Ferns List
|
Ferns List
|
Male & Buckler-Fern Family [Dryopteridaceae] 
|
| Fronds: |
|
| Spores: |
|
[PolystichumAculeatum)_2009_06_22_GaitBarrows_160p6.jpg)
| 22nd June 2009, Limestone Paving, Gait Barrows, Silverdale. | Photo: © RWD |
| Roots sheltered in a shallow gryke and unlike many other ferns is wintergreen, remaining green in winter. |
_2014_06_07_GaitBarrows_LBS_080p4.jpg)
| 7th June 2014, Limestone Paving, Gait Barrows, Cumbria. | Photo: © RWD |
| Prefers the protection of a gryke. |
[PolystichumAculeatum)_2009_06_22_GaitBarrows_155p1.jpg)
| 22nd June 2009, Limestone Paving, Gait Barrows, Silverdale. | Photo: © RWD |
| Alternate golden yellow fronds. Diagnostic feature: The pinnae (leaflets) at the base are less than half the length of the longest in the middle. |
[PolystichumAculeatum)_2009_06_22_GaitBarrows_156p2.jpg)
| 22nd June 2009, Limestone Paving, Gait Barrows, Silverdale. | Photo: © RWD |
[PolystichumAculeatum)_2009_06_22_GaitBarrows_157p4.jpg)
| 22nd June 2009, Limestone Paving, Gait Barrows, Silverdale. | Photo: © RWD |
| Single groove down the stem. |
[PolystichumAculeatum)_2009_06_22_GaitBarrows_156p0.jpg)
| 22nd June 2009, Limestone Paving, Gait Barrows, Silverdale. | Photo: © RWD |
| Lower stem has straw-coloured rough hairs. |
_2017_04_08_Blackbrook_CarMillDam_Botanising_LBS_121p3.jpg)
| 8th April 2017, Blackbrook, Carr Mill Dam, St. Helens. | Photo: © RWD |
| The obtuse side. Sori yet to form, there are signs of them at the extremities of each pinna (leaf). |
_2017_04_08_Blackbrook_CarMillDam_Botanising_LBS_118p1.jpg)
| 8th April 2017, Blackbrook, Carr Mill Dam, St. Helens. | Photo: © RWD |
| Where the pinnules join the main stem the included angle is <90° (an acute angle) (unlike that on the Soft Shield-Fern page where the angle is obtuse (>90° - see angle D) |
_2017_04_08_Blackbrook_CarMillDam_Botanising_LBS_126p9.jpg)
| 8th April 2017, Blackbrook, Carr Mill Dam, St. Helens. | Photo: © RWD |
| Unlike the soft 'spikes' at the end (and elsewhere) of the pinnules (leaflets) on Soft Shield-Fern those on Hard Shield-Fern here are much stiffer and sharper and can prick skin. |
_2007_07_31_Arnside_GaitBarrows_Silverdale_circ_544p1.jpg)
| 7th July 2007, Limestone Paving, Gait Barrows, Cumbria. | Photo: © RWD |
| Apparently this is also Hard-shield Fern despite the rather stubby upwardly-directed thumbs nearest the rachis (Checked by fern botanist). |
_2007_07_31_Arnside_GaitBarrows_Silverdale_circ_544p4.jpg)
| 7th July 2007, Limestone Paving, Gait Barrows, Cumbria. | Photo: © RWD |
| Rather stubby upwardly-directed thumbs nearest the rachis. |
_2017_04_08_Blackbrook_CarMillDam_Botanising_LBS_123p7.jpg)
| 8th April 2017, Blackbrook, Carr Mill Dam, St. Helens. | Photo: © RWD |
| The crozier or fiddleneck, where the both the main stem has yet to fully un-roll and also the leaves (which are those green things in the middle of the crozier) |
_2014_06_07_GaitBarrows_LBS_077p9.jpg)
| 7th June 2014, Limestone Paving, Gait Barrows, Cumbria. | Photo: © RWD |
| The parallel alignment of the 'thumbs' to the rachis (main stem) is easier to see from the underside. |
[PolystichumAculeatum)_2009_06_22_GaitBarrows_158p60.jpg)
| 22nd June 2009, Limestone Paving, Gait Barrows, Silverdale. | Photo: © RWD |
| Sori on underside of frond. |
[PolystichumAculeatum)_2009_06_22_GaitBarrows_158p00.jpg)
| 22nd June 2009, Limestone Paving, Gait Barrows, Silverdale. | Photo: © RWD |
| Sori on underside of frond. |
| 7th June 2014, Limestone Paving, Gait Barrows, Cumbria. | Photo: © RWD |
| Close-up of sori. |
_2017_04_22_LoggerheadsCountryPk_NorthWales_LBS_180p8.jpg)
| 22nd April 2017, Loggerheads Country Pk, North Wales. | Photo: © RWD |
| The lower stem with pale scales surrounding it. |
_2012_04_24_Arnside_GaitBarrows_Silverdale_Carnforth_058p3.jpg)
| 24th April 2012, Gait Barrows, Lancs/Cumbria. | Photo: © RWD |
| And this too is also Hard-shield Fern, except this specimen has some viciously-long sharp spines at the end of the leaflets. |
|
Some similarities to : Male-Fern. Young specimens can be easily mistaken for Holly Fern (Polystichum lonchitis) with which it hybridizes but that is singly-pinnate (as opposed to bipinnate for Hard Shield-Fern) and frequently has sori present even when small. Not to be confused with : Hard-Fern [a plant with similar name] Hybridizes with :
Hard Shield-Fern is 1-pinnate to 2-pinnate and hard to the touch with shap points! It is a more upland and northern species than is Soft Shield-Fern (Polystichum setiferum) but occurs less frequently found than that (Polystichum setiferum). It is frequently found in Britain and Ireland.
|
 Polystichum
|
aculeatum
|
⇐ Global Aspect ⇒ |
Dryopteridaceae
|
 Polystichum (Hard Shield-Ferns) |
|
Male & Buckler-Fern Family [Dryopteridaceae]
|
BSBI maps