Name: |
- Polypodium, from the Greek, polus
(polus), "many", podos
(podos), "foot"; "many footed"
- virginianum, from the Latin, "of Virginia"
- Common Name, from the generic name
- Other common names include Rock Polypody, Rock Cap Fern, Polypode
de Virginie, Tripes-de-roches (Qué), Senikaladabagw
(Abenaki), Ezodenda (Jpn)
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Taxonomy: |
- Kingdom Plantae, the Plants
- Division Polypodiophyta, the True Ferns
- Class Filicopsida
- Order Polypodiales
- Family Polypodiaceae, the Polypod Ferns
- Genus Polypodium, the Polypod Ferns
- Taxonomic Serial Number: 17242
- Also known as Polypodium vulgare, Polypodium vulgare
var. virginianum
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Description: |
- A small evergreen fern of rock crevices, 4"-12"
- Fronds spreading, compound with 10-20 alternate leaflets; lance-shaped;
square base, pointed tip; 2"-10" long and 1¼"-2½"
wide.
- Stem ungrooved; scattered, with thin light-brown scales or
smooth
- Root System
- Fruiting structure: Large dot-like reddish-brown spore clusters in
2 rows on underside of leaves.
- Stems often whitish pruinose, slender, to 6 mm diam., acrid-tasting;
scales weakly bicolored, lanceolate, contorted distally, base and margins
light brown, sometimes with dark central stripe, margins denticulate.
- Leaves to 40 cm.
- Petiole slender, to 2 mm diam.
- Blade oblong to narrowly lanceolate, pinnatifid, usually widest near
middle, occasionally at or near base, to 7 cm wide, somewhat leathery;
- rachis sparsely scaly to glabrescent abaxially, glabrous adaxially;
scales lanceolate-ovate, usually more than 6 cells wide. Segments oblong,
less than 8 mm wide; margins entire to crenulate; apex rounded to broadly
acute; midrib glabrous adaxially. Venation free. Sori midway between
margin and midrib to nearly marginal, less than 3 mm diam., circular
when immature. Sporangiasters present, usually less than 40 per sorus,
heads covered with glandular hairs. Spores more than 52 µm, tuberculate,
surface projections more than 3 µm tall.
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Identification: |
- Identifiable as
- Distinguished from
- Field Marks
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Distribution: |
- Alaska to Newfoundland, south to South Dakota, Arkansas, Alabama,
and Georgia.
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Habitat: |
- Rocks, boulders, cliffs, and ledges
- Cliffs and rocky slopes; on a variety of substrates
- Mats on dry rocky outcrops in deciduous and coniferous forests.
- Rich woods and open woods; often on rocks or boulders
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Fire: |
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Associates: |
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History: |
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Uses: |
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Reproduction: |
- Reproduces by spores and vegetatively by rhizomes
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Propagation: |
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Cultivation: |
- Hardy to USDA Zone 3 (average minimum annual temperature -40ºF)
- Available by mail order from specialty suppliers
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Links: |
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Comments: |
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Last Updated on
26 February, 2004
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