Kingdom: Plantae

Phylum: Pteridophyta -- Ferns

Class: Class Filicopsida

Order: Polypodiales

Family: Dryopteridaceae (formerly part of Polypodiaceae)

Variety: no infraspecific taxa are recognized

Common Name: common swordfern, western swordfern

Species Code: POMU

Origin: Native to moist forests of western North America from Alaska to California and east to western Montana.

Rare: no

Form: fern, evergreen, perennial from a short caudex-like organ or short rhizome.

Duration: perennial

Longevity: long

Habitat Type: forest

Wetland Indicator Status: not listed

Leaves: coarse, ascending and arching; petioles scaly; leaves 20-150 cm long (including the petiole); blades pinnate; pinnae offset, 30-70 on each side of the rachis, closely serrate, more or less explanate, becoming more twisted in plants growing in sun, linear to lance-linear, acuminate.

Fruit: spores, light yellow; sori numerous, borne in a single row on each side of the midvein, mostly on the middle and upper pinnae; indusium prominent, ciliate.

Characteristics:
Reproduces both sexually by spores and vegetatively by rhizomes.
The original family Polypodiaceae has been divided into a number families and Polystichum placed in family Dryopteridaceae.
Spores are haploid. They germinate to form a gametophyte generation called a prothallus. The prothallus contains the sexual organs and sexual reproduction occurs there. Successful fertilization requires water between the prothallus and the soil. The fertilized egg develops into a new plant, the sporophyte (diploid) generation.
Spores are windborne.
Perennating organ is a rhizome.
2n=82 (Hitchcock et al 1969, Flora of North America Editorial Committee 1993, Baldwin et al 2004).
Diploids only are known.
Plants were used medicinally and rhizomes were eaten by native peoples.
Leaves are often used in floral arrangements (Idaho Native Plant Society 1999).

Sun requirement: shade to nearly full sun

Soil moisture: mesic

Precipitation: 16-55 inches (USDA NRCS PLANTS Database 2010).

Fire: Sprouts from woody rhizome. Colonizes from off-site spores. Burning has varying results depending on fire severity and soil moisture. Cover may be reduced or lacking after fire for several years (Crane 1989).

Transplant time: spring or fall

Planting duration: long

Seed comments: Reproduces sexually by spores.

Herbaria: Specimen data and digital resources from The Consortium of Pacific Northwest Herbaria

Keywords: native perennial upland fern

Propagation:
1 protocol in the Native Plant Network:
Golden Gate National Parks, California

Other Propagation Information:
Can be propagated by divisions and rhizomes.
Reproduces both sexually by spores and vegetatively by rhizomes.

Notes: Very common and is a good landscape species. Does well on a dry site if given some water. Do not plant in very strong sunlight (Idaho Native Plant Society 1999).

References:
Baldwin, B.G., S. Boyd, B.J. Ertter, D.J. Keil, R.W. Patterson, T.J. Rosatti, and D.H. Wilken (eds). 2004. Jepson Online Interchange for California Floristics. University and Jepson Herbaria, University of California, Berkeley, CA. Accessed 1/19/10 online at http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/interchange.html

Crane, M. F. 1989. Polystichum munitum. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available: http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/ [accessed 2008, November 15].

Flora of North America Editorial Committee, eds. 1993+. Flora of North America North of Mexico. 7+ vols. New York and Oxford. Oxford University Press. Online at http://www.fna.org/FNA/

Hitchcock, C. Leo, Arthur Cronquist, Marion Ownbey, and J.W. Thompson. 1969. Vascular Plants of the Pacific Northwest. University of Washington Press. Seattle, WA. 5 vol.

Idaho Native Plant Society. 1999. Native Plants of Northern Idaho for Landscaping and Restoration. INPS White Pine Chapter. Moscow, ID. Online at http://www.idahonativeplants.org/guides/NorthIdahoGuide.aspx

USDA NRCS. 2010. The PLANTS Database (http://plants.usda.gov, 19 January 2010). National Plant Data Center, Baton Rouge, LA 70874-4490 USA.

Links:
Plant Profile from the USDA PLANTS Database
Species account from the Fire Effects Information System
Species description from Flora of North America
Species information from the University of Washington Herbarium