Mickel, John T. & Smith, Alan R. 2004. The pteridophytes of Mexico. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 88: 1-1054.
Blechnaceae
Species Description - Rhizomes erect, trunk-like, to 30 cm tall; rhizome scales concolorous, brown, lanceolate, 10–20 x 2–4 mm, margins entire; fronds strongly dimorphic, clumped; stipes 1–4 cm x 2–4 mm, atropurpureous, papillate; sterile blades 40–80 x 12–15 cm, pinnatifid, gradually reduced at bases to semicircular lobes, proximal pinnae contiguous, blade apices tapering gradually; rachises papillate, lacking aerophores at pinna bases; sterile pinnae adnate, slightly falcate, 6–8 cm x 12–15 mm, medial pinnae acute, proximal pinnae and lobes rounded, margins entire, glabrous on both sides; veins simple or 1-forked, vein endings enlarged and conspicuous on adaxial surfaces; fertile pinnae 5–10 cm x 1–1.5 mm; indusia 0.5 mm wide, entire.
Type.Mexico. Oaxaca: Distrito Ixtla´n, 8 km S of Vista Hermosa, 70 km N of Ixtla´n de Jua´rez on Rte 175, Mickel 6749 (NY!; isotypes ENCB!, NY!, UC!, US!).
This species is distinct by the combination of relatively large size (sterile fronds 12–15 cm wide, pinnae 6–8 cm long, blades 40–80 cm long), gradual reduction of the proximal pinnae to semicircular lobes that run down nearly to the rhizomes, and relatively large rhizome scales 10–20 mm long. Blechnum wardiae resembles most closely B. divergens and B. lehmannii. Mickel and Beitel (1988) postulated that it was intermediate between B. divergens and B. stoloniferum, and possibly of allopolyploid originbetween these two species, but B. stoloniferum is a much smaller species and seems less intimately related, so this hypothesis seems unlikely. Breedlove 32391 from Chiapas was previously cited as B. divergens by Smith (1981).
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