CHAPTER VIII 

 THE POLYPODIES 



THERE \must be very few people, indeed, 

 who are not familiar with the leading 

 British representatives of the sub-family Poly- 

 podies. It is difficult, indeed, to make a journey 

 in any part of the country without sooner or 

 later coming across some plants of the Common 

 Polypody. Some other species of the genus 

 Polypodium are not uncommon in certain parts 

 of the country. 



Polypodium vulgare. Here the generic name is 

 derived from two Greek words polys, " many," 

 and pous, " a foot." This has been given to 

 the plant on account of the fact that the creep- 

 ing and branching rhizomes from which the 

 fronds arise are in some way suggestive of feet. 

 The specific name, of course, means " common." 

 The Common Polypody. 



This species has a creeping root-stock which 

 in its young days is covered with brown scales. 

 From the underside there grow masses of fibrous 

 roots, which often spread for a considerable 

 distance. The rhizome may be very much 

 branched, and from it alternately on either side 

 arise the fronds. These may be quite short 

 *bout five or six inches or, on the other hand, 

 they may be as much as one or two feet in 

 length. The stipes is usuallv about the same 



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