The soft shield fern (Polystichum setiferum) is a luxuriant fern with basal, overlaped, 1 meter length shapes with mossy mound appearance. These big fronds have an scaly stalk and a twice compunded blade with stalked linear lanceolate pinnules. The pinnule near the rachis is bigger, like a thumb. The round, small sori grow on the reverse of the blades. The soft shield fern is rare in Bages where it is found only in humid ravines, in the pre-litoral mountains range of Montserrat and Sant Llorenç del Munt i l'Obac. On the other hand, it's quite frequent in the shadows of the litoral range in Collserola. [photos Jordi Badia]