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- Polypodium virginianum
Polypodium virginianum — rock polypody
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New England distribution
Adapted from BONAP data
Native: indigenous.
Non-native: introduced (intentionally or unintentionally); has become naturalized.
County documented: documented to exist in the county by evidence (herbarium specimen, photograph). Also covers those considered historical (not seen in 20 years).
State documented: documented to exist in the state, but not documented to a county within the state. Also covers those considered historical (not seen in 20 years).
Note: when native and non-native populations both exist in a county, only native status is shown on the map.
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Facts
Rock polypody grows on rock or thin soil over rock of cliffs, boulders and talus. It spreads by branching, creeping rhizomes. It was widely used by Native Americans as a medicinal herb to treat ailments including stomach pains, colds, coughs and sore throat, among others.
Habitat
Cliffs, balds, or ledges, ridges or ledges, talus and rocky slopes
Characteristics
- Habitat
- terrestrial
- New England state
-
- Connecticut
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- New Hampshire
- Rhode Island
- Vermont
- Leaf divisions
-
- the leaf blade is compound (divided into leaflets)
- the leaf blade is lobed
- Plant growth form
- the leaves grow from a rhizome growing at or below the ground
- Spore-bearing leaflets
- the spore-bearing fronds are similar in size and shape to the sterile fronds
- Sorus shape
- the sori are circular or kidney-shaped
- Leaf stalk scales
- the leaf stalk has scales
- Leaf stalk hairs
- there are no hairs on the leaf stalk
- Leaf blade length
- 5–25 cm
- Leaf vein tips
- the veins end in small round expanded areas, and do not reach the edge of the leaf blade
-
Growth form
- Life form
- the plant is herbaceous and terrestrial
- Life stage
- the plant is visible as a typical leaf-bearing fern (sporophyte)
- Spore-bearing leaflets
- the spore-bearing fronds are similar in size and shape to the sterile fronds
-
Leaves
- Features of leaves
- there are nectaries near the base of the leaf blade
- Leaf blade length
- 5–25 cm
- Leaf blade shape
-
- the leaf blades are longer than wide, with roughly parallel sides (oblong)
- the leaf blades are widest above the base, then taper narrowly towards the tip (lanceolate)
- Leaf blade tip shape
-
- the tip of the leaf blade is a sharp point (acute)
- the tip of the leaf blade is rounded
- Leaf blade width
- At least 2 cm
- Leaf divisions
-
- the leaf blade is compound (divided into leaflets)
- the leaf blade is lobed
- Leaf lifespan
- the leaves remain green all year round, or are green in winter
- Leaf stalk color
- yellow to brown
- Leaf stalk hairs
- there are no hairs on the leaf stalk
- Leaf stalk length
- 30–150 mm
- Leaf stalk relative length
- the leaf stalk is more than a quarter, but less than three quarters as long as the blade
- Leaf stalk scale location
- the scales are present only on the lower half of the leaf stalk
- Leaf stalk scales
- the leaf stalk has scales
- Leaf stalk vessels
- 3 to 9 bundles
- Leaf vein branching
- the secondary veins of the leaf blade branch dichotomously (two equal branches at each branch point)
- Leaf vein tips
- the veins end in small round expanded areas, and do not reach the edge of the leaf blade
- Leaflet relative size
- the bottom leaflets are about half as long as, to slightly longer than, the leaflets from the middle of the frond
- Leaflet stalks
- the leaflets do not have stalks
- Lobe or leaflet length
- 9–64 mm
- Lobe or leaflet pairs
- 10–20
- Lobe or leaflet shape
- the lobe or leaflet is rectangular but with rounded ends (oblong)
- Lobe or leaflet width
- 3–7 mm
- Plant growth form
- the leaves grow from a rhizome growing at or below the ground
- final leaf segment margin
-
- the topmost lobe or leaflet of the leaf blade has a smooth or lobed edge
- the topmost lobe or leaflet of the leaf blade has an edge with teeth
-
Place
- Habitat
- terrestrial
- New England state
-
- Connecticut
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- New Hampshire
- Rhode Island
- Vermont
- Specific habitat
-
- cliffs, balds, or ledges
- ridges or ledges
- talus or rocky slopes
-
Spores or spore cones
- Sorus features
- the sorus is partly covered by tissue derived from modified sporangium (sporangiasters)
- Sorus shape
- the sori are circular or kidney-shaped
- Sporangia location
- the spores are clustered on sori on the lower surface of the leaf blade
- Sporangium type
- the sporangia are opaque without an annulus and usually without a stalk (leptosporangiate)
- Spore forms
- there is only one type of spore present
Wetland status
Not classified
New England distribution and conservation status
Distribution
- Connecticut
- present
- Maine
- present
- Massachusetts
- present
- New Hampshire
- present
- Rhode Island
- present
- Vermont
- present
Conservation status
Exact status definitions can vary from state to state. For details, please check with your state.
- Maine
- unranked (S-rank: SNR)
- Massachusetts
- widespread (S-rank: S5)
Native to North America?
Yes
Sometimes confused with
- Polypodium appalachianum:
- leaflets usually pointed at apex and leaf blade relatively triangular (vs. P. virginianum, with leaflets usually rounded at apex and leaf blade relatively oblong).
Synonyms
- Polypodium vulgare L. var. virginianum (L.) D.C. Eat.
Family
Genus
From the dichotomous key of Flora Novae Angliae
2. Polypodium virginianum L. N
rock polypody. Polypodium vulgare L. var. virginianum (L.) D.C. Eat. • CT, MA, ME, NH, RI, VT. On rock or thin soil over rock of cliffs, boulders, and talus.
1×2. Polypodium appalachianum × Polypodium virginianum → Polypodium ×incognitum Cusik is a rare polypody hybrid in New England known from CT, MA, ME, NH, RI, VT. This nothospecies is an abortive-spored triploid (from the diploid P. appalachianum and the tetraploid P. virginianum). It is best identified by its intermediate morphology (or combination of characters) and spore examination.