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Abbotts Lagoon Trail
Alice Eastwood Road (CNPS)
Alpine Dam to Kent Lake Pump Road
Alum Rock RP (NRDB.org)
Andrew Molera SP (NRDB.org)
Angel Island
Ano Nuevo SNR (NRDB.org)
Anthony Chabot Regional Park
Anza-Borrego Desert State Park
Armstrong Redwoods SNR (NRDB.org)
Arroyo Hondo Canyon
Azalea Hill and Southern Carson Ridge
Baltimore Canyon
Bayview Hill
Bean Hollow SB (NRDB.org)
Bear Creek Redwoods OSP (NRDB.org)
Bear Valley
Bernal Hill
Black Butte
Blithedale Summit
Bohemia Ecological Preserve
Bolinas Ridge Trail
Bonny Doon Ecological Reserve (NRDB.org)
Briones Regional Park
Brotherhood Way
Bull Point Trail and F Ranch
Burleigh H. Murray Ranch (NRDB.org)
Butano SP (NRDB.org)
Calaveras Big Trees State Park
Camino Alto
Carson Falls Trail
Cascade Canyon
Castle Crags State Park
Castle Rock SP (NRDB.org)
Cateract Trail
Chimney Rock
China Camp State Park (CNPS)
Claremont Canyon Regional Preserve
Coal Creek OSP (NRDB.org)
Coal Mine Ridge OS (NRDB.org)
Coon Creek
Corona Heights
Crissy Bluffs
Crystal Springs Regional Trail
Deer Island
Deer Park
Del Norte Coast Redwoods State Park
Devil's Gulch
Devil's Slide Trail (NRDB.org)
Dillon Beach
Don Castro Regional Recreation Area
Doyle Drive
Edgehill Mountain
El Corte de Madera Creek OSP (NRDB.org)
El Sereno
Elkhorn Slough National Estuarnine Research Reserve
Estero Trail
Fairfield-Osborn Preserve (NRDB.org)
Fitzgerald Marine Reserve (NRDB.org)
Folsom Lake State Recreation Area
Fort Point
Fort Point Bluffs
Fort Ross SHP (NRDB.org)
French Ranch Open Space Preserve
Garin/Dry Creek Pioneer Regional Park
Garland Ranch
Garrapata SP (NRDB.org)
Gary Giacomini Preserve
Glen Canyon
Glen Deven Ranch (NRDB.org)
Golden Gate National Recreation Area (NPS)
Golden Gate Park Oak Woodland
Gray Whale Cove SB (NRDB.org)
Henry Coe State Park
Henry Cowell Redwoods SP (NRDB.org)
Hidden Villa
Hood Mountain RP & OSP (NRDB.org)
Huckleberry Botanic Regional Preserve
Humboldt Lagoons State Park
Indian Tree
Indian Valley
Inspiration Point
Interior Greenbelt Park
Jack London SHP (NRDB.org)
Jacks Peak CP (NRDB.org)
Jasper Ridge
Jenner Headlands
Jepson and Johnstone Trail
Jug Handle State Reserve
Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park
Junipero Serra CP (NRDB.org)
Kehoe Marshes
Kehoe Trail and Beach
Kennedy Grove Regional Recreation Area
King Mountain
La Honda Creek OSP (NRDB.org)
Laguna Honda Reservoir
Land's End
Las Trampas Regional Wilderness
Leo Cronin Fish Viewing Area
Leona Canyon Regional Open Space Preserve
Limantour Estero
Limekiln SP (NRDB.org)
Loma Alta
Long Ridge Open Space Preserve
Los Trancos Open Space Preserve
Lucas Valley
MacKerricher State Park
Marin County Complete List (CNPS)
Marin Municipal Water District
Milagra Ridge (NRDB.org)
Millerton Point
Miramontes Ridge
Mitteldorf Preserve (NRDB.org)
Modini Mayacamas Preserve
Montana de Oro State Park
Montara State Beach and McNee Ranch (NRDB.org)
Monte Bello OSP (NRDB.org)
Monte Sol (NRDB.org)
Mori Point (NRDB.org)
Morro Bay
Mount Burdell
Mount Davidson
Mount Diablo SP (NRDB.org)
Mount Madonna CP (NRDB.org)
Mount Sutro
Mount Tamalpais SP (NRDB.org)
Mountain Lake
Muir Woods
O'Shaugnessy Hollow
Old Stage Road
Olompali State Historic Park
Palou Phelps Park
Patrick's Point State Park
Pedro Point Headlands (NRDB.org)
Peninsula Watershed (NRDB.org)
Pescadero Creek Park (NRDB.org)
Pescadero SB (NRDB.org)
Pfeiffer Big Sur SP (NRDB.org)
Picchetti Ranch OSP (NRDB.org)
Pigeon Point Light Station SHP (NRDB.org)
Pillar Point Bluff (NRDB.org)
Pine Lake and Stern Grove
Pleasanton Ridge Regional Park
Plumas Eureka State Park
Point Cabrillo Light Station and Preserve
Point Lobos SNR (NRDB.org)
Point Reyes
Pomponio SB (NRDB.org)
Portola Redwoods
Portola Valley Ranch Approved Plants
Presidio (NRDB.org)
Presidio Golf Course Natural Area
Presidio Hills
Pulgas Ridge
Purisima Creek OSP (NRDB.org)
Redwood Regional Park
Ring Mountain
Rock Spring
Rodeo Lagoon
Roy's Redwoods
Russian Ridge
Salt Point SP (NRDB.org)
Samuel P. Taylor State Park
San Bruno Mountain
San Francisco 15th Avenue Steps
San Francisco Coastal Bluffs
San Gregorio SB (NRDB.org)
San Jacinto Mtns - Black Mountain Road
San Pedro Mountain
San Pedro Valley CP (NRDB.org)
San Simeon State Park
Sanborn CP (NRDB.org)
Saratoga Gap
Sausal Creek Native Plants
Schooner Gulch SB
SFB Morse OS (NRDB.org)
Sharp Park
Shiloh Regional Park
Sibley Volcanic Regional Preserve
Sierra Azul OSP (NRDB.org)
Sinkyone Wilderness State Park
Skyline Ridge OSP (NRDB.org)
Skyline Trail
Soulejule Reservoir
St. Joseph's Hill OSP (NRDB.org)
Stagecoach Hill Azalea Reserve
Steep Ravine Trail East
Sugarloaf Ridge SP (NRDB.org)
Sunset Heights Rock Outcrop
Sweeney Ridge (NRDB.org)
Teague Hill
Temescal Regional Recreation Area
Tennesse Hollow
Terra Linda/Sleepy Hollow
The Forest of Nisene Marks SP (NRDB.org)
Thornewood OSP (NRDB.org)
Tilden Regional Park
Tomales Bay State Park
Tunitas Creek OSP (NRDB.org)
Twin Peaks
Upper Stevens Creek
Uvas Canyon CP (NRDB.org)
White's Hill
Wildcat Canyon Regional Park
Wilder Ranch State Park
Windy Hill OSP (NRDB.org)
Wolf Ridge
World War II Memorial
Wunderlich CP (NRDB.org)
Yerba Buena Island
Yosemite National Park
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Western Sword Fern (Polystichum munitum)
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Fern
Typical Height
Perennial
Native
Description
Height 2 - 6 ft.
Sword fern is a dominant plant in moist conifer forests.
Each
frond
is once divided, with leaflets that connect to a central
midrib
.
The base of each leaflet has a "thumb", like the hilt of a sword.
It likes shade and cool weather.
Compare to other Sword Ferns
CA native
AKA Sword Fern, Western Swordfern
Wood Fern Family (Dryopteridaceae)
Notice the little sword hilts pointing down at the base of each leaflet.
Fronds
are thick, dark green and
evergreen
.
Under the fronds are round
sori
, full of spores, lined adjacent to the center line.
Sword Fern is common in acidic soil under redwoods and other damp shady places. Its base is round and its fronds arch upward.
Photo Gallery (37 ) click any picture to enlarge
Sword ferns send many fronds up from a round base. Fronds are monomorphic - all about the same shape. They grow up to 5 feet long and are rather nar ...
Here is the classic sword fern look - dark but shiny leaflets with obvious "thumbs" at their base. Once you see the thumb you know you've got a swo ...
Western Sword Fern is once divided - its frond is divided only between leaflets that do not further divide. Other fern fronds are once, twice, and ev ...
Most sword ferns grow in the shade, and have flat fronds, all in a plane. However, this sword fern has grown in the sun, and has grown twisted leaf ...
Fern fronds emerge from underground rhizomes and start by growing a scaly stem with no leaves at first, tipped with a fiddlehead. The bottom part ...