Authority:

Proctor, George R. 1989. Ferns of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 53: 1-389.

Family:

Thelypteridaceae

Description:

Species Description - Rhizome short-creeping, ca, 6 mm thick, closely invested with persistent stipe bases, at apex bearing a tuft of dark brown, distantly ciliate, linearattenuate scales 4-10 mm long. Fronds slightly dimorphic, the fertile ones a little taller and with nanower pinnae than the sterile ones, up to 1.2 m long or more at maximum size; stipes 15-45 cm long, minutely pubemlous throughout, and toward base bearing dark brown, linear-lanceolate scales, these ciliate and often also with surface hairs. Blades mostly 40-90 cm long, 14-34cm broad, tapering evenly to the pinnatifid apex, at base the proximal 2-6 pairs of pinnae reduced and somewhat reflexed; rhachis rather densely pubescent with curved hairs but without scales; largest pinnae 7-19 cm long, 1.1-2.7 cm wide, attenuate at apex, sessile, pinnatifid; segments oblong or oblong-subfalcate, 2-4 mm broad, blunt to acute at apex, entire; veins 6-10 pairs, all simple; costae, costules, and veins curved-pubescent on adaxial side, finely puberulous beneath; tissue light green, soft-herbaceous, not glandular. Sori about medial; indusium orbicular-reniform, pubescent, non-glandular; sporangia glabrous but their stalks often bearing orange, stipitate glands.

Discussion:

Fig. 63.

Basionym. Polypodium dentatum Forsskal, Fl. aegypt.-arab. 185. 1775.

Type. Forsskal, from Yemen {Herb. Forssk. 809, C, photos K, U C , as cited by A. R. Smith, 1971).

Syn. Polypodium molle Jacquin Collectanea 3: 188. 1789, not Schreber, 1771, nor Allioni, 1785. (Type. From a plant cultivated in the gardens at Schoenbrunn, Austria, W , photo UC, as cited by A. R. Smith, 1971.)

Aspidium molle Swartz, J. Bot. (Schrader) 1800(2): 34. 1802. (Art. 72.)

Nephrodium molle {Swartz) R, Brown, Prodr, 149. 1810, with regard to name.

Polystichum molle (Swartz) Gaudichaud in Freycinet, Voy. Uranie 326. 1828.

Hemestheum molle (Swartz) Gandoger, Fl. Eur. 27: 178. 1891.

Bryopteris mollis (Swartz) Hieronymus, Hedwigia 46: 348. 1907.

Bryopteris dentata (Forsskal) C. Christensen, Kongel, Danske Vidensk. Selsk. Naturvidensk. Math. Afti. ser. 5, 6: 24. 1920.

Nephrodium dentatum (Forsskal) G. Kummer, Magyar Bot, Lapok 32: 60. 1933.

Cyclosorus dentatus (Forsskal) Ching, Bull. Fan Mem. Inst. Biol. 8: 206. 1938.

General Distribution. Pantropical; apparently not indigenous to the Westem Hemisphere, introduced by unknown means in the late nineteenth century and now widely and abundantly naturalized. Distribution in Puerto Rico. Occurs very widely throughout the island; recorded from Arecibo, Barranquitas, Cayey, Guaynabo, Gurabo, Loiza, Luquillo, Manati, Maricao, Mayagñez, Orocovis, Quebradillas, Rio Grande, San German, San Juan, San Sebastian, and Yabucoa. Probably to be found in all municipios. Virgin Islands. St. Crois, St. Thomas, St. John, and Tortola. Habitat. Roadside banks, borders of thickets, pastures and cultivated ground, along paths in secondary forest, and in other moist, disturbed habitats at low to middle elevations (sea-level-650 m), common.]

Distribution:

Tortola Virgin Islands South America| Puerto Rico South America| Arecibo Puerto Rico South America| Barranquitas Puerto Rico South America| Cayey Puerto Rico South America| Guaynabo Puerto Rico South America| Gurabo Puerto Rico South America| Loíza Puerto Rico South America| Luquillo Puerto Rico South America| Manatí Puerto Rico South America| Maricao Puerto Rico South America| Orocovis Puerto Rico South America| Quebradillas Puerto Rico South America| Rio Grande do Norte Brazil South America| San Juan Puerto Rico South America| San Sebastián Costa Rica Central America| Yabucoa Puerto Rico South America| Virgin Islands South America| Saint Croix Virgin Islands of the United States South America| San Germán Puerto Rico South America| Saint Thomas Virgin Islands of the United States South America|