Image ID: 13034
Image by: Cressler, Alan M.
Image Collection: NCBG Digital Library
PLANT INDEX
ID_PLANT: POAC4
SCIENTIFIC NAME: Polystichum acrostichoides
Include in WOTAS: 0
Publish to Web: 1
Last Modified: 2018-09-18
GENUS INDEX
GENUS CODE: POLYS GENUS SCIENTIFIC:Polystichum GENUS AUTHORITY: Roth GENUS COMMON: Hollyfern GENUS SUMMARY: A genus of about 180 species, nearly cosmopolitan in distribution. GENUS IDENTIFICATION: GENUS REFERENCES: D.H. Wagner in FNA (1993b); Zhang & Barrington in FoC (2013); Kramer et al. in Kramer & Green (1990).
FAMILY INDEX
FAMILY CODE: DRYOPT FAMILY SCIENTIFIC:Dryopteridaceae FAMILY AUTHORITY: Ching 1965 FAMILY COMMON: Wood-fern Family FAMILY SUMMARY: A family of about 40-45 genera and 1700 species, cosmopolitan in distribution, but concentrated in temperate and montane areas. Here circumscribed (following Smith et al. 2006) to exclude Onocleaceae and Woodsiaceae. FAMILY REFERENCE: Smith in FNA (1993b); Smith et al. (2006); Lellinger (1985); Kramer et al. in Kramer & Green (1990).
FRUITING PERIOD: DISTRIBUTION
HABITAT TYPE: Dry forests, Moist forests
NATIVE RANGE: eastern N. America & Mexico HORTICULTURAL
Plant Sale Text: Christmas fern is easily grown in a variety of soils, and tolerates partial to full shade. This SE native fern is commonly seen growing in woodlands throughout North Carolina. Its leathery evergreen fronds bear stocking-shaped pinnae, which is one explanation for how it got its common name. Established plants grow into sizable clumps that add color and interest to the shade garden throughout the year. Christmas fern can be planted singly as an accent, or en masse as a ground cover.
This information is derived from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 2016 National Wetland Plant List, Version 3.3 (Lichvar, R.W., D.L. Banks, W.N. Kirchner, and N.C. Melvin. 2016. The National Wetland Plant List: 2016 wetland ratings. Phytoneuron 2016-30: 1-17. Published 28 April 2016. ISSN 2153 733X). Regions: AGCP-Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plain, AK-Alaska, AW-Arid West, CB-Caribbean, EMP-Eastern Mountains and Piedmont, GP-Great Plains, HI-Hawaii, MW-Midwest, NCNE-Northcentral and Northeast, WMCV-Western Mountains, Valleys & Coast
WEAKLEY FLORA
SCIENTIFIC NAME: Polystichum acrostichoides
COMMON NAME: Christmas Fern
SYNONYMY: [= Ar, C, F, FNA, G, Il, K2, Pa, RAB, S, Tn, Va, W, WH3, WV; > P. acrostichoides var. acrostichoides - K1; > P. acrostichoides var. lonchitoides Brook - K1]
PHENOLOGY: Jun-Sep.
HABITAT: Moist to dry forests and woodlands, especially slopes, ravines, and small stream bottomlands.
COMMENTS: NS west to MN, south to s. FL and e. TX; also in ne. Mexico (Nuevo León and Tamaulipas). One of the most familiar ferns in e. North America. Var. lonchitoides Brooks, allegedly endemic to WV, is of dubious taxonomic value.
RANGE MAP: Polystichum acrostichoides.png
Key to Map SymbolsABOUT FAMILY (Weakley Flora) Dryopteridaceae Ching 1965 (Wood-fern Family) SUMMARY: A family of about 40-45 genera and 1700 species, cosmopolitan in distribution, but concentrated in temperate and montane areas. Here circumscribed (following Smith et al. 2006) to exclude Onocleaceae and Woodsiaceae. REFERENCE: Smith in FNA (1993b); Smith et al. (2006); Lellinger (1985); Kramer et al. in Kramer & Green (1990).ABOUT GENUS (Weakley Flora) Polystichum Roth (Hollyfern) SUMMARY: A genus of about 180 species, nearly cosmopolitan in distribution. REFERENCE: D.H. Wagner in FNA (1993b); Zhang & Barrington in FoC (2013); Kramer et al. in Kramer & Green (1990).
HERBARIUM RESOURCES
SERNEC: Find Polystichum acrostichoides in Southeast Regional Network of Experts and Collections (if available) UNC SERNEC: Find Polystichum acrostichoides in
University of North Carolina Chapel Hill Herbarium - Southeast Regional Network of Experts and Collections (if available)