Polypodium glycyrrhiza very often associated with Acer macrophyllum. The fern is mycorrhizal, meaning it can form root associations with the hyphae of fungi. The sweet flavor of the rhizome was once attributed to the glycoside glycyrrhizin. However, a study has shown that the flavor may actually be due to polypodoside, which is 600 times sweeter than 6% sucrose solution. Licorice fern is cultivated as an ornamental garden plant. The cultivar 'Longicaudatum' has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit. The licorice fern is sometimes valued for its licorice-flavored rhizome. Occasionally it is chewed, and it can also be brewed into
Cyanea glabra Cyanea glabra Cyanea glabra is a rare species of flowering plant in the bellflower family known by the common name smooth cyanea. It is endemic to Maui, where there are twelve plants remaining in the wild. It was federally listed as an endangered species of the United States with nine other Maui Nui endemics in 1999. Like other "Cyanea" it is known as haha in Hawaiian. This Hawaiian lobelioid is a branching shrub that reaches an uncertain height. It grows in wet forests dominated by "Acacia koa" and/or "Metrosideros polymorpha" at . Associated plants include "Cheirodendron trigynum", "Tetraplasandra hawaiensis", "Xylosma