Monographs Details:
Authority:

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

Marattiaceae
Scientific Name:

Marattia laevis Sm.
Description:

Species Description - Rhizome stout and fleshy, covered with old stipules. Fronds always solitary, up to 1.7 m long; stipes 60-70 cm long, 1-1.3 cm thick, clothed (especially toward base) with numerous, irregular, dark brown scales 0.5-3 mm long, attached to minute protuberances. Blades deltate, 80-100 cm long, about the same broad, 5-pinnate at base; rhachis naked or nearly so; pinnae deltate to oblong, the basal ones up to 50 cm long; ultimate pinnules oblong to ovate, 0.8-2 cm long, coarsely lobed or dentate, acutish at apex, glabrous and naked; veins mostly simple. Synangia stalked, oval, mostly 1.5-2 mm long, 10-14-locular.

Discussion:

Fig. 16.

Type. Thierry-Th. 90, from Hispaniola (LINN, not seen).

Syn. Marattia kaulfussii J. Smith in Hooker, Gen. fil., t. 26, figs. 5-8. 1838. (Type. Not stated, not seen.)

Distribution:

Costa Rica South America| Venezuela South America| Brazil South America| Bolivia South America| Peru South America| Ecuador South America|