California Swordfern

Description

Polystichum californicum-is a species of-fern-known by the common name-California sword fern. It is native to western North America from-British Columbia-to-California, where it occurs in the coastal mountain ranges and the-Cascade Range-through the-Sierra Nevada. Its habitat includes forest understory and open rocky slopes. This fern produces several arching or erect leaves up to a meter long. Each lance-shaped leaf is made up of many sharp-toothed segments. The undersides bear rounded-sori-which contain the-spores. This fern arose as a-hybrid-between other-Polystichum-species and readily forms hybrids of its own.