Western Swordfern

Polystichum munitum (Kaulf.) C. Presl

1998 California Academy of Sciences cc-by-nc-sa-3.0

Polystichum munitum (Western Swordfern) is a species of perennial herb in the family wood ferns. They have a self-supporting growth form. They are native to Alaska, Canada, Western North America, The Contiguous United States, and United States. They have compound, broad leaves and brown flowers. Individuals can grow to 1.1 m. They have alternation of generations.

URI: http://purl.obolibrary.org/obo/FLOPO_0980073
Definition: Of plant duration, a plant whose life span extends over more than two growing seasons, c.f. annual, biennial, ephemeral, of flowering with respect to architecture, hapaxanthic, monocarpic, pleonanthic
Attribution: Stevens, P. F. (2001 onwards). Angiosperm Phylogeny Website. Version 12, July 2012. Glossary: http://www.mobot.org/mobot/research/apweb/top/glossaryi_p.html#perennial

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URI: http://purl.obolibrary.org/obo/FLOPO_0022142
Definition: whole plant herbaceous

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URI: http://eol.org/schema/terms/self-supportingGrowthForm
Definition: an organism relying on its own supportive tissues rather than a climbing habit to achieve vertical growth

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URI: http://www.geonames.org/5879092
Attribution: GeoNames

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URI: http://www.geonames.org/6251999

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URI: https://eol.org/schema/terms/western_north_america
Definition: From the Pacific to central North America. May include Saskatchewan, Texas, and/or Guanajuato

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URI: http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q578170

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URI: http://www.geonames.org/6252001

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URI: http://purl.obolibrary.org/obo/PO_0020043
Definition: A leaf having two or more distinct leaflets that are evident as such from early in development

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URI: http://purl.obolibrary.org/obo/PATO_0002359
Definition: A quality inhering in a bearer by virtue of the bearer's width being notably higher than its length.

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URI: http://purl.obolibrary.org/obo/PATO_0000952
Definition: A color consisting of dark orange, red, of very low intensity.
Attribution: [database_cross_reference: Wikipedia:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brown]

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URI: http://eol.org/schema/terms/alternatingReproduction
Definition: Organisms with a life cycle that features alternation of generations with sexual and asexual reproduction.

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EOL has data for 68 attributes, including:

after harvest regrowth rate
- URI: http://eol.org/schema/terms/AfterHarvestRegrowthRate
- Definition: Indicates the relative rate of regrowth of a herbaceous plant after a harvest of above ground herbage.
- Attribution: USDA PLANTS database Characteristics Data Fields. http://plants.usda.gov/charinfo.html
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slow
- URI: http://purl.obolibrary.org/obo/PATO_0000911
- Definition: Decreased rate. A rate which is relatively low.
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anaerobic soil tolerance
- URI: http://eol.org/schema/terms/AnaerobicSoilTolerance
- Definition: The relative tolerance of the plant to anaerobic soil conditions.
- Attribution: USDA PLANTS database Characteristics Data Fields. http://plants.usda.gov/charinfo.html
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low tolerance
- URI: http://purl.obolibrary.org/obo/PATO_0002394
- Definition: decreased tolerance to: A tolerance quality inhering in a bearer by virtue of the bearer's decreased ability to endure a stimulus.
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calcareous soil tolerance
- URI: http://eol.org/schema/terms/CalcareousSoilTolerance
- Definition: The relative tolerance of the plant to calcareous soil. Calcareous soil is defined as soil containing sufficient free CaCO3 and other carbonates to effervesce visibly or audibly when treated with cold 0.1M HCl. These soils usually contain from 10 to almost 1000g/kg CaCO3 equivalent.
- Attribution: USDA PLANTS database Characteristics Data Fields. http://plants.usda.gov/charinfo.html
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medium (normal)
- URI: http://purl.obolibrary.org/obo/PATO_0000461
- Definition: Average. A quality inhering in a bearer by virtue of the bearer's exhibiting no deviation from normal or average.
- Attribution: [database_cross_reference: PATOC:GVG]
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fire resistance
- URI: http://eol.org/schema/terms/FireResistance
- Definition: The ability of an organism to resist burning.
- Comment: If a plant can carry a fire—and most can—it is scored as "not fire resistant" in the USDA PLANTS database where this characteristic is evaluated with reference to problem fires in California. http://plants.usda.gov/charinfo.html
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no
- URI: http://eol.org/schema/terms/no
- Definition: This statement is false; the answer to this question is no.
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fire tolerance
- URI: http://eol.org/schema/terms/FireTolerance
- Definition: The relative ability of a plant to resprout, regrow, or reestablish from residual seed after a fire.
- Attribution: USDA PLANTS database Characteristics Data Fields (Fire tolerance). http://plants.usda.gov/charinfo.html
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medium (normal)
- URI: http://purl.obolibrary.org/obo/PATO_0000461
- Definition: Average. A quality inhering in a bearer by virtue of the bearer's exhibiting no deviation from normal or average.
- Attribution: [database_cross_reference: PATOC:GVG]
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geographic distribution includes
- URI: http://eol.org/schema/terms/Present
- Definition: This organism is known to be present in this location or region. Not exclusive; other regions may also be reported.
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California
- URI: http://www.geonames.org/5332921
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low temperature tolerance
- URI: http://eol.org/schema/terms/TemperatureTolerance
- Definition: The minimum tolerable temperature is the lowest temperature recorded in the plant’s historical range. If this is not available, the record low January temperature recorded at climate stations within the current geographical range of the plant is used. This definition does not apply to summer annuals.
- Attribution: USDA PLANTS database Characteristics Data Fields. http://plants.usda.gov/charinfo.html
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-33 degrees fahrenheit
native range includes
- URI: http://eol.org/schema/terms/NativeRange
- Definition: Lists jurisdictions in which a given organism is a member of the undisturbed fauna or flora.
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Alaska
- URI: http://www.geonames.org/5879092
- Attribution: GeoNames
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planting density
- URI: http://eol.org/schema/terms/PlantingDensity
- Definition: Recommended minimum number of individual plants to plant per area.
- Attribution: USDA PLANTS database Characteristics Data Fields. http://plants.usda.gov/charinfo.html
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2700 per acre
precipitation tolerance
- URI: http://eol.org/schema/terms/PrecipitationTolerance
- Definition: Minimum tolerable rainfall (in inches), expressed as the average annual minimum precipitation that occurs 20% of the time (i.e., the probability of it being this dry in any given year is 20%) at the driest climate station within the known geographical range of the plant. geographical range of the plant. For cultivars, the geographical range is defined as the area to which the cultivar is well adapted rather than marginally adapted.
- Comment: Minimum precipitation tolerance: Minimum tolerable rainfall, expressed as the average annual minimum precipitation that occurs 20% of the time (i.e., the probability of it being this dry in any given year is 20%) at the driest climate station within the known geographical range of the plant. Maximum precipitation tolerance: Maximum tolerable rainfall, expressed as the annual average precipitation of the wettest climate station within the known geographical range of the plant. For cultivars, the geographical range is defined as the area to which the cultivar is well adapted rather than marginally adapted.
- Attribution: USDA PLANTS database Characteristics Data Fields. http://plants.usda.gov/charinfo.html
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55 inch
seed spread rate
- URI: http://eol.org/schema/terms/SeedSpreadRate
- Definition: The capability of the plant to spread through its seed production compared to other species with the same growth habit.
- Attribution: USDA PLANTS database Characteristics Data Fields. http://plants.usda.gov/charinfo.html
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none
- URI: http://purl.bioontology.org/ontology/SNOMEDCT/260413007
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shade tolerance
- URI: http://eol.org/schema/terms/ShadeTolerance
- Definition: The relative tolerance of the plant to shade conditions
- Attribution: USDA PLANTS database Characteristics Data Fields. http://plants.usda.gov/charinfo.html
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high tolerance
- URI: http://purl.obolibrary.org/obo/PATO_0002393
- Definition: A tolerance quality inhering in a bearer by virtue of the bearer's increased ability to endure a stimulus
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Known occurrences, collected specimens and observations of western swordfern. View this species on GBIF

1998 California Academy of Sciences cc-by-nc-sa-3.0