Polypodium hesperium Maxon

Stems occasionally whitish pruinose, slender to moderately stout, to 6 mm diam., acrid-to sweet-tasting: scales concolored, brown or slightly mottled, often darker near point of attachment, lanceolate, usually symmetric, margins entire to denticulate. Leaves to 35 cm. Petiole slender, to 1.5 mm diam. Blade oblong to lanceolate-ovate, occasionally deltate, pinnatifid, usually widest at or near middle, to 7 cm wide, herbaceous to somewhat leathery; rachis sparsely scaly to glabrescent abaxially, glabrous adaxially; scales linear-lanceolate, usually less than 6 cells wide. Segments oblong to linear-lanceolate, less than 12 mm wide; margins entire to crenulate or obscurely serrate; apex obtuse to acute; midrib glabrous adaxially. Venation free. Sori midway between margin and midrib, less than 3 mm diam., oval when immature. Sporangiasters absent. Spores more than 58 µm, rugose to verrucose or tuberculate, surface projections commonly less than 3 µm. 2 n = 148.

It grows in crevices and ledges on rocks at low and medium altitudes.

The rhizomes are chewed for the pleasant sweet, licorice taste.