Flora of North America species comparison

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Polystichum braunii

Polystichum scopulinum

Braun's holly-fern, polystic de Braun

Eaton's holly fern, mountain holly fern, polystic des rochers, rock sword fern
Stems

erect.

ascending.
Leaves

monomorphic, arching, 2–10 dm;

bulblets absent.

erect, 1–3(–5) dm;

bulblets absent.
Petiole

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

scales light brown, gradually diminishing in size distally.

1/5–1/3 length of leaf, densely scaly but scales falling off distally;

scales light brown, abruptly diminishing in size distally.
Blade

broadly lanceolate, 2-pinnate;

base narrowed.

narrowly lanceolate, 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.

oblong-lanceolate, overlapping, folded inward and twisted horizontally, 1–3 cm;

base oblique;

margins serrulate with teeth curved inward;

apex obtuse to cuspidate with subapical teeth smaller than apical tooth;

microscales narrowly lanceolate, with stout projections, sparse, on abaxial surface only.
Indusia

ciliate.

entire-ciliate.
Spores

brown.

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 scopulinum
Habitat Moist places in boreal forests, interior moist forests Rock crevices and at base of boulders, serpentine to acidic substrates, usually exposed to full sun
Elevation 0–300 m (0–1000 ft) 0–3500 m (0–11500 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
AZ; CA; CO; ID; MT; NV; OR; UT; WA; WY; BC; NF; QC
[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 scopulinum is widely distributed in the United States west of the 110th meridian, where it occurs in sporadic, usually small populations. The species is abundant only on montane serpentine outcrops. The populations in Newfoundland and Quebec are dramatically disjunct.

Polystichum scopulinum is an allopolyploid, believed on morphologic grounds to be derived from P. imbricans × lemmonii (D. H. Wagner 1979). Based on putative hybridization between P. scopulinum and P. munitum (P. S. Soltis et al. 1989; W. H. Wagner Jr. 1973), however, P. munitum may also be involved. This hybrid is discussed under P. californicum.

(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. kruckebergii, P. kwakiutlii, P. lemmonii, P. lonchitis, P. microchlamys, P. munitum, P. setigerum
Synonyms Aspidium braunii, P. braunii subsp. purshii, P. braunii var. purshii Aspidium aculeatum var. scopulinum, P. mohrioides var. scopulinum
Name authority (Spenner) Fée (D. C. Eaton) Maxon: Fern Bull. 8: 29. (1900)
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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