Polystichum imbricans subsp. imbricans

Family: Dryopteridaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Spreading woodfern is a California native fern found in the Klamath Ranges, northern Coast Ranges, Cascade Range, northern Sierra Nevada foothills, Sierra Nevada, San Francisco Bay Area, southern Coast Ranges, Transverse Ranges, and Modoc Plateau in shaded or exposed rocky areas at elevations of 300 to 2,500 meters. The fern develops distinctive dark green fronds 15 to 50 centimeters long with pinnae that are often not arranged in a single plane. Growing with an arching to spreading growth habit, its fronds have pinnae typically 2 to 5 centimeters long. Its leaves feature complex pinnate structure with multiple leaflets arranged along the frond's central axis. Sporangia are located near the midvein, with an indusium that is slightly entire to subtly toothed.

Habitat: Shaded or exposed outcrops, banks, slopes, rocky areas

Elevation: 300-2500 m

Bioregions: KR, NCoR, CaRH, n SNF, SNH, SnFrB, SCoRO, WTR, MP

California counties: Trinity, San Bernardino, Tuolumne, Tulare, Plumas, Shasta, Los Angeles, Butte, Del Norte, Fresno, Lake, Mariposa, San Diego, Santa Barbara, Placer, Yuba, Sonoma, Sierra, Humboldt, Glenn, Siskiyou, Monterey, Nevada, Mendocino, Santa Clara, Napa, San Luis Obispo, Tehama, Amador, El Dorado, Madera, Santa Cruz, Colusa, Calaveras, Alameda, Marin, Ventura

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