Flora of North America species comparison

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Polystichum dudleyi

Polystichum kwakiutlii

Dudley's sword fern

kwakiutl's hollyfern
Stems

erect.

unknown.
Leaves

monomorphic, arching, 2–10 dm;

bulblets absent.

(only distal portion known) with bulblets present.
Petiole

1/5–1/3 length of leaf, densely scaly;

scales light brown, gradually diminishing in size distally.

Blade

broadly lanceolate, 2-pinnate, base not narrowed.

lanceolate, 2-pinnate, base probably narrowed.
Pinnae

narrowly lanceolate, not overlapping, in 1 plane, 3–13 cm;

base oblique, apex acute with subapical and apical teeth same size;

microscales filiform, lacking projections, sparse abaxially, but longer than in other Polystichum species, forming loosely tangled network over blade and sori (such network only in this species), sparse adaxially.

narrowly lanceolate, ca. 2–7 cm, base truncate to oblique, acroscopic proximal pinnule enlarged, apex obtuse.
Indusia

ciliate.

entire.
Spores

brown.

Pinnules

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

margins spinulose-dentate;

apex acute.

short-stalked, ovate-rhombic, acroscopic auricle ± well developed, margins finely spiny-dentate;

apex acuminate;

microscales filiform, lacking projections, dense abaxially, sparse adaxially.
2n

= 82.

Polystichum dudleyi

Polystichum kwakiutlii
Habitat Moist forests Habitat unknown.
Elevation 0–100 m (0–300 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
BC; Of conservation concern
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Polystichum dudleyi is confined to coastal central California. Hybrids with P. californicum are relatively frequent where these species occur together. These hybrids would key here but, unlike P. dudleyi, they are less divided and have aborted sporangia. The sterile diploid hybrid with P. munitum is also frequent in areas of sympatry. It is indistinguishable from P. californicum except for malformed sporangia and chromosome number (W. H. Wagner Jr. 1973).

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

Polystichum kwakiutlii is known only from the type specimen, collected at Alice Arm, British Columbia (whether referring to inlet or town is unknown). This species is presumed to be one of the diploid progenitors of P. andersonii. It should be sought among the boreal 2-pinnate polystichums, from which it can be distinguished by the presence of bulblets. Polystichum kwakiutlii differs from P. andersonii in its completely divided pinnae and entire indusia.

(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. braunii, P. californicum, 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. lemmonii, P. lonchitis, P. microchlamys, P. munitum, P. scopulinum, P. setigerum
Synonyms P. aculeatum var. dudleyi
Name authority Maxon: J. Wash. Acad. Sci. 8: 620. (1918) D. H. Wagner: Amer. Fern J. 80: 50, fig. 1. (1990)
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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