Plantae > Tracheophyta > Polypodiopsida > Polypodiales > Dryopteridaceae > Polystichum > Polystichum munitum

Polystichum munitum (western swordfern)

Synonyms:

Wikipedia Abstract

Polystichum munitum, the western swordfern, is an evergreen fern native to western North America, where it is one of the most abundant ferns. It occurs along the Pacific coast from southeastern Alaska to southern California, and also inland east to southeastern British Columbia, northern Idaho and western Montana, with isolated populations in interior northern British Columbia, the Black Hills in South Dakota, and on Guadalupe Island off Baja California.
View Wikipedia Record: Polystichum munitum

Infraspecies

Polystichum munitum f. munitum
Polystichum munitum imbricans

Attributes

Flower Color [1]  Brown
Foliage Color [1]  Dark Green
Drought Tolerance [1]  Low
Edible [2]  May be edible. See the Plants For A Future link below for details.
Fire Tolerance [1]  Medium
Frost Free Days [1]  4 months 15 days
Fruit/Seed Abundance [1]  None
Growth Form [1]  Rhizomatous
Growth Period [1]  Spring, Summer, Fall
Growth Rate [1]  Moderate
Hazards [2]  Although we have found no reports of toxicity for this species, a number of ferns contain carcinogens so some caution is advisable; Many ferns also contain thiaminase, an enzyme that robs the body of its vitamin B complex. In small quantities this enzyme will do no harm to people eating an adequate diet that is rich in vitamin B, though large quantities can cause severe health problems. The enzyme is destroyed by heat or thorough drying, so cooking the plant will remove the thiaminase;
Leaf Type [2]  Evergreen
Lifespan [2]  Perennial
Propagation [1]  Container, Sprig
Regrowth Rate [1]  Slow
Root Depth [1]  14 inches (36 cm)
Seed Spread Rate [1]  None
Shape/Orientation [1]  Semi-Erect
Structure [2]  Fern
Usage [2]  The leaves are used for lining boxes, baskets, fruit drying racks etc and as a stuffing material in bedding; A decoction of the rhizome treats dandruff; Plants can be grown as a ground cover and are best spaced about 1 metre apart each way;
Vegetative Spread Rate [1]  Moderate
Fall Conspicuous [1]  Yes
Flower Conspicuous [1]  Yes
Height [2]  39 inches (1 m)
Width [2]  12 inches (0.3 m)
Hardiness Zone Minimum [1]  USDA Zone: 3 Low Temperature: -40 F° (-40 C°) → -30 F° (-34.4 C°)
Light Preference [1]  Mostly Shady
Soil Acidity [1]  Neutral
Soil Fertility [1]  Intermediate
Water Use [1]  High
Screening - Summer [1]  Dense
Screening - Winter [1]  Moderate
View Plants For A Future Record : Polystichum munitum

Protected Areas

Predators

External References

USDA Plant Profile

NatureServe Explorer

Citations

Attributes / relations provided by
♦ 1USDA Plants Database, U. S. Department of Agriculture
♦ 2Plants For A Future licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License
♦ 3Aplodontia rufa, Leslie N. Carraway and B. J. Verts, MAMMALIAN SPECIES No. 431, pp. 1-10 (1993)
♦ 4An Ecological Survey of Endemic MOUNTAIN BEAVERS (Aplodontia rufa) in California, 1979-83, Dale T. Steele', State of California, THE RESOURCES AGENCY, Department of Fish and Game
♦ 5Neotoma fuscipes, L. N. Carraway and B. J. Verts, MAMMALIAN SPECIES No. 386, pp. 1-10 (1991)
♦ 6HOSTS - a Database of the World's Lepidopteran Hostplants Gaden S. Robinson, Phillip R. Ackery, Ian J. Kitching, George W. Beccaloni AND Luis M. Hernández
Abstract provided by DBpedia licensed under a Creative Commons License
Species taxanomy provided by GBIF Secretariat (2022). GBIF Backbone Taxonomy. Checklist dataset https://doi.org/10.15468/39omei accessed via GBIF.org on 2023-06-13; License: CC BY 4.0