Polystichum aculeatum

Polystichum aculeatum , Photo: Michael Lahanas

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Regnum: Plantae
Divisio: Tracheophyta
Divisio: Pteridophyta
Classis: Polypodiopsida
Ordo: Polypodiales

Familia: Dryopteridaceae
Genus: Polystichum
Species: Polystichum aculeatum
Varietas: P. a. var. samoensis
Name

Polystichum aculeatum (L.) Roth, 1799
Synonyms

Aetopteron aculeatum (L.) House
Aspidium aculeatum (L.) Sw.
Aspidium aculeatum subsp. lobatum (Huds.) Niessl
Aspidium aculeatum var. lobatum (Huds.) Warnst.
Aspidium bosniacum Formánek
Aspidium haleakalense Mann
Aspidium intermedium Sadl.
Aspidium lobatum (Huds.) Sw.
Aspidium lobatum var. aristatum Christ
Aspidium munitum Sadl.
Aspidium plukenetii Steud.
Aspidium pseudolonchitis Dumort
Aspidium serrulatum Opiz
Aspidium sublobatum Bl.
Dryopteris aculeata (L.) O.Kuntze
Dryopteris aculeata subsp. lobata (Huds.) Briq.
Dryopteris lobata (Huds.) G.Beck
Dryopteris lobata (Huds.) Schinz & Thell.
Dryopteris setifera subsp. lobata (Huds.) Maire
Hypopeltis aculeata (L.) Tod.
Hypopeltis lobulata Bory
Nephrodium aculeatum (L.) Coss. & Germ.
Phymatodes plukenetii (Loisel.) C.Presl
Polypodium aculeatum L.
Polypodium aculeatum var. lobatum (Huds.) C.B.Cl.
Polypodium appendiculatum Hoffm.
Polypodium lobatum Huds.
Polypodium plukenetii Loisel.
Polystichum aculeatum (L.) Schott
Polystichum aculeatum var. aristatum (Christ) Askerov
Polystichum aculeatum subsp. lobatum (Huds.) Vollm.
Polystichum lobatum (Huds.) Bast.
Polystichum lobatum (Huds.) C.Presl
Polystichum plukenetii (Loisel.) DC.
Polystichum pseudolonchitis Bellynck ex Dum.
Polystichum stipitatum Chauvin
Tectaria aculeata (L.) Lag., Garcia & Clem.

Distribution
Native distribution areas:

Continental: Eurasia
Albania, Austria, Belgium, England, Wales, Scotland, Bulgaria, Corsica, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Switzerland, Netherlands, Spain, ?Andorra, Hungary, Italy, Bosnia & Hercegovina, Montenegro, Croatia, Macedonia, Serbia & Kosovo, Slovenia, Norway, Poland, Romania, ?Sardinia, ?Sicily, Sweden, ?European Turkey, Algeria, Morocco, Turkey (Anatolia), Lebanon, Iran, Crimea, Northern Caucasus, Georgia [Caucasus], Armenia, Azerbaijan (incl. Talysh), +Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Belarus, W-European Russia, Ukraine, China (Xinjiang), Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan
Continental: Northern Africa
Regional: Macaronesia
Canary Isl. (La Gomera, La Palma Isl., Tenerife)

References: Brummitt, R.K. 2001. TDWG – World Geographical Scheme for Recording Plant Distributions, 2nd Edition
References
Primary references

Roth, A.W. 1799–1800. Tentamen Florae Germanicae; continens enumerationem plantarum in Germania sponte nascentium. Vol 3. viii + 578 pp., Lipsiae [Leipzig]: in Bibliopolio I.G. Mülleriano. BHL Reference page. : 3 (1.1): 79.

Links

Hassler, M. 2020. Polystichum aculeatum – World Ferns: Checklist of Ferns and Lycophytes of the World . In: Roskov Y., Orrell T., Nicolson D., Bailly N., Kirk P.M., Bourgoin T., DeWalt R.E., Decock W., De Wever A., Nieukerken E. van, Zarucchi J. & Penev L. (eds.) 2020. Species 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of Life. Published on the internet. Accessed: 2020 Apr 05.
Govaerts, R. et al. 2020. Polystichum aculeatum in Kew Science Plants of the World Online. The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published online. Accessed: 2020 Apr 05. Reference page.
International Plant Names Index. 2020. Polystichum aculeatum. Published online. Accessed: Apr 05 2020.
Tropicos.org 2020. Polystichum aculeatum. Missouri Botanical Garden. Published online. Accessed: 05 Apr 2020.

Vernacular names
čeština: Kapradina laločnatá
Deutsch: Gelappter Schildfarn
English: Hard Shield Fern
eesti: Ogane astelsõnajalg
suomi: Piikkihärkylä
Nederlands: Stijve naaldvaren
norsk: Falkbregne
polski: Paprotnik kolczysty

Polystichum aculeatum, the hard shield-fern,[1] is an evergreen fern native to Europe. It is most abundant in upland regions of the British Isles and western France, where it benefits from the combination of mild winters and moist summers, but also occurs more locally across most of Europe except northern Scandinavia, northern Russia; in the Mediterranean region it is confined to high altitudes. It grows on steep slopes in woodlands. it is sometimes considered an indicator of the presence of ancient woodlands. [2]
Polystichum aculeatum 01.jpg
Tannertobel in Tann, Switzerland

The glossy dark green fronds are 30–90 cm long, usually drooping downslope, with typically 3-8 fronds on a mature plant. The fronds are stiff and hard-textured, bipinnate (single-pinnate on small, young plants), with the pinnae opposite on the stalk. Each pinna is 3–11 cm long, with a large upward-pointing pinnule at the base, and the other pinnules decreasing in size toward the pinna tip; the pinnules have bristly tips. Individual fronds live for 1.5-2.5 years and remain attached to the rhizome after withering. The round sori occupy two rows on either side of the midrib of each pinnule and are covered by a centrally-attached, umbrella-like indusium with fringed edges. They produce light yellow spores.

The Latin specific epithet aculeatum means “bristly”.[3]

Polystichum aculeatum is grown as an ornamental plant in gardens, and has gained the Royal Horticultural Society’s Award of Garden Merit.[4][5]
Distribution

Ireland. Counties:Down, Antrim and Derry.[6] Throughout the British Isles and Europe except for the northern countries.[7][8] It is found in mountain limestone screes in the Jura and the alps, and on alpine and subalpine limestone cliffs.[8][9]
References

BSBI List 2007 (xls). Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland. Archived from the original (xls) on 2015-06-26. Retrieved 2014-10-17.
Rose, Francis. "Indicators of ancient woodland: The use of vascular plants in evaluating ancient woods for nature conservation" (PDF).
Harrison, Lorraine (2012). RHS Latin for Gardeners. United Kingdom: Mitchell Beazley. ISBN 978-1845337315.
"RHS Plantfinder - Polystichum achuleatum". Retrieved 12 May 2018.
"AGM Plants - Ornamental" (PDF). Royal Horticultural Society. July 2017. p. 81. Retrieved 12 May 2018.
Hackney, P. Ed. 1992. Stewart & Corry's Flora of the North-east of Ireland. Institute of Irish Studies and The Queen's University of Belfast.
Welsh Ferns; Hutchinson & Thomas; Seventh edition; 1996
"INPN: Habitat of Polystichum aculeatum". INPN Inventaire National du Patrimoine Naturel. Retrieved 2018-05-21.

Bensettiti, F., & Muséum national d'histoire naturelle (Paris). 2004. Habitats côtiers. la Documentation française.