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holly fern, mountain fern, northern holly fern, polystic faux-lonchitis

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

Stems

erect to occasionally ascending.

ascending.

Leaves

erect, not arching except at tip, 1–6 dm;

bulblets absent.

erect, 1–3(–5) dm;

bulblets absent.

Petiole

1/10–1/6 of blade, 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

linear, often widest above middle, 1-pinnate, base narrowed.

narrowly lanceolate, 1-pinnate-pinnatifid, base narrowed.

Pinnae

oblong to lanceolate to falcate, proximal pinnae ± deltate, rarely overlapping, in 1 plane, 0.5–3 cm, base truncate to oblique, acroscopic auricle well developed;

margins serrulate-spiny with teeth spreading;

apex acute, subapical tooth hardly smaller than apical tooth;

microscales dense, on abaxial surface only.

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

entire or minutely dentate-erose.

entire-ciliate.

Spores

dark brown.

brown.

2n

= 82.

= 164.

Polystichum lonchitis

Polystichum scopulinum

Habitat In rock crevices or at base of boulders, mostly in boreal and subalpine coniferous forests or alpine regions Rock crevices and at base of boulders, serpentine to acidic substrates, usually exposed to full sun
Elevation 0–3200 m (0–10500 ft) 0–3500 m (0–11500 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AK; AZ; CA; CO; ID; MI; MN; MT; NV; OR; UT; WA; WI; WY; AB; BC; NF; NS; ON; QC; YT; Greenland
[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

The hybrid between Polystichum lonchitis and P. acrostichoides (= P. × hagenahii Cody) is discussed under P. acrostichoides. The hybrid with P. braunii (= P. × meyeri Sleep & Reichstein) is discussed under P. braunii. In the Georgian Bay area of Ontario, P. lonchitis hybridizes with Dryopteris goldieana to produce the peculiar × Dryostichum singulare W. H. Wagner (W. H. Wagner Jr., F. S. Wagner et al. 1992).

The spiny spores of P. lonchitis are distinctive and distinguish this from dwarfed forms of other 1-pinnate species.

(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. braunii, P. californicum, P. dudleyi, P. imbricans, P. kruckebergii, P. kwakiutlii, P. lemmonii, 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 Polypodium lonchitis Aspidium aculeatum var. scopulinum, P. mohrioides var. scopulinum
Name authority (Linnaeus) Roth: Tent. Fl. Germ. 3(1): 71. (1799) (D. C. Eaton) Maxon: Fern Bull. 8: 29. (1900)
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