Monographs Details:
Authority:

Mickel, John T. & Smith, Alan R. 2004. The pteridophytes of Mexico. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 88: 1-1054.
Family:

Thelypteridaceae
Description:

Species Description - Rhizomes short-creeping to suberect; fronds (35–)50–150 (–200) cm long; stipes to ca. 25(–45) cm x 2–5(–8) mm, darkened, often bearing tuberculiform wart-like pinnae at intervals of 2–3(–7) cm, pubescent (infrequently glabrescent); blades chartaceous to subcoriaceous, mostly 40–150 cm long, proximally with (3–)5–12 pairs of wart-like, easily overlooked pinnae; pinnae to (5–)10–25 x (1–)1.5–3(–4.5) cm, incised to ca. 1 mm from costae; aerophores rather small, tuberculiform, at pinna bases; segments slightly oblique and subfalcate, ca. 3–5 mm wide, apices rounded to acutish, margins slightly revolute, basal pair of segments considerably reduced in proximal pinnae; indument abaxially of antrorse acicular hairs and brownish to blackish subclathrate scales along rachises and costae, especially toward the bases, tissue between veins pubescent on both sides of blades, or glabrous glabrous, the hairs mostly 0.2–0.3 mm long, those abaxially sometimes hamate; sori supramedial, exindusiate; sporangia glabrous; 2n =58 (Oax, Jam).

Discussion:

Polypodium rude Kunze, Linnaea 13: 133. 1839. Dryopteris rudis (Kunze) C. Chr., Index Filic. 289. 1905. Amauropelta rudis (Kunze) Pic. Serm., Webbia 31: 251. 1977. Type. Mexico. [Veracruz:] Jalapa, Schiede s.n. (LZ, destroyed). Neotype (chosen by Proctor, 1985: 317). Venezuela. Otto 612 (B). Phegopteris impressa Fe´e, Me´m. Foug. 8: 90. 1857. Type. Mexico. [Veracruz:] Huatusco, Schaffner 218 (RB; see Windisch, 1982). Complete synonymy given in Smith (1983).

Unverified, Doubtful, or Mistaken Reports. NL (reported by Aguirre-Clavera´n & Arregui´n-Sa´nchez, 1988, but not verified and doubtful). This is one of the most common and “weedy” species of Thelypteris in Mexico and throughout the Neotropics. Specimens show great variability in size, texture, and pubescence. The presence of subclathrate costal scales will distinguish this species from all others in Mexico except for the much less common T. pilosohispida (which see for differences). Other distinguishing characters include the exindusiate sori and antrorse costal hairs.

Distribution:

Mexico North America| Bolivia South America| Peru South America| Amazonas Ecuador South America| Guyana South America| Venezuela South America| Colombia South America| Panama Central America| Costa Rica South America| Nicaragua Central America| El Salvador Central America| Honduras Central America| Guatemala Central America|