''Polypodium'' is a genus of

fern The ferns (Polypodiopsida or Polypodiophyta) are a group of vascular plants (plants with xylem and phloem) that reproduce via spores and have neither seeds nor flowers. They differ from mosses by being vascular, i.e., having specialized tissue ...

s in the family

Polypodiaceae Polypodiaceae is a Family (biology), family of ferns. In the Pteridophyte Phylogeny Group classification of 2016 (PPG I), the family includes around 65 genus, genera and an estimated 1,650 species and is placed in the order Polypodiales, suborder ...

, subfamily Polypodioideae, according to the

Pteridophyte Phylogeny Group The Pteridophyte Phylogeny Group (PPG) is an informal international group of systematic botanists who collaborate to establish on the classification of pteridophytes ( lycophytes and ferns) that reflects knowledge about plant relationships discove ...

classification of 2016 (PPG I). The genus is widely distributed throughout the world, with the highest species diversity in the tropics. The name is derived from

Ancient Greek Ancient Greek (, ; ) includes the forms of the Greek language used in ancient Greece and the classical antiquity, ancient world from around 1500 BC to 300 BC. It is often roughly divided into the following periods: Mycenaean Greek (), Greek ...

''poly'' ("many") + ''podion'' ("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 Shoot (botany), shoots from its Node (botany), nodes. Rhizomes are also called creeping rootstalks or just rootstalks. Rhizomes develop from ...

and its branches. They are commonly called polypodies or rockcap ferns, but for many species unique vernacular names exist. They are terrestrial or

epiphytic An epiphyte is a plant or plant-like organism that grows on the surface of another 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 epiphyt ...

ferns, with a creeping, densely hairy or scaly

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 to 80 cm or more long. The sori or groups of spore-cases (

sporangia A sporangium (from Late Latin, ; : sporangia) is an enclosure in which spores are formed. It can be composed of a unicellular organism, single cell or can be multicellular organism, multicellular. Virtually all plants, fungus, fungi, and many ot ...

) 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 called herbalism, phytomedicine or phytotherapy) is the study of pharmacognosy and the use of medicinal plants, which are a basis of traditional medicine. Scientific evidence for the effectiveness of many herbal treatments ...

, but are today most important in

horticulture Horticulture (from ) is the art and science of growing fruits, vegetables, flowers, trees, shrubs and ornamental plants. Horticulture is commonly associated with the more professional and technical aspects of plant cultivation on a smaller and mo ...

where several species, hybrids, and their

cultivar A cultivar is a kind of Horticulture, cultivated plant that people have selected for desired phenotypic trait, traits and which retains those traits when Plant propagation, propagated. Methods used to propagate cultivars include division, root a ...

s 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 th ...

s for shady locations. ''Polypodium'' have a bitter-sweet taste and are among the rather few ferns that are used in

cooking Cooking, also known as cookery or professionally as the culinary arts, is the art, science and craft of using heat to make food more palatable, digestible, nutritious, or Food safety, safe. Cooking techniques and ingredients vary widely, from ...

; in this case as a spice e.g. for nougat.

Species

Several of the species form hybrids 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 forty-seven species and eight hybrids: A number of species formerly included in the genus have recently been transferred to other genera, including '' Campyloneurum'', '' Cyathea'', '' Microgramma'', '' Nephrolepis'', '' Pecluma'', '' Phlebodium'', '' Pleopeltis'' and '' Serpocaulon''. 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 an executive department of the United States federal government that aims to meet the needs of commercial farming and livestock food production, promotes agricultural trade and producti ...

(USDA) (2007a): Germplasm Resources Information Network
''Polypodium''
Retrieved 2007-NOV-26.

External links

* * * {{Authority control Fern genera Epiphytes