Mickel, John T. & Smith, Alan R. 2004. The pteridophytes of Mexico. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 88: 1-1054.
Dryopteridaceae
Genus Description - Terrestrial; rhizomes short-creeping to suberect, bearing scales; fronds medium-sized to large, monomorphic; stipes with numerous vascular bundles arranged in an omega-shape; blades 1- pinnate to 2-pinnate-pinnatifid, apices pinnatifid, in some species with proliferous buds along rachises; rachises and costae adaxially grooved, the grooves ± confluent, midribs abaxially usually with linear to ovate, tan scales, acicular hairs absent; pinnae gradually shortened distally, increasingly adnate and decurrent, blade apices pinnatifid and confluent with distal pinnae; blades pellucid-punctate with immersed yellowish glands (best observed with transmitted light), glabrous; veins free (ours) or irregularly netted, ending well short of margin in clavate tips (as seen adaxially); sori abaxial, round, exindusiate; paraphyses absent (ours) or present; spores oblong, bilateral, with brownish, winged perispores; x=41.
Type: Polypodium flavopunctatum Kaulf. [= Stigmatopteris rotundata (Willd.) C. Chr.].
Stigmatopteris is a neotropical genus of 23 species, mostly of South America. Affinities of the genus have generally been assumed to be with Cyclodium, also primarily South American, and other genera such as Polybotrya and Olfersia (Moran, 1991). However, unpublished molecular data (Cranfill, pers. comm.) suggests an alliance of Stigmatopteris with Ctenitis. In any case, Stigmatopteris is clearly a member of the dryopteroid clade, with base chromosome nnumber x =41. Stigmatopteris superficially resembles some species of Thelypteris, but stipes have more than three vascular bundles, veins end short of the margin, blades lack acicular hairs, and sori are exindusiate.