{{Short description|Western North American fern}} {{Speciesbox | image = Polystichum munitum (Jami Dwyer) 001.jpg | image_caption = Western sword fern growing in the Columbia River Gorge | genus = Polystichum | species = munitum | authority = (Kaulf.) C.Presl | synonyms = *''Aetopteron munitum'' {{au|(Kaulf.) House 1920}} *''Aspidium munitum'' {{au|Kaulf. 1824}} *''Dryopteris munita'' {{au|(Kaulf.) Kuntze 1891}} *''Aspidium munitum var. incisoserratum'' {{au|D.C.Eaton 1878}} *''Aspidium munitum var. nudatum'' {{au|D.C.Eaton 1878 publ. 1879}} *''Nephrodium plumula'' {{au|C.Presl 1825}} *''Polystichum munitum f. flabellatum'' {{au|A.A.Eaton 1901}} *''Polystichum munitum var. incisoserratum'' {{au|(D.C.Eaton) Underw. 1900}} *''Polystichum munitum f. incisoserratum'' {{au|(D.C.Eaton) Clute & H.St.John 1928}} *''Polystichum munitum subsp. incisoserratum'' {{au|(D.C.Eaton) Piper & Beattie 1915}} *''Polystichum munitum subsp. nudatum'' {{au|(D.C.Eaton) Ewan 1942}} *''Polystichum munitum f. nudatum'' {{au|(D.C.Eaton) M.Broun 1938}} *''Polystichum munitum subsp. solitarium'' {{au|Maxon 1903}} *''Polystichum plumula'' {{au|C.Presl 1836}} *''Polystichum solitarium'' {{au|Underw. 1908}} }}
'''''Polystichum munitum''''', the '''western swordfern''',<ref>{{PLANTS|id=POMU|taxon=Polystichum munitum|accessdate=12 October 2015}}</ref> is an evergreen perennial fern native to western North America, where it is one of the most abundant ferns in forested areas. 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 disjunctive populations in northern British Columbia, Canada; the Black Hills in South Dakota, United States; and Guadalupe Island off of Baja California, Mexico. Western swordfern is known to have locally naturalized in parts of Great Britain and Ireland.<ref>[https://bsbi.org/maps?taxonid=2cd4p9h.x0z Botanical Society of Britain & Ireland]</ref>
==Description== The dark green fronds of this fern grow {{convert|50|to|180|cm|ft}} tall, in a tight clump spreading out radially from a round base. They are single-pinnate, with the pinnae alternating on the stalk. Each pinna is {{convert|1|to|15|cm|in}} long, with a small upward-pointing lobe (a sword hilt, hence the name) at the base, and the edges are serrated with bristly tips on the serrations. Beyond the upward-pointing lobe, the pinnae are broadly linear in shape, usually with a gradual taper and curved slightly toward the distal end of the frond. Individual fronds live for 1.5 to 2.5 years and remain attached to the rhizome after withering. When they emerge in spring, the fronds are doubled back on themselves and circinate (rolled up) only at the tip. The round sori occupy two rows on either side of the midrib of each pinna and are covered by a centrally-attached, umbrella-like indusium with fringed edges. They produce light yellow spores. In deep shade, fronds spread nearly horizontally, but with increasing sun exposure, grow more upright. In young plants, the leaves are often paler green and have shorter pinnae.<ref name="Hitchcock and Cronquist"> Hitchcock, C.L. and Cronquist, A. 2018. Flora of the Pacific Northwest, 2nd Edition, p. 56. University of Washington Press, Seattle.</ref><ref name="e936">{{cite web | title=Polystichum munitum | website=University and Jepson Herbaria Home Page | date=2025-01-04 | url=https://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/eflora/eflora_display.php?tid=39422 | access-date=2025-01-04}}</ref> <gallery> Image: Polystichum munitum JHT IMG 2235 cropped.jpg|Pinnae shape Image: Polystichum munitum iNat-110931146.1.jpg|Young frond Image: Polystichum munitum iNat-110931146.2.jpg|Plant with young fronds File:Polystichum munitum kz03.jpg|Sorus </gallery> ==Habitat and cultivation==
The preferred habitat of this fern is the understory of moist coniferous woodlands at low elevations. It grows best in well-drained acidic soil of rich humus and small stones. It is very resilient and survives occasional droughts, but flourishes only with consistent moisture, and it prefers cool weather.<ref name="d670">{{cite web | title=Polystichum munitum | website=US Forest Service | date=1969-09-07 | url=https://www.fs.usda.gov/database/feis/plants/fern/polmun/all.html | access-date=2025-01-04}}</ref>
In cultivation, it also responds well to regular, light fertilization. While this fern is a favored horticultural subject in western North America, it has proved difficult or impossible to cultivate satisfactorily in the eastern part of the continent.
In the United Kingdom ''Polystichum munitum'' has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.<ref name = RHSPF>{{cite web | url = https://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/13486/i-Polystichum-munitum-i/Details | title = RHS Plantfinder - ''Polystichum munitum'' | access-date = 11 May 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/pdfs/agm-lists/agm-ornamentals.pdf | title = AGM Plants - Ornamental | date = July 2017 | page = 81 | publisher = Royal Horticultural Society | access-date = 11 May 2018}}</ref> <gallery mode="packed" heights="250px"> File:Redwoods Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park 2.jpg|Plants growing in Redwood forest habitat in Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park File:Quinault Small Waterfall.jpg|Sword fern habitat near Lake Quinault in Washington, United States File:Red alder and sword fern, Oregon Coast Range.JPG|Plants growing below red alder near Drift Creek in the Oregon Coast Range </gallery>
==Phylogeny== According to a molecular phylogeny of ''Polystichum'' ferns based on plastid DNA sequences, ''P. munitum'' is most closely related to other North American ''Polystichum'' species, including the western species ''Polystichum lemmonii'', ''Polystichum scopulinum'', and ''Polystichum dudleyi'', and the eastern species ''Polystichum acrostichoides''.<ref name="Morero 2019">Moreroa, R.E., Deannaa, R., Barboza, G.E., Barrington, D.S. 2019. Historical biogeography of the fern genus Polystichum (Dryopteridaceae) in Austral South America. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 137 (2019) 168–189. doi 10.1016/j.ympev.2019.05.004</ref>
==Utility== The Coast Salish people of B.C. and Washington state use this plant as a pain reliever. When applied directly to the area where pain and inflammation occur, according to Della Rice Sylvester, an elder and medicine woman of the Cowichan tribe, the sword fern "takes the pain away!". This traditional use has spread among the hiking communities and youth scouting organizations of the region, where it is a common piece of hiker's lore that a rash from a stinging nettle can be counteracted by rubbing the spores on the underside of sword fern on the area.
In spring, when other food is unavailable, Quileute, Makah, Klallam, Squamish, Sechelt, Haida, and other Native American/First Nations peoples roasted, peeled, and ate the rhizomes.<ref name=Pojar>{{cite book |author=Paul Alaback |author2=Joe Antos |author3=Trevor Goward |author4=Ken Lertzman |author5=Andy MacKinnon |author5-link=Andy MacKinnon |author6=Jim Pojar |author6-link=Jim Pojar |author7=Rosamund Pojar |author8=Andrew Reed |author9=Nancy Turner |author10=Dale Vitt |editor=Jim Pojar |editor2=Andy MacKinnon |title=Plants of the Pacific Northwest Coast |edition=Revised |year=2004 |publisher=Lone Pine Publishing|location=Vancouver, British Columbia |isbn=978-1-55105-530-5 |page=53 }}</ref> The fronds were used to line fire pits and food drying racks and as filling for mattresses.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Kruckeberg|first=Arthur|title=The Natural History of Puget Sound Country|publisher=University of Washington Press|year=1991|isbn=978-0-295-97477-4|location=Seattle, Washington|pages=166}}</ref> The plant is also cultivated for its ornamental foliage, which florists include in vases. The fronds were widely used in other cultures. It is used as 'famine food', place mats, dancing skirts, and flower arrangements. ==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== {{Commons and category}} * [https://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=POMU USDA Plants Profile: ''Polystichum munitum''] * [http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_IJM.pl?tid=39422 Jepson eFlora Treatment of ''Polystichum munitum''] * [http://www.calflora.org/cgi-bin/species_query.cgi?where-taxon=Polystichum+munitum Calflora Database: ''Polystichum munitum'' (western sword fern)] * [http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=200004619 Flora of North America: ''Polystichum munitum''] * [http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/plants/fern/polmun/all.html=POMU USFS Profile: ''Species: Polystichum munitum'']
{{Taxonbar|from=Q2273822}}
munitum Category:Ferns of California Category:Flora of the West Coast of the United States Category:Flora of the Northwestern United States Category:Flora of Alaska Category:Flora of Baja California Category:Flora of Guadalupe Island Category:Flora of California Category:Flora of British Columbia Category:Flora of Montana Category:Flora of Oregon Category:Flora of South Dakota Category:Flora of the Cascade Range Category:Flora of the Great Basin Category:Flora of the Klamath Mountains Category:Flora of the Sierra Nevada (United States) Category:Natural history of the California chaparral and woodlands Category:Natural history of the California Coast Ranges Category:Natural history of the Channel Islands of California Category:Natural history of the San Francisco Bay Area Category:Taxa named by Carl Borivoj Presl Category:Garden plants of North America Category:Flora without expected TNC conservation status