Kingdom Plantae Order Polypodiales Genus Polypodium Rank Species | Division Pteridophyta Family Polypodiaceae Scientific name Polypodium hesperium | |
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Class Polypodiopsida/Pteridopsida (disputed) Similar Polypodium calirhiza, Polypodium appalachianum, Polypodium californicum, Polypodium scouleri, Polypodium glycyrrhiza | ||
Polypodium hesperium is a species of fern known by the common name western polypody. It is native to western North America from British Columbia to California, and the Rocky Mountains to northern Mexico, where it grows in rocky habitat types.
This is an allopolyploid species of hybrid origin, its parent species being Polypodium glycyrrhiza and Polypodium amorphum.
Description
This polypody anchors with a thin, scaly rhizome. It produces oblong leaves 25 to 35 centimeters in maximum length and 7 in width. Each leaf is made up of many dull-pointed linear or lance-shaped segments which may be thin and membranous or firm and leathery in texture, and smooth or serrated on the edges. The underside of each leaf segment has a few brownish, reddish, or nearly black sori, which contain the spores.
