Species name :

Polypodium vulgare subsp. melitensePeroni, G.Peroni & Mifsud
Published in NO DATA

Synonyms :
(basionym or principal syn.)

No Main Synonyms

Plant Family :

Polypodiaceae J. Presl & C. Presl (The Polypod Fern Family)
1 species from the Polypodiaceae family is recorded from the Maltese Islands.

English name(s) :

Maltese Polypody

Maltese name(s) :

Felċi ta' Malta

Status for Malta :

Endemic. Occurs only on the Maltese islands

Frequency :

Very Common     Common    Frequent     Scarce     Rare    Very rare     Extinct

Growth form :

Germination type [info]: Dicotyledon
Raunkiaer lifeform [info]: Soon to be updated...

Legal Protection :

Protected by law: Regulation 26 of [S.L. 549.44] (Strictly protected endemic species)

Red List (1989) :

Not listed in the Red Data Book of the Maltese Islands

Flowering Time :

December – March

Colour of Flowers:

Inconspicuous

Toxicity:

Not particularly toxic

Name Derivation :

Polypodium: ()

vulgare subsp. melitense: ()

Planting in rural areas :

Can be planted in rural areas according to ERA Guidelines

Remarks :

This fern has been recentely discovered by Stephen Mifsud and described as a new subspecies of Polypodium vulgare with fern experts Adalberto Peroni and Gabriele Peroni by a publication in Dec 2013. The fern shares characters both from P. vulgare and P. cambricum; both of which are never recorded from Malta. The small size and triangular shape of the fronds are more similar to P. cambricum, but the scales, microscopic characters of the sori and spornagia, and he stomatic cells of the epidermis are closely related to P. vulgare.

Two populations were found in the escarpments and cliffs in the South part of Gozo, with one population consisting of few, small fronds, hence very rare and protected. This Polypody is unique for the fact it grows in a rocky, arid and warm environment like Malta, where ferns of this genus prefers more damp situations. The work on the Maltese Polypody does not stop here: the author is tracing for funds for conservation in collaboration with the Royal Botanic Garden of Edinburgh, and chromosomal analysis from local or perhaps an European University.