Hard Shield Fern vs Madeira Shield-Fern

Polystichum aculeatum compared with Polystichum drepanum

Key Differences

• Hard Shield Fern is Near Threatened while Madeira Shield-Fern is Critically Endangered.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Hard Shield Fern	Madeira Shield-Fern
Kingdom same	Plantae (Plants)	Plantae (Plants)
Phylum same	Tracheophyta	Tracheophyta
Class same	Polypodiopsida (Polypodiopsida)	Polypodiopsida (Polypodiopsida)
Order same	Polypodiales (Polypodiales)	Polypodiales (Polypodiales)
Family same	Dryopteridaceae	Dryopteridaceae
Genus same	Polystichum	Polystichum
Species	Polystichum aculeatum	Polystichum drepanum

Evolutionary Relationship

Hard Shield Fern and Madeira Shield-Fern share a common ancestor at the Genus level: Polystichum.

Conservation Status

Hard Shield Fern

NT — Near Threatened

Madeira Shield-Fern

CR — Critically Endangered

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Hard Shield Fern	Madeira Shield-Fern
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Hard Shield Fern

Habitat

Typically found in moist, shaded forest floors and tropical canopies.

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and United States. Listed as Near Threatened, this species requires ongoing monitoring to prevent population decline.

Madeira Shield-Fern

Habitat

Typically found in moist, shaded forest floors and tropical canopies.

Range

Found in Portugal. Currently classified as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.