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Polypodium virginianum
L.
Rock Polypody
Polypodiaceae
Polypodium virginianum is a species of fern in the family Polypodiaceae. It is widespread in Canada and the eastern United States, and is grown as an ornamental.
Description
Polypodium virginianum has pinnatifid leaves that are up to 40 cm long, on a petiole that is up to 2 mm in diameter. The blade is oblong to narrowly lanceolate, usually widest near the middle, up to 7 cm wide. Leaflet segments are oblong, with no or scalloped teeth, and are less than 8 mm wide. The tip of the leaflet is bluntly tipped or round. Veins are free (they branch out but do not branch back into each other). Sori are found on either side of the midrib on the lower side of the leaf, with 40 sporangiasters with glandular hairs, which are modified sporangia. Spores are larger than 52 µm in size (FNAEC 1993).
Polypodium virginianum is derived from hybrids between Polypodium sibiricum and Polypodium appalachianum. Both species are quite similar to this species in appearance, and telling them apart is best done using reproductive structures: this species has less than 40 sporangiasters with glandular hairs per sorus, and spores are usually larger than 52 µm in size. Subtle differences in leaf shape also separate them (FNAEC 1993).
Polypodium virginianum is derived from hybrids between Polypodium sibiricum and Polypodium appalachianum. Both species are quite similar to this species in appearance, and telling them apart is best done using reproductive structures: this species has less than 40 sporangiasters with glandular hairs per sorus, and spores are usually larger than 52 µm in size. Subtle differences in leaf shape also separate them (FNAEC 1993).
Uses
Note: Please see the disclaimer regarding any information about medical or edible uses.
Dryopteris intermedia is used as an ornamental. It prefers moist, humusy, well-drained soils in part to full shade, and will spread naturally over time; it grows in USDA zones 3 to 8 (MBG). The root has been used medicinally by Native Americans, but the plant’s toxicity is unknown (Foster and Duke 2000).
Distribution
Polypodium virginianum grows on cliffs and rocky substrates at elevations of up to 1800 m. It is found from the southern part of the Northern Territories of Canada, east to Newfoundland, south to northern North Carolina, and west to Arkansas (FNAEC 1993).
Status
References
FNAEC (Flora of North America Editorial Committee), editor. 1993. Flora of North America, north of Mexico. Volume 2: Pteridophytes and Gymnosperms. New York: Oxford University Press.
Foster, S., Duke, J. A. 2000. A field guide to medicinal plants and herbs of eastern and central North America. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Co.
MBG (Missouri Botanical Garden), Polypodium virginianum. Plant Finder. [accessed 2020 May 20]. http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?kempercode=a787
Foster, S., Duke, J. A. 2000. A field guide to medicinal plants and herbs of eastern and central North America. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Co.
MBG (Missouri Botanical Garden), Polypodium virginianum. Plant Finder. [accessed 2020 May 20]. http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?kempercode=a787
Description
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