Polypodium scouleri |
Polypodium amorphum |
|
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coast, coast polypody, leather fern, leather-leaf fern, leather-leaf polypody, leathery polypody, leathery polypody fern, Scouler's polypody |
irregular polypody, irregular polypody fern, Pacific polypody |
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Stems | conspicuously whitish pruinose, stout, 3–12 mm diam., bland to slightly sweet-tasting; scales concolored to weakly bicolored, uniformly dark brown or with pale margins and base, lanceolate, symmetric, margins denticulate. |
often whitish pruinose, slender, to 6 mm diam., acrid-tasting; scales weakly bicolored, lanceolate, contorted distally, bases and margins light brown, sometimes with dark central stripe, margins often coarsely dentate. |
Leaves | to 85 cm. |
to 30 cm. |
Petiole | stout, to 3 mm diam. |
slender, to 1.5 mm diam. |
Blade | ovate-lanceolate, pinnatifid, usually widest just above base, to 27 cm wide, stiff and leathery; rachis sparsely scaly to glabrescent abaxially, glabrous adaxially; scales bicolored, ovate-lanceolate, much more than 6 cells wide. |
oblong to rarely deltate, pinnatifid, usually widest near middle, occasionally at or near base, to 4 cm wide, somewhat leathery; rachis sparsely scaly to glabrescent abaxially, glabrous adaxially; scales lanceolate-ovate, usually more than 6 cells wide. |
Segments | oblong to linear, usually more than 12 mm wide; margins entire to crenulate; apex rounded to rarely broadly acute; midrib glabrous adaxially. |
oblong, less than 12 mm wide; margins entire to crenulate; apex rounded to broadly acute; midrib glabrous adaxially. |
Sori | crowded against midrib, usually more than 3 mm diam., circular when immature. |
midway between margin and midrib to nearly marginal, less than 3 mm diam., circular when immature. |
Spores | usually less than 52 µm, rugose, surface projections less than 3 µm tall. |
more than 58 µm, rugose to verrucose, surface projections less than 3 µm tall. |
Venation | anastomosing, usually forming 1 row of areoles. |
free. |
Sporangiasters | absent. |
present, usually less than 40 per sorus, heads covered with glandular hairs. |
2n | = 74, 111. |
= 74. |
Polypodium scouleri |
Polypodium amorphum |
|
Phenology | Sporulating late fall–spring. | Sporulating summer–fall. |
Habitat | Cracks and ledges on cliffs, occasionally epiphytic, on a variety of substrates but preferring volcanic substrates in warmer, drier climates, rarely far from ocean | Cliffs and rocky slopes, usually on igneous substrates |
Elevation | 0–500 m (0–1600 ft) | 0–1800 m (0–5900 ft) |
Distribution |
CA; OR; WA; BC; Mexico in Baja California
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OR; WA; BC
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Discussion | The distinctive Polypodium scouleri has occasionally been assigned to the genus Goniophlebium because of its anastomosing venation and conspicuous areoles. Its venation pattern can be quite variable, however, and cannot be used as the sole feature distinguishing P. scouleri from P. californicum. Combining venation characteristics with others provided in the key distinguishes it clearly from its congeners in Polypodium. Some evidence suggests that P. scouleri hybridizes with P. californicum (S. A. Whitmore, unpubl.). I. Manton (1951) reported diploid and triploid cytotypes for P. scouleri, and variation in spore size suggests that the species may also include tetraploid populations. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
The diploid Polypodium amorphum is one of the progenitors of allotetraploid P. hesperium, and these two species are occasionally sympatric. Although P. amorphum can be mistaken for P. hesperium, consistent differences exist for separating these two species (see comments under P. hesperium). Hybridization between P. amorphum and P. hesperium results in triploid individuals with misshapen spores (F. A. Lang 1971). (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 2. | FNA vol. 2. |
Parent taxa | Polypodiaceae > Polypodium | Polypodiaceae > Polypodium |
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | P. montense | |
Name authority | Hooker & Greville: Icon. Filic. 1: 56. (1829) | Suksdorf: Werdenda 1: 16. (1927) |
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