Name: |
- Polystichum, from the Greek polus
(polus), "many", and sticos
(stichos), "row or file", a reference to the regular rows
of fruitdots common to this genus of ferns.
- braunii, after botanist Alexander Braun (1805-1877).
- Common name from the holly-like appearance of the leaflets.
- Other common names include Braun's Sword Fern, Eastern Holly Fern, Skuggbräken
(Swe), Junkerbregne (Nor), Håret Skjoldbregne (Dan),
Brauns Schildfarn, Zarter Schildfarn (Ger), Naaldvaren (NL),
Polystic de Braun (Fr)
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Taxonomy: |
- Kingdom Plantae, the Plants
- Division Polypodiophyta, the True Ferns
- Class Filicopsida
- Order Polypodiales
- Family Dryopteridaceae, the Wood Ferns
- Genus Polystichum, the Holly Ferns
- Taxonomic Serial Number: 17678
- Also known as Aspidium braunii
- Our North American plant has been further taxonomized as var. purshii
to distinguish it from the European var. braunii. (It's a matter
of relative breadth of microscales.)
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Description: |
- Fronds monomorphic, arching, 12"-16"
- Petiole (leaf stalk) 1/8-1/6 length of leaf, densely
covered in light brown scales.
- Blade broadly lanceolate and twice-cut; base narrowed.
Upper surface dark green and glossy; underside scaly.
- Rachis (axis) densely covered in light brown
scales.
- Pinnae (primary leaflets) oblong-lanceolate, lower pinnae
more-or-less rectangular, not overlapping, and in a single plane,
¾"-4" long.
- Pinnules (secondary leaflets) slightly stalked, edges
toothed, with slender bristle tips.
- Rootstalk short, stout, erect, and very scaly.
- Sori few, small, and well-spaced.
- Indusia ciliate.
- Spores brown.
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Identification: |
- Identifiable by its dark green fronds, narrowed at both tip and base,
and covered with scales on the underside.
- Field Marks
- large size
- frond shape and color
- profuse scales
- bristle tipped pinnules
- Collected in our area from Cook and Lake Counties but not St. Louis.
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Distribution: |
- Alaska, the Yukon, and British Columbia; Northern Idaho; Ontario to Newfoundland,
south to Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, New York, and Massachusetts. Also
Eurasia.
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Habitat: |
- Cool, moist, shaded places in boreal forests and northern deciduous woods;
also rocky slopes and moist cliffs.
- Sensitive to logging activity
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Fire: |
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Associates: |
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History: |
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Uses: |
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Reproduction: |
- By spore and vegetatively by rhizome
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Propagation: |
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Cultivation: |
- Hardy to USDA Zone 3 (average minimum annual temperature -40ºF)
- Cultural Requirements
- Available by mail order from specialty suppliers.
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Links: |
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Comments: |
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Last Updated on
26 February, 2004
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