Lanceleaf Polypody

makros: large, karpon: fruit; referring to the large sori

Rhizome widely creeping, slender; rhizome scales lanceolate to ovate, peltate, brown with a darker central stripe and pale, lacerate margins, 2-3 mm long. Fronds spaced apart, simple, fleshy. Stipe up to 8 cm long, winged in the upper part, articulated to the rhizome, with a few scales with dark centre when young, becoming glabrous with age. Lamina evergreen, linear-lanceolate in outline, gradually tapering towards base and apex, margins entire to weakly wavy, up to 20 × 1.7 cm. Upper surface subglabrous, lower surface with several circular to lanceolate, peltate scales with dark centre and jagged margins. Sori round to oval, up to 5 mm in diameter, placed in 2 rows between costa and margin in the upper third to half of the lamina, exindusiate, covered with scale-like paraphyses when young.

Tropical and southern subtropical Africa; also tropical America, Hawaii, India, Réunion, Madagascar, St. Helena and Tristan da Cunha.