FERN FAMILY 



POLYPODIUM. Polypody. 



The name is from the Greek poliis, many, 

 2MApoiis, foot, referring to the branching root- 

 stock, 



COMMON POLYPODY. 



Polypoillum vulgare. 



Frond evergreen, somewhat leathery in tex- 

 ture, smooth, and deeply pinnatifid ; the divi- 

 sions obtuse, alternate, obscurely toothed, ex- 

 tending nearly to the rachis and broadening to 

 meet each other there. The midveins make a 

 deep impression on the upper surface of the 

 lobes. 



The ferns grow from four to ten inches 

 high, in tangled groups, springing from a creep- 

 ing, branched rootstock. They are found on 

 dry, shady rocks and cliffs, and sometimes in 

 woods. 



The Polypody is one of our most common 

 species. Other names for it are Rock and 

 Snake Fern. 



The fruit-dots are naked, round, and very 

 large, arranged in a row each side of the midvein, 



