noun
small to medium-sized terrestrial ferns especially holly ferns; in some classification systems placed in Polypodiaceae
• Syn: ↑genus Polystichum
• Hypernyms: ↑fern genus
• Member Holonyms: ↑Dryopteridaceae, ↑family Dryopteridaceae, ↑Athyriaceae, ↑family Athyriaceae
• Member Meronyms:
↑Christmas fern, ↑canker brake, ↑dagger fern, ↑evergreen wood fern, ↑Polystichum acrostichoides, ↑holly fern, ↑soft shield fern, ↑Polystichum setiferum
* * *
\\-kəm\ nounUsage: capitalized
: a genus of chiefly northern ferns (family Polypodiaceae) having lanceolate pinnate or bipinnate often evergreen fronds with the veins free and the indusia lacking sinuses and centrally peltate — see christmas fern, holly fern
* * *
Polysˈtichum /-kəm/ noun
(Gr stichos a row) a genus of shield-ferns also known by the name Aspidium
• • •
Main Entry: ↑poly-
Useful english dictionary. 2012.