Polypodium glycyrrhiza

Licorice fern

Family: Polypodiaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Licorice fern is a California native perennial found in northern coastal, Klamath Range, North Coast Ranges, Central Coast, and San Francisco Bay bioregions on rocky coastal banks, mossy logs, and moist rocky surfaces at elevations up to 600 meters. The fern produces distinctive fronds 8 to 23 centimeters long with lanceolate blade segments that have serrated tips and acute edges. Growing with a sweet licorice-flavored rhizome 3 to 6 millimeters in diameter, this fern develops summer-deciduous leaves that are membranous to somewhat firm. Its leaf blades feature free veins and a midrib with fine hairs, with segments typically having sharp, pointed tips. The fern's sporangia form small round sori 1 to 2.5 millimeters in diameter, often accompanied by short, branched glandular hairs.

Habitat: Generally near coast, on pls, rocks, moist rocky banks, mossy logs

Elevation: < 600(1200) m

Bioregions: NCo, KR, NCoRO, CCo, SnFrB

California counties: Humboldt, Siskiyou, Marin, Mendocino, Sonoma, Trinity, Santa Clara, Amador, El Dorado, Del Norte, Lake, Butte, Santa Cruz, San Mateo, Plumas, San Bernardino, San Francisco, San Luis Obispo, Napa, Monterey, Los Angeles, Ventura, Nevada, Alameda

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.