Polypodium vulgare agg

Taxonomic note: Here taken to comprise P vulgare SS, P interjectum and P cambricum. Almost all plants on Skye belong to the first of these. The second has been recorded on one or two occasions, the third not at all. As the majority of specimens cannot be identified to species level without a microscope, I don't propose to split them here.

Photo © Carl Farmer
6 Aug 2003 Dunvegan

Very common on rocks, walls and trees, preferring shade.

Fronds 10-45 cm long. Pinnae c 15-70 mm. Sori 1.5-3 mm.

Skye ID: A very distinctive fern, with undivided pinnae bearing yellow or orange roundish sori in two rows.

Other features: P interjectum can be suspected if the pinnae are well-toothed and the sori are very oval, but can apparently never be ruled out. The books are very inconsistent. CTW has P vulgare as a slightly larger plant than P interjectum, whereas Stace has a maximum length for the P vulgare frond, including its stalk, of 25 cm, as against 40 cm for P interjectum. It is easy to find specimens on Skye of 45 cm or more.

Photo © Carl Farmer 6 Sep 2003 Scorrybreac 3rd fully visible sori-covered pinna from right = 15 mm long		Photo © Carl Farmer 6 Aug 2003 Dunvegan Pinna 25 mm long
Young sori		Old sori.

Skye Flora