Christmas Fern (Polystichum acrostichoides)
Tracheophyta: Pteridophyta: Pteridopsida: Dryopteridaceae (Wood Ferns)
Native North American Plant
Habitat: shaded moist-soil areas.
ID Features: pinnate leaves that unroll from the ground upward.
Natural History: Christmas ferns are primitive spore-producing plants that are only found in damp environments throughout the midwest, including Missouri. They are often found on east- or north-facing slopes where the soil is moist year-round. They retain their leaves throughout the winter, which is their namesake characteristic.
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