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Useful Tropical Plants

Polypodium plebeium

Schltdl. & Cham.

Polypodiaceae

+ Synonyms

Marginaria karwinskyana C.Presl

Polypodium cartilagineum C. Presl ex Ettingsh.

Polypodium cheilostictum Fée

Polypodium karwinskyanum (C. Presl) A.Braun ex Kunze

Common Name:

Polypodium plebeium
Drawing of a fertile frond with sporangia on the undersurface
Photograph by: Lowe, E.J., Ferns [a history of Ferns]: British and exotic, vol. 2: p. 87, t. 40 (1839)
Creative Commons License

General Information

Polypodium plebeium is an epiphytic fern growing up to 30cm tall from a long-creeping rhizome[
200
Title
The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
Publication
 
Author
Huxley. A.
Publisher
MacMillan Press
Year
1992
ISBN
0-333-47494-5
Description
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
].
The plant is sometimes gathered from the wild for local medicinal use.

Known Hazards

Although we have found no reports of toxicity for this species, a number of ferns contain carcinogens so some caution is advisable[
200
Title
The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
Publication
 
Author
Huxley. A.
Publisher
MacMillan Press
Year
1992
ISBN
0-333-47494-5
Description
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
].
Many ferns also contain thiaminase, an enzyme that robs the body of its vitamin B complex. In small quantities this enzyme will do no harm to people eating an adequate diet that is rich in vitamin B, though large quantities can cause severe health problems. The enzyme is destroyed by heat or thorough drying, so cooking the plant will remove the thiaminase[
172
Title
Discovering Wild Plants - Alaska, W. Canada and the Northwest.
Publication
 
Author
Schofield. J. J.
Publisher
Alaska Northwest Books; Alaska
Year
2003
ISBN
0882403699
Description
A nice guide to some useful plants in that area.
].

Botanical References

200
Title
The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
Publication
 
Author
Huxley. A.
Publisher
MacMillan Press
Year
1992
ISBN
0-333-47494-5
Description
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
,
489
Title
Ferns and Fern Allies of Guatemala
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org
Publisher
Field Museum of Natural History
Year
1981
ISBN
 
Description
A flora of the ferns of Guatemala, giving some plant uses. It can be downloaded from the Internet.

Range

Central America - Panama to Mexico.

Habitat

In forests, on tree trunks, at elevations from 1,000 - 1,500 metres in Guatemala[
489
Title
Ferns and Fern Allies of Guatemala
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org
Publisher
Field Museum of Natural History
Year
1981
ISBN
 
Description
A flora of the ferns of Guatemala, giving some plant uses. It can be downloaded from the Internet.
].

Properties

Medicinal Rating *  *
HabitFern
Height0.30 m
Cultivation StatusWild

Cultivation Details



Very closely related to P. Montigenum[
489
Title
Ferns and Fern Allies of Guatemala
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org
Publisher
Field Museum of Natural History
Year
1981
ISBN
 
Description
A flora of the ferns of Guatemala, giving some plant uses. It can be downloaded from the Internet.
].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

The plant is expectorant and purgative[
46
Title
Dictionary of Economic Plants.
Publication
 
Author
Uphof. J. C. Th.
Publisher
Weinheim
Year
1959
ISBN
-
Description
An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.
].

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed -
Cite as: Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2024-03-29. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Polypodium+plebeium>

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