Suspected intergeneric hybrid of Polystichum munitum and Arachniodes simplicior
There is a particular area behind my garage where I keep potted plants which has proven quite a nice spot for growing ferns, to the point where I'm regularly finding self sown ferns showing up in pots I hadn't planted them in as well as in the surrounding soil. Until now, all of these "volunteer" ferns have been one of two native species which had dropped an abundance of spores in the area since I had intentionally been growing potted specimens in that area. These two native species are Polystichum munitum (western sword fern) and Athyrium filix-femina ssp. cyclosorum (western lady fern). Recently, I went through multiple pots full of young self sown ferns to separate them out for potting on into individual pots. While doing so, one young fern which at first glance appeared to be Polystichum munitum became quickly apparent as an anomaly. Among its otherwise typically pinnate fronds were two which were subtley bi-pinnate! That...