North Carolina Botanical Garden

Plant Index

Scientific Name:
Common Name:
Genus:
Family:

Polypodium virginianum

Polypodium virginianum L.

common rockcap fern

Synonym(s): Polypodium vulgare, Polypodium vulgare var. virginianum

Image ID: 16423
Image by: Sorrie, Bruce A.
Image Collection: NCBG Digital Library

PLANT INDEX

ID_PLANT: POVI7
SCIENTIFIC NAME: Polypodium virginianum
Include in WOTAS: 0
Publish to Web: 1
Last Modified: 2020-01-01

GENUS INDEX

GENUS CODE: POLYP
GENUS SCIENTIFIC: Polypodium
GENUS AUTHORITY: L.
GENUS COMMON: Polypody
GENUS SUMMARY: A genus of about 100 species, cosmopolitan.
GENUS IDENTIFICATION: Identification notes: The two species are somewhat cryptic, and the relatively frequent triploid backcross makes field identification still more problematic. Individuals not identified to species may be referred to as Polypodium virginianum complex.
GENUS REFERENCES: Haufler et al. in FNA (1993b); Haufler, Windham, & Rabe (1995)=Z; Haufler & Windham (1991); Bryan & Soltis (1987); Kott & Britton (1982); Hennipman, Veldhoen, & Kramer in Kramer & Green (1990); Cusick (2002).

FAMILY INDEX

FAMILY CODE: POLYPO
FAMILY SCIENTIFIC: Polypodiaceae
FAMILY AUTHORITY: J. & C. Presl 1822
FAMILY COMMON: Polypody Family
FAMILY SUMMARY: A family of about 35-40 genera and 500-700 species, cosmopolitan, especially tropical. Here circumscribed to include Grammitidaceae (including Moranopteris).
FAMILY REFERENCE: Sundue et al. (2014); Hirai et al. (2011); Smith & Tejero-D�ez (2014); Smith in FNA (1993b); Smith et al. (2006); Hennipman, Veldhoen, & Kramer in Kramer & Green (1990); Parris in Kramer & Green (1990).

NCBG DESCRIPTIVES

INTRO:
STEMS:
LEAVES:
INFLORESCENCE:
FLOWERS:
FRUITS:
COMMENTS:
HEIGHT:

DURATION: Perennial
HABIT: Herb, Fern

LEAF ARRANGEMENT:
LEAF COMPLEXITY:
LEAF RETENTION: Evergreen

FLORAL CHARACTERISTICS
SYMMETRY:
BLOOM TIME: Jun-Oct

Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
					x	x		x	x

BLOOM COLOR:

White	Red	Pink	Orange	Yellow	Green	Blue	Lavender	Purple	Violet	Brown	Not Applicable
											x

FRUITING PERIOD:

DISTRIBUTION
HABITAT TYPE:
NATIVE RANGE:

HORTICULTURAL
Plant Sale Text:

Bloom Table Text:

NCBG Location:

Cultural Notes:

SOIL MOISTURE: Dry, Average
LIGHT EXPOSURE: Sun, Part Shade, Shade
MINIMUM HARDINESS ZONE:
MAXIMUM HARDINESS ZONE:
GERMINATION CODE:
WILDLIFE VALUE:
DEER RESISTANCE:

GRIM ACCESSIONS

acc_id	acc_num	acc_dt	coll_id	Action
991	1985-0686			View
992	1985-0687			View
3132	1989-0095			View
4351	1992-0507			View

GRIM PLANTINGS

plt_num	acc_id	loc_num	pers_num	inst_dt	Action
1873	991	145	NCBG staff	1985-06-05	View
5254	3132	76	NCBG staff	0000-00-00	View
5255	3132	188	NCBG staff	0000-00-00	View
6679	4351	200	NCBG staff	1993-03-01	View

USDA PLANTS DATABASE

USDA Symbol: POVI7
USDA Common Name: Rock Polypody
Native Status: L48 (N), CAN (N), GL (N), SPM (N)
Distribution: USA (AK, AL, AR, CT, DC, DE, GA, IA, IL, IN, KY, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, NC, NH, NJ, NY, OH, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, VA, VT, WI, WV), CAN (LB, MB, NB, NF, NS, NT, ON, PE, QC, SK), DEN (GL), FRA (SPM)
Duration: Perennial
Growth Habit: Forb/herb

WEAKLEY FLORA

SCIENTIFIC NAME: Polypodium virginianum
COMMON NAME: Common Rockcap Fern
SYNONYMY: [= Ar, FNA, Il, K, Pa, Tn, Va, Z; < P. virginianum - C, F, RAB, S, W, WV; < P. vulgare Linnaeus var. virginianum (Linnaeus) Eaton - G]
PHENOLOGY: Jun-Oct.
HABITAT: Moist rocks.
COMMENTS: Haufler and Windham (1991) indicate that the tetraploid cytotype (P. virginianum) of the P. virginianum complex is an allotetraploid derivative of the sterile hybrid of the diploid occurring in our area (P. appalachianum) and another diploid with a boreal distribution (P. sibiricum Siplivinsky). Electrophoretic evidence supports this finding (Bryan & Soltis 1987, Haufler, Windham, & Rabe 1995). Thus, Polypodium in our area is another classic example of the reticulate evolution of pteridophytes, and the cytotypes must be treated as species and given names. Unfortunately, the two species are somewhat cryptic, and the relatively frequent triploid backcross makes field identification still more problematic. Individuals not identified to species may be referred to as Polypodium virginianum complex. The chromosome complement of P. virginianum can be symbolized as AASS.
RANGE MAP: Polypodium virginianum.png

Key to Map Symbols

ABOUT FAMILY (Weakley Flora)
Polypodiaceae J. & C. Presl 1822 (Polypody Family)
SUMMARY: A family of about 35-40 genera and 500-700 species, cosmopolitan, especially tropical. Here circumscribed to include Grammitidaceae (including Moranopteris).
REFERENCE: Sundue et al. (2014); Hirai et al. (2011); Smith & Tejero-D�ez (2014); Smith in FNA (1993b); Smith et al. (2006); Hennipman, Veldhoen, & Kramer in Kramer & Green (1990); Parris in Kramer & Green (1990).

ABOUT GENUS (Weakley Flora)
Polypodium L. (Polypody)
SUMMARY: A genus of about 100 species, cosmopolitan.
REFERENCE: Haufler et al. in FNA (1993b); Haufler, Windham, & Rabe (1995)=Z; Haufler & Windham (1991); Bryan & Soltis (1987); Kott & Britton (1982); Hennipman, Veldhoen, & Kramer in Kramer & Green (1990); Cusick (2002).

HERBARIUM RESOURCES

SERNEC: Find Polypodium virginianum in Southeast Regional Network of Experts and Collections (if available)
UNC SERNEC: Find Polypodium virginianum in University of North Carolina Chapel Hill Herbarium - Southeast Regional Network of Experts and Collections (if available)

WEB RESOURCES

USDA: Find Polypodium virginianum in USDA Plants
NPIN: Find Polypodium virginianum in NPIN Database
FNA: Find Polypodium virginianum in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Polypodium virginianum

IMAGE USE RECORDS

ID IMAGE: 16423 - Primary Image FloraQuest Plant Detail Page (Landscape Preferred)
ID IMAGE1: 16423 - Primary Image WOTAS
ID IMAGE2: 16423 - Secondary Image WOTAS
ID IMAGE3: 0 - Primary Image Plant Sale Sign (Landscape Only)
ID IMAGE4: 0 - Primary Image New Plant Sale Label (Portrait Only)