Monographs Details:
Authority:

Mickel, John T. & Smith, Alan R. 2004. The pteridophytes of Mexico. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 88: 1-1054.
Family:

Dryopteridaceae
Description:

Species Description - Rhizomes erect or ascending, ca. 2 mm diam.; rhizome scales linear, orange, entire, 3–6 mm long; fronds clumped, 2–4(–8)x 0.4–1 cm; phyllopodia absent; stipes slender, usually 2/3–3/4 the frond length, moderately clothed with tan to orange, very narrow, subulate scales, 1.5–2 mm long; blades spatulate, obovatelanceolate to narrowly elliptic, chartaceous, bases broadly cuneate, apices obtuse; veins obscure, free, simple or rarely once-forked, ca. 1 mm apart, at 40–50ºangle to costa; hydathodes present but inconspicuous; blade scales somewhat subulate (slightly inrolled at base), tan to dull orange, 1–2 mm, uniformly and moderately covering the blade surfaces; fertile fronds as tall as or taller than the sterile, more erect, stipes ca. 4/5 the length, blades smaller than those of the sterile fronds, often folded in half, spathulate to nearly round, scales of blades and distal part of stipes dark brown to black, lustrous, scale bases not inrolled but spreading and slightly toothed, soral scales absent except for bases of costae.

Discussion:

Acrostichum piloselloides C. Presl, Reliq. Haenk. 1(1): 14, t. 2, f. 1. 1825. Type. “Hab. in montanis Peruviae.” Haenke s.n. (PR).

Elaphoglossum piloselloides is often placed under E. spatulatum (Bory) T. Moore of Africa, Madagascar, Re´union, and Sri Lanka, but differs from it in having the scales of the fertile fronds black as opposed to orange-tan as on the sterile fronds. African material is also highly variable in blade shape, often being somewhat elongate to linear.

Distribution:

Mexico North America| Chile South America| Bolivia South America| Brazil South America| Peru South America| Ecuador South America| French Guiana French Guiana South America| Suriname South America| Guyana South America| Venezuela South America| Colombia South America| West Indies| Panama Central America| Costa Rica South America| El Salvador Central America| Honduras Central America| Guatemala Central America|