Narrowleaf swordfern facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Narrowleaf swordfern |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Polystichum
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| Species: |
imbricans
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The narrowleaf swordfern (Polystichum imbricans) is a type of fern. It is also known as the imbricate sword fern. This plant grows naturally in western North America. You can find it from British Columbia in Canada all the way down to southern California in the United States.
About the Narrowleaf Swordfern
This fern likes to grow in rocky places. You can often see it on mountainsides and hills. It lives both near the coast and further inland.
What Does It Look Like?
The narrowleaf swordfern has several tall, straight leaves. These leaves can grow up to 80 centimeters (about 31 inches) long. They often look a bit like a spear or a sword.
Each large leaf is made up of many smaller parts. These small parts are called leaflets. The leaflets are narrow and often overlap each other. Sometimes, they even twist a little. Each leaflet is about 2 to 4 centimeters (1 to 1.5 inches) long. The edges of these small leaflets look like tiny saw teeth.
Interesting Facts: Hybrids
The narrowleaf swordfern is special because it can easily mix with other types of ferns. When two different ferns mix, they create a new kind of fern called a hybrid.
Some of these new hybrid ferns can even have their own babies. When this happens, they are sometimes considered completely new species. For example, Polystichum californicum is a hybrid. It was formed when the narrowleaf swordfern mixed with P. dudleyi.
