English: Southern polypody;
Limestone polypiody; Welsh polypody.
Synonym: Polypodium australe Fée.
Name: Polypodium is derived from the Greek Polus, many, and podion, small foot; cambricum means Welsh, from the Latin Cymru, the Welsh name for Wales.; australe comes from the Latin auter, wind of the south.
Genus: 23 Species.
Region: southern and western Europe; Mediterranean.
Habitat: on shady rocks, near the coasts.
BotanyFern; spreading; terrestrial; perennial; deciduous; up to 60 cm tall.
Root: rhizome elongate, often above ground, densely covered with rusty scales; bears numerous roots.
Leaves: pinnate; distich, 5 to 30 cm; glabrous, deltoid in outline; petiole yellowish green, shorter than the pinnatipartite limb; segments 5 to 28 on each side; margin dentate, marked with a strong midrib.
Sori: yellow in winter, orange-yellow, arranged on each side of the midrib of segments; round; ± 3mm diameter.
Fruits: bloom from February to July.