

imbricate sword fern

mountain holly fern, rock sword fern

Stems

erect.

Leaves

small; to about 40 cm; bulbils absent.

Petiole(s)

highly variable in length; from short to over 33% length of the leaf.

Blades

1-pinnate-pinnatifid to more or less bipinnate proximally, linear-lanceolate; to 25 × 6 cm; widest below mid-length and narrowed to the apex and base;

microscales narrow, confined to the abaxial costa.

Pinnae

ovate to narrowly ovate; to approximately 3 cm long, overlapping and twisted out of plane;

distal part of pinna toothed, incised less than halfway to costa;

teeth acute but not spine-tipped;

proximal part (at least on the lower pinnae) deeply incised with 1– several pairs of pinnules; each entire to lobed/toothed, acroscopic pinnule somewhat enlarged.

Sori

with irregularly toothed indusial margins.

=164.