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Polypodium Eastern Asia Group

Note particularly: the color of the rhizome for P. faurieiis unique, likewise the sori of P. fauriei never occupy positions nearest the tip of the pinna. The presence of paraphyses (translucent, glandular branching structures among the sporangia; hand lens required) in P. virginianum is unique. Under Dimensionality the rolling of P. fauriei contrasts with the folding of P. virginianum and P. vulgare.

Species Rhizome Form Blade Indument Sori Position Sporangia Dimensionality Distribution
fauriei creeping, to 4 mm, dark brown glabrous above, long, white hairs on the rachis and costa below half way between midrib and margin or somewhat closer to the midrib, absent from the last quarter of the pinna yellow to brown at maturity; paraphyses absent when desiccated it rolls up lengthwise Japan, Korea
virginianum long-creeping, producing rows of fronds, occasionally branching, whitish pruinose, slender, to 6 mm diam., at the surface rachis glabrous above, sparsely scaly below; scales lanceolate-ovate midway between margin and midrib to nearly marginal, at vein ends; on all but the lowest pinnae of fertile fronds yellow to brown at maturity; paraphyses (branching structures among the sporangia) present lowest pinnae bending down, forward; frond rolling up to the rachis (above the plane) when desiccated north-central Canada south to Arkansas, east to North Carolina, north to Newfoundland; also perhaps Japan, Korea, Mongolia, eastern Siberia
vulgare creeping, branching, whitish waxy, rather thick, with phylopodia rachis glabrous above, sparsely scaly below; scales lanceolate-ovate midway between margin and midrib, on the upper half of the blade early green, later yellow, then rusty brown; paraphyses absent lowest pinnae pair only slightly bending forward, down; pinnae rolling up into the rachis (above the plane) when desiccated central and northern Europe, less common southern Europe, eastern Asia

Characters listed were chosen for their value in distinguishing between species.

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