Synonym(s): Polystichum falcatum (L. f.) Diels
Family: Dryopteridaceae (Wood Fern Family)
Duration and Habit: Perennial Fern

Japanese netvein hollyfern is an upright fern that forms a rounded mound up to 2 ft high and 3 ft wide. It sports glossy, very dark green fronds on slender, arching stems. The individual pinnae are leathery, serrated with sharp points, and have a remarkable resemblance to holly leaves - thus the common name. Spores, light green when young and dark at maturity, adhere to the backs of specialized fronds. Japanese holly fern is evergreen in frostfree areas, but loses its fronds in colder climates
Native Lookalikes: Currently no information available here yet, or there are no native Texas species that could be confused with Japanese netvein hollyfern.
Ecological Threat: Where it occurs in natural habitats it can displace native species, including rare bryophytes and ferns. In the USA it has been recognized by the US National Park Service as invasive in much of its naturalized range.
Biology & Spread: Cyrtomium falcatum is a homosporous fern where spores are dispersed from mature plants. Populations that have naturalized are apogamous triploids- meaning they can avoid the sexual process (gametophyte stage) and create sporophytes more efficiently, allowing for easier establishment at new sites.
History: Cyrtomium falcatum is native to east Asia and widely escaped from cultivation. The earliest report of naturalization was from New Jersey, USA, in 1907, when it was found to be establishing in a well near a greenhouse where it was being cultivated (Benedict, 1907). It was then found in Alabama around 1915, in Florida in 1923 and has since spread throughout several states.
U.S. Habitat: Generally requires moist or shaded conditions for establishment, such as stream banks, shaded walls/bricks, coastal bluffs, waterfalls and ravines, and is sensitive to colder temperatures.
U.S. Nativity: Introduced to U.S.
Native Origin: Japan and East Asia
U.S. Present: AL, AR, CA, CO, CT, FL, GA, HI, LA, MS, NC, NJ, NY, OH, OR, SC, TX, VA
Distribution in Texas: First reported in 1998.
Invaders of Texas Map: Cyrtomium falcatum
EDDMapS: Cyrtomium falcatum
USDA Plants Texas County Map: Cyrtomium falcatum
List All Observations of Cyrtomium falcatum reported by Citizen Scientists
New colonies are often the result of spread from cultivated plants, so please eliminate any in your yard, acreage, or neighborhood if possible.
Mechanical: Control of C. falcatum is primarily accomplished by hand pulling. Pulled plants should be removed in bags from the site to prevent the spread of spores.
Chemical: Where there are denser populations of C. falcatum, or where plants occur on sensitive substrates or historical structures, control can be achieved with foliar glyphosate application.
Flora of North America Vol. 2. http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=200004340
Chung MY, Chung MG, 2013. Significant spatial aggregation and fine-scale genetic structure in the homosporous fern Cyrtomium falcatum (Dryopteridaceae). New Phytologist, 199(3):663-672.
Diggs GM, George R, 2006. Illustrated flora of east Texas, volume 1. Fort Worth, Texas, USA: Botanical Research Institute of Texas.
Chung MY, Chung MG, 2013. Significant spatial aggregation and fine-scale genetic structure in the homosporous fern Cyrtomium falcatum (Dryopteridaceae). New Phytologist, 199(3):663-672.
(Floridata - http://www.floridata.com/ref/C/cyrt_fal.cfm)
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