Monographs Details:
Authority:

Mickel, John T. & Beitel, Joseph M. 1988. Pteridophyte Flora of Oaxaca, Mexico. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 46: 1-580.
Family:

Pteridaceae
Scientific Name:

Pteris altissima Poir.
Description:

Species Description - Rhizome scales 1-2 mm long, 0.5-0.8 mm wide, bicolorous, center black, heavily sclerified, margin wide, brown, fringed; fronds 0.8-2.5 m tall; stipe stramineous, glabrous; blade bipinnate-pinnatifid, slightly pedate, pinna axils smooth; ultimate segments 3-6 cm long, base cuneate, apex acute to acuminate, not lanceolate, toothed, the teeth slightly mucronate, sinuses symmetrical, upper surface glabrous, lower surface with scattered brown hairs along midribs 0.5 mm long; rachis awns absent or reduced to a minute bump; pinna awns 0.3-1.0 mm long; veins anastomosing with 3-5 areoles between costules, usually one row of areoles along costules, extending to base of sinus; indusium 0.5 mm wide, whitened, entire; sporangia mixed with 0.1-0.3 mm long paraphyses; spores reddish-brown.

Discussion:

Type. Puerto Rico. Ledru s.n. (P-Lam.!). Pteris kunzeana Agardh, Recens. spec. Pter. 62. 1839. Litobrochia kunzeana (Agardh) Fée, Mém. foug. 5: 135. 1852. Syntypes. French Guiana. Leprieur (G-Delessert); “ad Cayennam.” Richard (P); Peru. Matthews s.n. (K-frag. NY!), Poeppig [225] (K; isosyntype B-frag. NY!). Litobrochia grandis Fée, Mém. foug. 8: 75. 1857. Syntypes. Mexico. Barranca de San Francisco, Mirador, Schaffner 144 (P); Cuba. Morelet (P); Saint Dominique. de Tussac (P). Pteris protea Liebmann, Mexic. bregn. 228 (seors. 76). 1849. Syntypes. Mexico. Veracruz: Colipa, Liebmann [Pl. Mex. 2728, Fl. Mex. 758, 759], Pital to Río Nautla [Pl. Mex. 2729, Fl. Mex. 760], between Colipa and Misantla [Pl. Mex. 2730, Fl. Mex. 557] (all C!; isosyntypes BM, K). Pteris altissima is distinguished among the bi-or tripinnatifid awn-bearing taxa by the netted venation with 2-5 areoles between pinnule costae. A. R. Smith (1981) reported intermediates between this species and P. orizabae from Chiapas, although none have been found in Oaxaca.
Distribution:

Mexico North America| Brazil South America| French Guiana South America| Colombia South America| Trinidad and Tobago South America| West Indies| Panama Central America| Guatemala Central America|