Flora of North America species comparison

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Polystichum braunii

Polystichum kruckebergii

Braun's holly-fern, polystic de Braun

holly fern, Kruckeberg's holly fern, Kruckeberg's sword fern, Kruckeberg's sword fern fern
Stems

erect.

ascending.
Leaves

monomorphic, arching, 2–10 dm;

bulblets absent.

erect, 1–2.5 dm;

bulblets absent.
Petiole

1/8–1/6 length of leaf, densely scaly;

scales light brown, gradually diminishing in size distally.

1/10–1/5 length of leaf, sparsely scaly;

scales light brown, gradually diminishing in size distally.
Blade

broadly lanceolate, 2-pinnate;

base narrowed.

linear, 1-pinnate-pinnatifid, base narrowed.
Pinnae

oblong-lanceolate or falcate, proximal pinnae ± rectangular, not overlapping, in 1 plane, 2–10 cm;

base oblique except proximal 3–4 pinnae, where auricles not developed;

apex acute, subapical and apical teeth same size;

microscales filiform to linear, lacking projections, dense abaxially, sparse adaxially.

rhombic-ovate to short-falcate, proximal pinnae ± triangular;

pinnae overlapping, twisted somewhat out of plane of blade, 0.5–1.5 cm;

base oblique, acroscopic auricle well developed;

margins shallowly incised to merely dentate or serrulate, teeth spreading and spiny at tip;

apex acute with subapical and apical teeth same size;

microscales lanceolate with few projections, confined to costa, on abaxial surface only.
Indusia

ciliate.

entire.
Spores

brown.

dark brown.
Pinnules

± stalked, short-falcate to oblique-rhombic, acroscopic auricle well developed on proximal pinnules;

margins dentate, with slender bristle tips;

apex broadly acute.

2n

= 164.

= 164.

Polystichum braunii

Polystichum kruckebergii
Habitat Moist places in boreal forests, interior moist forests Rocks and cliffs in subalpine to alpine habitats
Elevation 0–300 m (0–1000 ft) 1500–3200 m (4900–10500 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AK; CT; ID; MA; ME; MI; MN; NH; NY; VT; WI; BC; NB; NF; NS; ON; QC; YT; SPM; Eurasia
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA; ID; MT; NV; OR; UT; WA; BC
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Because no diploid ancestors have been found, Polystichum braunii is thought to be an ancient tetraploid. Its sterile hybrid with P. acrostichoides, P. × potteri, is discussed under P. acrostichoides. Polystichum braunii × lonchitis has been reported from southeast Alaska (S. L. Welsh 1974). This hybrid has been cytologically confirmed in Europe and named P. × meyeri Sleep & Reichstein (A. Sleep and T. Reichstein 1967). It has narrower and less divided leaves than P. braunii and poorly developed auricles. Polystichum braunii × lonchitis was described by J. Ewan (1944), but the type (from British Columbia) is P. braunii × munitum (A. Sleep and T. Reichstein 1967). This latter hybrid is the postulated progenitor of P. setigerum (D. H. Wagner 1979). North American P. braunii has been segregated as var. purshii Fernald, distinguished from European populations (var. braunii) by having broader microscales.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Polystichum kruckebergii is widely but sporadically distributed in small numbers in both the Sierra-Cascade and Rocky Mountain systems. Populations sometimes consist of only two or three dwarfed plants that are difficult to distinguish from P. scopulinum, with which they may occur. The spreading teeth of equal size at the pinna apex will usually distinguish this species. Polystichum kruckebergii is a tetraploid presumed to be of hybrid origin, with P. lonchitis and P. lemmonii as its diploid progenitors (W. H. Wagner Jr. 1973), although this hypothesis has not been confirmed. The hybrid with P. munitum has been found in Washington (P. S. Soltis et al. 1987) with both parents, and it is distinguished by intermediate morphology and abortive sporangia.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Source FNA vol. 2. FNA vol. 2.
Parent taxa Dryopteridaceae > Polystichum Dryopteridaceae > Polystichum
Sibling taxa
P. acrostichoides, P. aleuticum, P. andersonii, P. californicum, P. dudleyi, P. imbricans, P. kruckebergii, P. kwakiutlii, P. lemmonii, P. lonchitis, P. microchlamys, P. munitum, P. scopulinum, P. setigerum
P. acrostichoides, P. aleuticum, P. andersonii, P. braunii, P. californicum, P. dudleyi, P. imbricans, P. kwakiutlii, P. lemmonii, P. lonchitis, P. microchlamys, P. munitum, P. scopulinum, P. setigerum
Synonyms Aspidium braunii, P. braunii subsp. purshii, P. braunii var. purshii
Name authority (Spenner) Fée W. H. Wagner: Amer. Fern J. 56: 4. (1966)
Web links 
Unless otherwise noted, all data comes from the online version of the Flora of North America, who have made most of their content available via a Creative Commons license (CC BY 4.0).



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