Polypody

This being  a lovely day Chris and I took a stroll around both Upper and Lower Wardington. Overall it is a most attractive village, with Upper Wardington being quite lovely. The manor house is very fine and growing from the wall were several plants of Polypody Polypodium vulgare, which I was able to photograph by standing on tiptoe. This is a moderately common fern in this part of Britain, with old walls being a favoured habitat.

Its common name is based on Late Latin and means "many feet" but, although the rhizome and branches are said to resemble little feet, I just can't see it. The backs of the leaves are covered with brown spots; these are the reproductive structures (sori) which produce spores. I recall (more years ago than I care to remember) an edition of "Gardeners' Question Time", when an anxious member of the audience complained about a 'disease' causing spots on the leaves of his ferns. The panel members soon put his mind at rest.