Vittaria
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Authority
Proctor, George R. 1989. Ferns of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 53: 1-389.
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Family
Pteridaceae
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Scientific Name
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Description
Species Description - Rather small epiphytes with erect or short-creeping, often densely clustered rhizomes, these usually immersed in a mass of feltlike roots, and bearing clathrate scales at the apex. Fronds crowded, erect, arching or pendent, the blades simple and entire, narrowly linear, elliptic-linear, or linear-oblanceolate, costate to the apex; veins often obscured by the somewhat opaque tissue, anastomosing to form a single or several rows of areoles between the costa and the inframarginal fertile vein. Sori linear, superficial or immersed in a groove, forming a continuous or subcontinuous inframarginal line; paraphyses present, these usually clavate or capitate, sometimes branched; annulus of 14-18(-20) cells; spores usually ellipsoid and monolete, in a few species tetrahedral-globose and trilete, nearly smooth (very finely papillate under high magnification) but sometimes with scattered granular deposits.
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Discussion
Type Species. Vittaria lineata (Linnaeus) J. E. Smith, based on Pteris lineata Linnaeus of the American tropics and subtropics.
Syn. Ananthacorus Underwood & Maxon, Contr. U.S, Natl, Herb, 10: 487, 1908, (Type, A. angustifolius (Swartz) Underwood & Maxon.)
A pantropical genus of between 50 and 75 species, some not clearly defined. In the present book four species are recorded from Puerto Rico, one of these of doubtful status. The generic name is derived from the Latin vitta, ribbon, alluding to the ribbonlike shape of the fronds in many species.
Special Literature. Benedict, R. C. 1914. A revision ofthe genus Vittaria J. E. Smith. I. The species ofthe subgenus Radiovittaria. Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 41: 391- 410, t. 15-20, figs. 1-7; Tryon, R. M . & A. F. Tryon. 1982. Fems and allied plants, pp. 362-368, 17 figs.