Polypodium repens Sw.
Family: Polypodiaceae
Polypodium repens image
Michael B. Thomas  
Polypodium repens Aublet, Hist. pl. Guiane 2: 962. 1775. Type, Plumier Traite foug. Amer., t. 134, based on material from Morne Rouge, Martinique. No Aublet specimen is known, but authentic Plumier material exists: Herb. Surian 899 P· Herb. Jussieu 1071-E, P. Syn. Calmpyloneurum repens (Aublet) K. Presl, Tent. pterid. 190. 1836.
Cyrtophlebium repens (Aublet) J. Smith, J. Bot. (Hooker) 4: 58. 1841.
Polypodium phyllitidis var. B repens (Aublet) Grisebach, Fl. Brit. W.I. 702. 1864.

Rhizome wide-creeping, sometimes pendent, 1-1. 9 mm thick, green or blackish, deciduously clothed with light brown, clathrate, deltate-acuminate scales 2-3.5 mm long, these mostly appressed, soon falling. Fronds distant, glabrous, 20-75 cm long; stipes straw-colored, 3-15 cm long, deeply grooved adaxially, deciduously scaly. Blades oblong-lanceolate, mostly 15-60 cm long, 3-9 cm broad below the middle, sharply acuminate at apex, cuneate and shortly decurrent at base, the margins entire or slightly sinuate; Primary veins moderately prominent, oblique, Parallel, connected al areoles each with a single included; current free veinlet, the other areoles (up to nine between costa and margin) with two; tissue dark green, thinly but firmly herbaceous. Sori small, terminating free veinlet s, thus 2-seriate between the primary veins.

General Distribution. Jamaica, Puerto Rico, Lesser Antilles and continental tropical America from southern Mexico to Bolivia and Brazil.

Distribution in Puerto Rico. Known from a single collection. Rio Grande: Sierra de Luquillo, Caribbean National Forest, Rd. 186, km 16, ca. 1.5 km SE of road I Aug 1977, Woodbury s.n. (SJ). Recent attempts to relocate this station have failed.

Habitat. Clambering over moist shaded boulders on wooded slope near a small stream at a middle elevation (500-550 m), very rare, perhaps no longer extant at this locality.