Edible: Leaves, Fronds,
A leafy fern. It has a slender creeping rhizome. It is fleshy. It is covered with a dense mass of black roots. The fern grows 0.3-1.2 m high. It can grow in soil or on rocks. The fronds are narrow and pale green. They are 30-120 cm long by 4-10 cm wide. They are leathery and undivided. They grow erect. Some varieties have lobed leaves. There are a range of cultivated varieties. The spore bodies are 0.1 cm across. They grow on the upper half of the fronds.
It is a tropical plant. It suits warm climates. It grows on boulders and amongst rocks in dry forest. It suits hardiness zones 11-12.
Synonyms:
Acrostichum punctatum L.;
Polypodium punctatum (L.) Sw.
Polypodium irioides Poiret;
Polypodium irioides var. lobatum F.M.Bail.;
Polypodium punctatum f lobatum (F.M. Bail.) Domin.;
Polypodium punctatum f cristatum (F.M. Bail.) Domin.;
Polypodium polycarpon Swartz.;
Microsorium polycarpum (Swartz.) Tardieu;
and several others