Polystichum acrostichoides

Polystichum acrostichoides
Photo taken by Gil Nelson
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Division:	Pteridophyta – Ferns
Class:	Filicopsida
Order:	Polypodiales
Family:	Dryopteridaceae
Genus:	Polystichum
Species:	P. acrostichoides
Binomial name
Polystichum acrostichoides (Michx.) Schott
Natural range of Polystichum acrostichoides from USDA NRCS Plants Database.

Common name: Christmas fern

Taxonomic notes

Synonyms: Polystichum acrostichoides var. acrostichoides; P. acrostichoides var. lonchitoides Brook

Description

A description of Polystichum acrostichoides is provided in The Flora of North America.

Distribution

Dense colonies of P. acrostichoides tend to be dominant understory species in dense, mixed hardwood forests that are very shady and moist (Carvell et al 1980). Associated species include Dryopteris ludoviciana, Thelypteris hexagonaptera, Athyrium felix-foemina, and Solidago flaccidifolia (FSU Herbarium).

Ecology

Habitat

In the Coastal Plain in Florida, P. acrostichoides can be found in hardwoods, gulches, deciduous woodlands, and mesic hammocks (FSU Herbarium). Associated species include trillium, Dryopteris ludoviciana, Thelypteris hexagonoptera, Athyrium, and Solidago flaccidifolia (FSU Herbarium).

Phenology

Flowers and fruits in February (FSU Herbarium).

References and notes

Carvell, K.L. 1980. The impact of silvicultural practices on the density, height, and composition of the understory - with special reference to wildlife habitat. West Virginia Forestry Notes 7:17-19.

Florida State University Robert K. Godfrey Herbarium database. URL: http://herbarium.bio.fsu.edu. Last accessed: July 2015. Collectors: Loran C. Anderson, R.K. Godfrey, Angus Gholson, Wilson Baker, William D. Reese. States and Counties: Florida: Gadsden, Leon, Walton. Compiled by Tall Timbers Research Station and Land Conservancy.