Christmas Fern
(Polystichum acrostichoides)

Christmas Fern (Polystichum acrostichoides) Other scientific names: Aspidium acrostichoides, Dryopteris acrostichoides, Nephrodium acrostichoides

French names: Polystic faux-acrostic 

Family: Wood Fern Family (Dryopteridaceae)

Similar species:
  •   Northern Holly Fern (Polystichum lonchitis) - very similar

  •   Polypody (Polypodium virginianum) - smaller

  •   Ebony Spleenwort (Asplenium platyneuron) - smaller

  •   Braun's Holly Fern (Polystichum braunii)

Fronds: Evergreen;  Once divided

Native/Non-native: Native

Status: Very common.

Photographs: 113 photographs available, of which 14 are featured on this page. SCROLL DOWN FOR PHOTOGRAPHS.

Christmas Fern in the woods.

The fronds are fairly upright, but gradually droop late in the season.

New growth arising from the middle of last year's fronds.

Showing the upright aspect of the new fronds.

Christmas Fern and Trout Lily (Erythronium americanum) in the spring (mid May).

Christmas Fern fiddleheads are extremely photogenic!

Christmas Fern does not have a separate fertile stalk. Instead, the fertile pinnae (leaflets) are carried at the top of the regular fronds. The fertile pinnae are much smaller than the regular pinnae.

Closeup showing the two types of pinnae (leaflets).

Underside of a fertile pinna, showing the sori.

Herbarium specimen showing whole plant.

(Royal Botanical Gardens Herbarium, Burlington, Ontario)

Herbarium specimen showing fronds and leaflets.

(Royal Botanical Gardens Herbarium, Burlington, Ontario)

Herbarium specimen showing roots.

(Royal Botanical Gardens Herbarium, Burlington, Ontario)

Another herbarium specimen showing roots.

(Royal Botanical Gardens Herbarium, Burlington, Ontario)

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