Polystichum dudleyi

Dudley's sword fern

Family: Dryopteridaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Dudley's sword fern is a California native perennial found in northern coastal and central western California in moist forests at elevations below 500 meters. This fern has a distinctive large, lance-shaped frond reaching 50 to 100 centimeters long with delicate pinnae spreading 5 to 12 centimeters from a slender stipe. Growing with a robust structure, it features a base with ovate scales 3 to 7 millimeters wide and typically forms two-pinnate leaf arrangements. Its fronds are characterized by intricate, finely divided leaflets that create a lush, feathery appearance across forest understories. The fern's sporangia are notably distinguished by cilia-edged indusia, adding textural complexity to its elegant green foliage.

Habitat: Moist forests

Elevation: < 500 m

Bioregions: NCoRO, CW (exc SCoRI).

California counties: Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, San Mateo, Humboldt, Monterey, San Luis Obispo, Mendocino, Marin, Napa, Sonoma, San Benito

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.