E-Flora BC: Electronic Atlas of the Flora of British Columbia

Polystichum lonchitis (L.) Roth
northern holly fern (northern hollyfern)
Dryopteridaceae (Wood Fern family)

Introduction to Vascular Plants

© Ryan Batten  Email the photographer   (Photo ID #23927)

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Distribution of Polystichum lonchitis
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Species Information

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General:
Evergreen perennial arising from a short, stout rhizome.
Leaves:
Lanceolate, 10-50 cm long, 3-7 cm wide, 1-pinnate; pinnae oblong, the lowermost pinnae triangular, with spreading teeth.

Source: The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

Habitat / Range

Dry to moist, often calcareous rocks and rocky scree in the montane to alpine zones; frequent throughout BC; circumpolar, N to AK, E to NS and S to MI, MN, SD, CO, AZ and CA; Eurasia.

Source: The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

Ecology

Ecological Framework for Polystichum lonchitis

The table below shows the species-specific information calculated from
original data (BEC database) provided by the BC Ministry of Forests and Range.
(Updated August, 2013)
Site Information
 Value / Class

Minimum

Average

Maximum
Elevation (metres) 0 1148 2420
Slope Gradient (%) 0 45 125
Aspect (degrees)
[0 - N; 90 - E; 180 - S; 270 - W] 		0 197 360
Soil Moisture Regime (SMR)
[0 - very xeric; 4 - mesic;
8 - hydric] 		0 3 6
Modal Nutrient Regime
Class		 C
Number of field plots
 species was recorded in:		 317
Modal BEC Zone Class
 ESSF
All BEC Zones (# of stations/zone) species was recorded in: AT(12), CWH(112), ESSF(126), ICH(39), MH(13), MS(2)

Ecological Indicator Information

A shade-intolerant, montane to alpine, circumpolar fern (transcontinental in North America). Occurs in alpine tundra and subalpine boreal climates on moderately dry to fresh, nitrogen-medium soils; its occurrence increases with increasing elevation. Sporadic in non-forested and open-canopy forested communities on water-shedding sites; most common calcium-rich colluvial (scree and talus) soils. Inhaits friable organic materials accumulated between base­rich coarse fragments (stones and boulders) and on cliffs af­fected by temporary surface flow of water and organic materials. Characteristic of colluvial sites.

Source:  Indicator Plants of Coastal British Columbia (Information applies to coastal locations only)

Climate

The climate type for this species, as reported in the: "British Columbia plant species codes and selected attributes. Version 6 Database" (Meidinger et al. 2008), is alpine tundra & boreal.

Synonyms and Alternate Names

Polystichum mohrioides var. lemmonii (Underw.) Fernald

Taxonomic and Nomenclatural Links

Flora North America treatment for Dryopteridaceae
 Flora North America treatment for Polystichum lonchitis
Genetic information (NCBI Taxonomy Database)
 International Plant Names Index
 Taxonomic Information from the World Flora Online
 Integrated Taxonomic Information System

Additional Photo Sources

Images From CalPhoto
UT Austin's Native Plant Database
 Google Image Search
 Flickr Image Search

General References

Google Scholar Search
Family References
 General Botanical References for BC
Recommended citation: Author, Date. Page title. In Klinkenberg, Brian. (Editor) 2020. E-Flora BC: Electronic Atlas of the Plants of British Columbia [eflora.bc.ca]. Lab for Advanced Spatial Analysis, Department of Geography, University of British Columbia, Vancouver. [Accessed: 2024-05-11 5:15:54 AM ]
Disclaimer: The information contained in the E-Flora atlas pages is derived from expert sources as cited in each section. This information is scientifically based. E-Flora also acts as a portal to other sites via deep links. As always, users should refer to the original sources for complete information. E-Flora BC is not responsible for the accuracy or completeness of the original information.
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