Monographs Details:
Authority:
Mickel, John T. & Smith, Alan R. 2004. The pteridophytes of Mexico. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 88: 1-1054.
Mickel, John T. & Smith, Alan R. 2004. The pteridophytes of Mexico. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 88: 1-1054.
Family:
Lygodiaceae
Lygodiaceae
Description:
Genus Description - Plants with climbing, twining fronds; rhizomes shortcreeping, hairy; stipes and rachises wiry, stramineous to brown, rachises twining, of indefinite growth; pinna axes short with dormant apices and two lateral pinnules, these sometimes x 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; x = 29, 30.
Genus Description - Plants with climbing, twining fronds; rhizomes shortcreeping, hairy; stipes and rachises wiry, stramineous to brown, rachises twining, of indefinite growth; pinna axes short with dormant apices and two lateral pinnules, these sometimes x 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; x = 29, 30.
Discussion:
Type: Lygodium scandens (L.) Sw. [= Ophioglossum scandens L.] = Lygodium flexuosum (L.) Sw. For further synonymy, see Lellinger, Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 18: 5. 1969
Lygodium comprises about 25 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. It has traditionally been placed with Anemia, Mohria, Schizaea, and Actinostachys in the Schizaeaceae, and this placement has been supported by molecular data (Hasebe et al., 1995; Pryer et al., 1995).