Phlebodium aureum (Linnaeus) J. Smith. Common name: Goldfoot Fern, Golden Polypody. Phenology: Jan-Dec. Habitat: Epiphytic on the old leaf bases of Sabal palmetto and in crotches and crevices of other trees, particularly Quercus virginiana, and rarely terrestrial on calcareous soils or masonry. Distribution: E. SC (Beaufort, Jasper, and Charleston counties), e. GA (Camden, Chatham, and Glynn counties), south to s. FL, west to Panhandle FL (Wakulla County) (Kunzer et al. 2009); West Indies; South America. Found in Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge (Charleston County, SC) in the late 1970s by Steve Bowling, where apparently native (S. Bowling, pers. comm. 2007); also introduced and apparently established in SC (Beaufort, Jasper, Charleston counties) via planting of palmettos from farther south (P. McMillan, pers. comm. 2005). Also introduced on cultivated palmettos in s. AL and s. MS.

Origin/Endemic status: Native

Taxonomy Comments: Phlebodium pseudaureum has been reported as occurring in FL peninsula, but it seems as if plants so attributed may be within the variation of P. aureum (W. Testo, pers. comm. 2019). See Davidse, Sousa, & Knapp 1995) for additional discussion.

Synonymy ⓘ: = Fl1, FNA2, K4, NS, POWO, S13, Sf, SFla, WH3; = n/a — RAB; = Polypodium aureum L. — Bah; >< Polypodium pseudaureum (Cav.) Lellinger — Meso1, NS, misapplied in our region. Basionym: Polypodium aureum L. 1753

Links to other floras: = Phlebodium aureum - FNA2

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Heliophily ⓘ: 5