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''Polypodium'' is a genus of
fern A fern (Polypodiopsida or Polypodiophyta ) is a member of a group of vascular plants (plants with xylem and phloem) that reproduce via spores and have neither seeds nor flowers. The polypodiophytes include all living pteridophytes except th ...
s in the family
Polypodiaceae Polypodiaceae is a family of ferns. In the Pteridophyte Phylogeny Group classification of 2016 (PPG I), the family includes around 65 genera and an estimated 1,650 species and is placed in the order Polypodiales, suborder Polypodiineae. A bro ...
, subfamily
Polypodioideae Polypodioideae is a subfamily belonging to the fern family Polypodiaceae, which is a member of the suborder Polypodiineae in the Pteridophyte Phylogeny Group classification of 2016 (PPG I). Alternatively, the subfamily may be treated as the ...
, according to the
Pteridophyte Phylogeny Group The Pteridophyte Phylogeny Group, or PPG, is an informal international group of systematic botanists who collaborate to establish a consensus on the classification of pteridophytes (lycophytes and ferns) that reflects knowledge about plant relation ...
classification of 2016 (PPG I). The genus is widely distributed throughout the world, with the highest species diversity in the
tropic The tropics are the regions of Earth surrounding the Equator. They are defined in latitude by the Tropic of Cancer in the Northern Hemisphere at N and the Tropic of Capricorn in the Southern Hemisphere at S. The tropics are also referred to ...
s. The name is derived from Ancient Greek ''poly'' (πολύ) "many" + ''podion'' (πόδιον) "little foot", on account of the foot-like appearance of the
rhizome In botany and dendrology, a rhizome (; , ) is a modified subterranean plant stem that sends out roots and shoots from its nodes. Rhizomes are also called creeping rootstalks or just rootstalks. Rhizomes develop from axillary buds and grow ho ...
and its branches. They are commonly called polypodies or rockcap ferns, but for many species unique vernacular names exist. They are
terrestrial Terrestrial refers to things related to land or the planet Earth. Terrestrial may also refer to: * Terrestrial animal, an animal that lives on land opposed to living in water, or sometimes an animal that lives on or near the ground, as opposed to ...
or
epiphytic An epiphyte is an organism that grows on the surface of a plant and derives its moisture and nutrients from the air, rain, water (in marine environments) or from debris accumulating around it. The plants on which epiphytes grow are called phoroph ...
ferns, with a creeping, densely hairy or scaly
rhizome In botany and dendrology, a rhizome (; , ) is a modified subterranean plant stem that sends out roots and shoots from its nodes. Rhizomes are also called creeping rootstalks or just rootstalks. Rhizomes develop from axillary buds and grow ho ...
bearing
frond A frond is a large, divided leaf. In both common usage and botanical nomenclature, the leaves of ferns are referred to as fronds and some botanists restrict the term to this group. Other botanists allow the term frond to also apply to the lar ...
s at intervals along its length. The species differ in size and general appearance and in the character of the fronds, which are evergreen, persisting for 1–2 years, pinnate or pinnatifid (rarely simple entire), and from 10–80 cm or more long. The sori or groups of spore-cases (
sporangia A sporangium (; from Late Latin, ) is an enclosure in which spores are formed. It can be composed of a single cell or can be multicellular. Virtually all plants, fungi, and many other lineages form sporangia at some point in their lif ...
) are borne on the back of the frond; they are globose and naked, not covered with a membrane (indusium). Polypodies have some use in
herbalism Herbal medicine (also herbalism) is the study of pharmacognosy and the use of medicinal plants, which are a basis of traditional medicine. With worldwide research into pharmacology, some herbal medicines have been translated into modern remedies ...
, but are today most important in
horticulture Horticulture is the branch of agriculture that deals with the art, science, technology, and business of plant cultivation. It includes the cultivation of fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, herbs, sprouts, mushrooms, algae, flowers, seaweeds and no ...
where several species, hybrids, and their cultivars like ''Polypodium'' 'Green Wave' are commonly used as
ornamental plant Ornamental plants or garden plants are plants that are primarily grown for their beauty but also for qualities such as scent or how they shape physical space. Many flowering plants and garden varieties tend to be specially bred cultivars that ...
s for shady locations. ''Polypodium'' have a bitter-sweet taste and are among the rather few ferns that are used in
cooking Cooking, cookery, or culinary arts is the art, science and craft of using heat to prepare food for consumption. Cooking techniques and ingredients vary widely, from grilling food over an open fire to using electric stoves, to baking in vario ...
; in this case as a spice e.g. for
nougat Nougat ( , ; ; az, nuqa; fa, نوقا) is a family of confections made with sugar or honey, roasted nuts ( almonds, walnuts, pistachios, hazelnuts, and macadamia nuts are common), whipped egg whites, and sometimes chopped candied fruit. The ...
.


Species

Several of the species form
hybrid Hybrid may refer to: Science * Hybrid (biology), an offspring resulting from cross-breeding ** Hybrid grape, grape varieties produced by cross-breeding two ''Vitis'' species ** Hybridity, the property of a hybrid plant which is a union of two dif ...
s with other species in the genus; these may often be distinguished by being sterile, with very small "blind" sori. , ''Checklist of Ferns and Lycophytes of the World'' accepted the following species and hybrids: *'' Polypodium abitaguae'' Hook. *'' Polypodium aequale'' Maxon *'' Polypodium alavae'' A.R.Sm. *'' Polypodium amorphum'' Suksd. *'' Polypodium appalachianum'' Haufler & Windham *'' Polypodium arcanum'' Maxon * ''Polypodium'' × ''aztecum'' Windham & Yatsk. *'' Polypodium californicum'' Kaulf. *'' Polypodium calirhiza'' S.A.Whitmore & A.R.Sm. *'' Polypodium cambricum'' L. *'' Polypodium castaneum'' Maxon ex Tejero *'' Polypodium chionolepis'' Sodiro *'' Polypodium chirripoense'' Lellinger *'' Polypodium christensenii'' Maxon *'' Polypodium colpodes'' Kunze *'' Polypodium conterminans'' Liebm. *'' Polypodium diplotrichum'' Mickel & Beitel *'' Polypodium eatonii'' Baker *'' Polypodium echinolepis'' Fée * ''Polypodium'' × ''encumeadense'' (Neuroth, Jäger & Bennert) F.J.Rumsey, Carine & Robba *'' Polypodium ensiforme'' Thunb. *'' Polypodium eperopeutes'' Mickel & Beitel *'' Polypodium exsul'' Mett. ex Kuhn *'' Polypodium fauriei'' Christ *'' Polypodium fissidens'' Maxon *'' Polypodium flagellare'' Christ * ''Polypodium'' × ''font-queri'' Rothm. *'' Polypodium fraternum'' Schltdl. & Cham. *''
Polypodium glycyrrhiza ''Polypodium glycyrrhiza'', commonly known as licorice fern, many-footed fern, and sweet root, is a summer deciduous fern native to western North America, where it is found in shaded, damp locations. Spores are located in rounded sori on the un ...
'' D.C.Eaton *'' Polypodium haitiense'' Urb. * ''Polypodium'' × ''hemipinnatum'' (Tejero, Mickel & A.R.Sm.) comb. ined. *'' Polypodium hesperium'' Maxon *'' Polypodium hispidulum'' Bartlett * ''Polypodium'' × ''huancayanum'' G.Kunkel * ''Polypodium'' × ''incognitum'' Cusick *'' Polypodium interjectum'' Shivas *'' Polypodium iranicum'' Mazooji *'' Polypodium kamelinii'' Shmakov *'' Polypodium khasyanum'' Hook. *'' Polypodium longipetiolatum'' Brade *'' Polypodium macaronesicum'' Bobrov * ''Polypodium'' × ''mantoniae'' Rothm. *'' Polypodium martensii'' Mett. *'' Polypodium moricandii'' Mett. *'' Polypodium moritzianum'' Link *'' Polypodium otites'' L. *'' Polypodium oxylepis'' C.Chr. *'' Polypodium pellucidum'' Kaulf. *'' Polypodium pellucidum'' Kaulf. f. opacum (Hillebr.) D.D.Palmer *'' Polypodium pinnatissimum'' R.C.Moran *'' Polypodium plectolepidioides'' Rosenst. *'' Polypodium plesiosorum'' Kunze *'' Polypodium pleurosorum'' Kunze ex Mett. *'' Polypodium praetermissum'' Mickel & Tejero *'' Polypodium puberulum'' Schltdl. & Cham. *'' Polypodium rhodopleuron'' Kunze *'' Polypodium riograndense'' Lindm. * ''Polypodium'' × ''rothmaleri'' Shivas *'' Polypodium ryanii'' Kaulf. *'' Polypodium saximontanum'' Windham * ''Polypodium'' × ''schneideri'' G.Schneid. *'' Polypodium scouleri'' Hook. & Grev. *'' Polypodium sibiricum'' Sipliv. *'' Polypodium subpetiolatum'' Hook. *'' Polypodium trinidadense'' Jenman *'' Polypodium ursipes'' Moritz ex C.Chr. * ''Polypodium'' × ''vianei'' Shmakov *'' Polypodium virginianum'' L. *''
Polypodium vulgare ''Polypodium vulgare'', the common polypody, is an evergreen fern of the family Polypodiaceae. ''Polypodium vulgare'' is an allotetraploid species, believed to have arisen by chromosome doubling of a sterile diploid hybrid between two ferns which ...
'' L. A number of species formerly included in the genus have recently been transferred to other genera, including ''
Campyloneurum ''Campyloneurum'' is a genus of ferns in the family Polypodiaceae, subfamily Polypodioideae, according to the Pteridophyte Phylogeny Group The Pteridophyte Phylogeny Group, or PPG, is an informal international group of systematic botanists who ...
'', ''
Cyathea ''Cyathea'' is a genus of tree ferns, the type genus of the fern order Cyatheales. The genus name ''Cyathea'' is derived from the Greek ''kyatheion'', meaning "little cup", and refers to the cup-shaped sori on the underside of the fronds. D ...
'', '' Microgramma'', ''
Nephrolepis ''Nephrolepis'' is a genus of about 30 species of ferns. It is the only genus in the family Nephrolepidaceae, placed in the suborder Aspleniineae (eupolypods I) of the order Polypodiales in the Pteridophyte Phylogeny Group classification of 2016 ...
'', ''
Pecluma ''Pecluma'' is a genus of ferns in the family Polypodiaceae, subfamily Polypodioideae, according to the Pteridophyte Phylogeny Group The Pteridophyte Phylogeny Group, or PPG, is an informal international group of systematic botanists who collab ...
'', ''
Phlebodium ''Phlebodium'' is a small genus of ferns in the family Polypodiaceae, subfamily Polypodioideae, according to the Pteridophyte Phylogeny Group classification of 2016 (PPG I). It is native to tropical and subtropical regions of the Americas.F ...
'', ''
Pleopeltis ''Pleopeltis'' is a genus of ferns in the family Polypodiaceae, subfamily Polypodioideae, according to the Pteridophyte Phylogeny Group classification of 2016 (PPG I). The genus widely distributed in tropical regions of the world, and also n ...
'' and ''
Serpocaulon ''Serpocaulon'' is a genus of ferns in the family Polypodiaceae, subfamily Polypodioideae, according to the Pteridophyte Phylogeny Group The Pteridophyte Phylogeny Group, or PPG, is an informal international group of systematic botanists who c ...
''. Species placed elsewhere include: * ''Polypodium argyrolepis'' = '' Serpocaulon lasiopus'' * ''Polypodium mindense'' = '' Serpocaulon eleutherophlebium'' * ''Polypodium mixtum'' = '' Pleopeltis murora'' * ''Polypodium piligerum'' = '' Moranopteris achilleifolia'' * ''Polypodium punctatum'' Thunb. ex Murray = '' Hypolepis punctata'' * ''Polypodium quitense'' = '' Pecluma dulcis'' * ''Polypodium rimbachii'' = '' Serpocaulon sessilifolium'' * ''Polypodium scutulatum'' = '' Serpocaulon fraxinifolium''


References

* Haufler, Christopher H.; Windham, Michael D.; Lang, Frank A. & Whitmore, S.A. (1993)
2. ''Polypodium'' Linnaeus
''In: Flora of North America North of Mexico'', Vol. 2 (Pteridophytes and Gymnosperms): 315-323. * Hyde, H.A.; Wade, A.E. & Harrison, S.G. (1978): ''Welsh Ferns''. National Museum of Wales. * Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh (RBGE) (2007): Digital
Flora Europaea The ''Flora Europaea'' is a 5-volume encyclopedia of plants, published between 1964 and 1993 by Cambridge University Press. The aim was to describe all the national Floras of Europe in a single, authoritative publication to help readers identify ...

''Polypodium'' species list
Retrieved 2007-NOV-26. *
United States Department of Agriculture The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is the federal executive department responsible for developing and executing federal laws related to farming, forestry, rural economic development, and food. It aims to meet the needs of com ...
(USDA) (2007a): Germplasm Resources Information Network
''Polypodium''
Retrieved 2007-NOV-26.


External links

* {{Taxonbar, from=Q1135685 Fern genera Epiphytes