Arachniodes simplicior, commonly known as East Indian holly fern or shield fern, is a rhizomatous evergreen fern with bipinnate, ovate-triangular fronds. It typically grows to 1-2’ tall and to 1-3’ wide. It is native to woodland streambanks, crevices in cliffs, wet rocks, thickets, and open forested areas in China and Japan. It was introduced into South Carolina where it subsequently naturalized to form a stable population. Arachniodes aristata and Aspidium aristatum var. simplicius are synonyms. Genus name comes from the Greek word arachne meaning a spider in reference to the spidery aspect of the clusters of spore capsules.
