Polypody - Polypodium vulgare
Various species of Polypody are very similar in appearance, and need to be separated by detailed examination of the sporing frond. Our VC55 experts have indicated that they are willing to check specimens from our area sent to them by NatureSpot users (contact NatureSpot for more details). Any Polypody records not subjected to detailed examination should be recorded on our Polypody aggregate page.
See under ‘Description’
Rocks and walls, even old trees.
Spores ripe from August onwards.
Evergreen perennial
Widespread in Britain, though only locally frequent.
Occasional in Leicestershire and Rutland but can be quite common where it occurs, such as on the stone faces of old quarries. In the 1979 Flora survey of Leicestershire it was found in 33 of the 617 tetrads.
Graham Calow
Sapcote, Leicester Road Quarry
16 June 2019
specimen examined
Graham Calow
Sapcote, Leicester Road Quarry
16 June 2019
specimen examined
Graham Calow
Stoney Stanton, Sapcote Road verge
08 November 2019
specimen examined
Leicestershire & Rutland Map
Enter a town or village to see local records
MAP KEY:
Yellow squares = NBN records (all known data)
Coloured circles = NatureSpot records: 2025+ | 2020-2024 | pre-2020
UK Map
Species profile
- Common names
- Polypody
- Species group:
- Ferns & Horsetails
- Kingdom:
- Plantae
- Order:
- Polypodiales
- Family:
- Polypodiaceae
- Records on NatureSpot:
- 8
- First record:
- 15/06/2013 (Woodward, Steve)
- Last record:
- 10/10/2024 (Billington, Debbie)
Total records by month
% of records within its species group
10km squares with records
The latest images and records displayed below include those awaiting verification checks so we cannot guarantee that every identification is correct. Once accepted, the record displays a green tick.
In the Latest Records section, click on the header to sort A-Z, and again to sort Z-A. Use the header boxes to filter the list.
Latest images
Latest records
Graham Calow
Stoney Stanton, Sapcote Road verge
08 November 2019
specimen examined
Graham Calow
Sapcote, Leicester Road Quarry
16 June 2019
specimen examined
Graham Calow
Stoney Stanton, Sapcote Road verge
08 November 2019
specimen examined
Graham Calow
Sapcote, Leicester Road Quarry
16 June 2019
specimen examined
Graham Calow
Stoney Stanton, Sapcote Road verge
08 November 2019
specimen examined
Chromatomyia scolopendri
The larvae of the fly Chromatomyia scolopendri mine the leaves of the ferns: Hart's-tongue, Wall-rue and Polypody. They form long, narrow mines (up to 10cms) which often follow a vein. The mines are normally greenish and upper surface. Pupation is usually in the mine.