Monographs Details:
Authority:

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

Lygodiaceae
Scientific Name:

Lygodium
Description:

Genus Description - Plants with climbing, twining fronds; rhizome short-creeping, hairy; stipe and rachis wiry, stramineous to brown, rachis twining, of indefinite growth; pinna axis short with dormant apex and two lateral pinnules, which are sometimes ± dichotomously forked or pinnately divided; pinnules usually palmately lobed, with free or netted veins; sporangia on narrow finger-like projections from the pinnules, in two rows on each projection; sporangia oblong with an apical annulus, each covered by a basally attached indusium; spores tetrahedral, yellow, verrucose or reticulate.

Discussion:

Type: Lygodium scandens (Linnaeus) Swartz [=Ophioglossum scandens Linnaeus, = Lygodium flexuosum (Linnaeus) Swartz]. For further synonymy, see Lellinger (Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 18: 5. 1969). Lygodium is a genus of about 40 species, all but one of tropical or subtropical regions, three-fourths of them of the Old World. It is distinct by its twining fronds and monangial, indusiate sori. References: Duek, J. J. 1978. A taxonomic revision of Lygodium (Filicinae) in America. Feddes Repert. 89: 411-423; Lellinger, D. B. 1969. The botany of the Guayana Highland. Part VIII. Schizaeaceae (Filicales). Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 18: 5. 1969; Maxon, W. R. 1909. Schizaeaceae. N. Amer. Fl. 16: 31-52.