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western polypody

coast polypody, leather-leaved polypody

Stems

slender, white pruina often present;

scales dense, brown, lanceolate, toothed or entire;

taste acrid/bitter.

stout, white-pruinose, densely clothed in scales;

scales brown, longtoothed;

margins often pale;

taste bland.

Leaves

to 30 × 5 cm;

petiole slender; to 12 × 0.1 cm.

to 60 cm;

petiole to 25 × 0.2 cm.

Blades

oblong to narrowly ovate; pinnatifid, slightly leathery; up to 18 × 5 cm, glabrous above;

scales on abaxial rachis sparse, brown; less than 6 cells wide.

pinnatifid, narrowly ovate; stiff and leathery, dark green; to 35 × 8 cm, with relatively few pairs of robust pinnae;

adaxial surface glabrous;

scales on abaxial surface scattered; broad; convex, brown, with pale margins.

Pinnae

small, oblong; to 2.5 × 1 cm;

margin entire to serrulate;

apex rounded to acute;

veins free.

oblong; up to 9 × 2 cm;

margin usually subentire;

apex rounded to acute; some veins anastomosing, forming indistinct areolae along the pinnae.

Sori

rounded; less than 3 mm, often oval when immature;

sporangiasters absent; but aborted purplish sporangia often present.

round; large; over 3 mm, often absent on proximal pinnae;

sporangiasters absent.

2n

=148.

=74.

Polypodium hesperium

Polypodium scouleri

Distribution
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Cliffs, crevices, and talus slopes. 50–1800 m. BW, Casc. CA, ID, WA; north to British Columbia, south to northwestern Mexico. Native.

This is the only Polypodium species in Oregon found east of the Cascade range. The lack of sporangiasters distinguishes it from P. amorphum, but the frequent sterile sporangia can cause confusion where the ranges of the two species overlap in northwestern Oregon.

Epiphytic and on rocks. 0–600 m. CR, Est. WA, CA; north to British Columbia, south to northern Mexico. Native.

Source Flora of Oregon, volume 1, page 96
Duncan Thomas
Flora of Oregon, volume 1, page 96
Duncan Thomas
Sibling taxa
P. amorphum, P. calirhiza, P. glycyrrhiza, P. scouleri
P. amorphum, P. calirhiza, P. glycyrrhiza, P. hesperium
Synonyms Polypodium vulgare, Polypodium vulgare var. columbianum
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