Polypodiaceae

Polypodium L.

First published in Sp. Pl.: 1082 (1753)
This genus is accepted
The native range of this genus is Temp. Northern Hemisphere to Tropical America.

Descriptions

George R. Proctor (2012). Flora of the Cayman Isands (Second Edition). Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

Morphology General Habit
Small to moderately large, chiefly epiphytic or epipetric ferns of varied habit
Vegetative Multiplication Rhizomes
Rhizomes creeping, clothed with often clathrate scales, rarely nearly naked
Morphology Leaves
Fronds articulate to the rhizome, all similar or somewhat dimorphic, glabrous or variously hairy or scaly; lamina simple to pinnatisect or 1-pinnate, sometimes further subdivided, the margins entire or rarely crenate-toothed; veins branched, free or variously reticulate, the areoles often with free included veinlets
Morphology Reproductive morphology Sori
Sori round or oval (rarely oblong to linear), terminal on vein- branchlets, not marginal, usually in 1 or more regular rows, always lacking an indusium
Morphology Reproductive morphology Spores
Spores bilateral, with smooth to tuberculate perispore.
Distribution
A world-wide genus of about 225 species, often subdivided into smaller genera on the basis of frond-outline and variations in the pattern of venation.
[Cayman]

Sources

  • Flora of the Cayman Islands

    • Flora of the Cayman Islands
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • 'The Herbarium Catalogue, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the Internet http://www.kew.org/herbcat [accessed on Day Month Year]'. Please enter the date on which you consulted the system.

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2025. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2025. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Science Photographs

    • Copyright applied to individual images