Authority:

Maguire, Bassett. 1969. The botany of the Guayana Highland-part VIII. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 18: 1-290.

Family:

Lygodiaceae

Description:

Genus Description - Rhizomes creeping, branched, hairy, the hairs somewhat moniliform, concolorous, stiff, blackish; stipes flexuous and twining, terete, stramineous except brown at base, hairy like the rhizomes at base, the distal hairs brown and lax; laminae bipinnate to tripinnate, indefinitely elongate; pinnae alternate, bearing two pseudodichotomously arranged pinnules and an abortive bud terminal on a long to short, elaminate stalk; pinnules usually lanceolate to ovate; ultimate segments plane, entire, serrate, or incised, linear or linear-lanceolate to ovate, sometimes lobed at the base, glabrous or hairy; veins free or casually anastomosing; sorophores the marginal lobes of the ultimate segments; sori dorsal in two rows on the sorophores; sporangia strongly curved, solitary and terminal on pinnate branches of the principal sorophore vein; indusia highly modified, scalelike, antrorse folds of the sorophore surface.

Distribution and Ecology - About 10 species in the New World and 30 in the Old World, mostly in the tropics, with outliers in N e w Zealand, South Africa, the United States, and Japan.

Discussion:

Ramondia Mirbel, Bull. Soc. Philom. Paris 2: 179, t. 12, f. 3. Feb-Mar 1801. Lectotype. Ophioglossum flexuosum L. [= Lygodium flextiosiim (L.) Swartz].

Ugena Cav., Ic. Descr. PI. 6: 73. Oct 1801, nom rej. Lectotype. U. semihastata Cav. [=Lygodium auriculalum (Willd.) Alst. (see Alston and Holttum, Reinwardtia 5: 76. 1959)].

Odontopteris Bernh., Jour. Bot. Schrad. 1800(2): 127, t. 2, f. 4. Nov-Dec 1801. Type. Ophioglossum scandens L. [^Lygodium flexuosum (L.) Swartz].

Gisopteris Bernh., Jour. Bot. Schrad. 1800(2): 129, t. 2, f. 1. Nov-Dec 1801. Type. G. palmata Bernh. [= Lygodium palmatum (Bernh.) Swartz].

Hydroglossum Willd., Abhandl. Kurfiirst. Mainz akad. Nutzl. Wiss. Erfurt 2(4): 13, 20. 1802. Lectotype. Ophioglossum scandens L.

Cteisium Michx., Fl. Bor. Am. 2: 275. 1803. Type C. paniculatum Michx. [=Lygodium palmatum (Bernh.) Swartz.]

Vallifiliz Thouars in Roemer, Gen. Nov. Madag. 1 1808. Type. Ophioglossum scandens L.

Lygodictyon J. Smith in Hook, Gen. Fil. T. 111B. 1842. Type. L forsteri J. Smith (=Lygodium reticulatum Schkuhr)

Type. Ophioglossum scandens L. [= Lygodium flexuosum (L.) Swartz (see Alston and Holttum, Reinwardtia 5: 12, 13. 1959)].