Pleopeltis polypodioides

Pleopeltis polypodioides (L.) Watt

Synonym: Polypodium polypodioides

Common Names: Resurrection Fern, Miracle Fern, Gray Polypody

Family: Polypodiaceae

Habit: Pleopeltis polypodioides grows from a rhizome that is up to 3 mm thick.  The rhizome is covered with lance shaped, brown scales with ciliate margins.  The fronds are arranged alternately, to 25 cm in length and deeply pinnately lobed. The abaxial surface of the fronds is covered with scales of varying shapes and sizes (deltoid-round-peltate-acuminate). The fronds curl when they become desiccated and will absorb water and will return to an uncurled photosynthetic state when water is present.

The sporangia occur in sori that are round, sub-marginal, and on the middle and upper frond lobes.

Habitat: Pleopeltis polypodioides is an epiphyte growing on the bark of trees in wet Dry Broadleaf Evergreen Formations- Forest (coppice).

Distribution: Pleopeltis polypodioides occurs in the central and northern islands of the Lucayan Archipelago as well as the southern United States, the entire Caribbean region as well as Mexico south through northern South America.

Medicinal/Cultural/Economic usage: Pleopeltis polypodioides is not known to be used medicinally in the Lucayan Archipelago.