Terminology for rhizomes is muddy. Among the many ill-defined
terms are clumping, shuttlecock, ascending, erect, creeping,
stoloniferous, running, rosette, and tufted. It is not hard to
find several of these terms used for the same plant by either
one author or different authors. Here we use only three basic
terms, with or without a branching qualifier. |erect: The plant
has a clear center, fronds surrounding that point. Polystichum
andersonii is strictly erect, in this case approaching a tree
fern in form.| | ||On the site Woodslore, created by Bors
Vesterby, you can find a magnificent portrait with a little
hunting. | |erect, branching: While young the plant will be of
the form above. Later, branching of the rhizome can lead to two
effects. Short branches give a less-centered, more amorphous
crown, and the difference between this and the following may not
be observable above ground. However, if the branches are longer,
the effect is dramatic, as with Matteuccia struthiopteris, a
classic erect and branching