Western polypody facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Western polypody |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Polypodium (plant)
|
| Species: |
hesperium
|
| Synonyms | |
|
Polypodium vulgare var. hesperium (Maxon) A.Nelson & J.F.Macbr. |
|
The Polypodium hesperium, also called the western polypody, is a type of fern. You can find it growing naturally in western North America. It lives from British Columbia in Canada all the way down to California in the United States, and even into northern Mexico. It also grows in the Rocky Mountains. This fern likes to live in rocky places.
This fern is special because it was formed from two different parent ferns. It's like a mix of Polypodium glycyrrhiza and Polypodium amorphum.
About the Western Polypody Fern
This polypody fern has a thin, scaly stem called a rhizome that helps it stay in place. It grows long leaves that can be up to 25 to 35 centimeters (about 10 to 14 inches) long and 7 centimeters (about 3 inches) wide.
Each leaf is made of many smaller parts. These parts are often shaped like long, narrow points. They can feel thin and soft, or strong and leathery. The edges of these leaf parts can be smooth or have small teeth.
If you look underneath each leaf part, you will see small, brownish, reddish, or almost black spots. These spots are called sori. They hold the spores, which are like tiny seeds that help the fern make new plants.
