Polystichum imbricans subsp. curtum

Family: Dryopteridaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Rock sword fern is a California native perennial found in northern coastal California, high Cascade Range, northern and central Sierra Nevada, San Francisco Bay Area, southern coastal ranges, southern California, Transverse Ranges, and Peninsular Ranges in rocky woodland habitats at elevations of 400 to 1,600 meters. This fern features long fronds arranged in a single plane, with individual pinnae reaching 3 to 6 centimeters long. Growing with dark green, leathery fronds 15 to 80 centimeters tall, it forms dense, overlapping clusters in rocky crevices and slopes. Its pinnae are broadly lance-shaped, growing in a distinctive, orderly arrangement with submarginal spore clusters protected by slightly toothed indusia. The fern creates dense, evergreen patches in rocky woodland understories, providing shelter for small forest creatures.

Habitat: Rocky slopes, crevices, woodland

Elevation: 400-1600 m

Bioregions: NCoRI, CaRH, n&ampc SNH, SnFrB, SCoRO, SCo, TR, PR.

California counties: San Bernardino, Shasta, Riverside, San Diego, Santa Cruz, Orange, Los Angeles, Butte, Mariposa, Mendocino, Monterey, Ventura, Kern, Plumas, Yuba, El Dorado, San Luis Obispo, Lake, Nevada, Santa Clara, Santa Barbara, Trinity, Tehama, Colusa, Placer, Siskiyou, Humboldt, Del Norte

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