Monographs Details:
Authority:
Proctor, George R. 1989. Ferns of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 53: 1-389.
Proctor, George R. 1989. Ferns of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 53: 1-389.
Family:
Thelypteridaceae
Thelypteridaceae
Description:
Species Description - Rhizome woody, creeping, 5-9 mm thick (excluding stipe bases), bearing at apex (and on stipe bases) a few thin, light brown, subclathrate, minutely furcate-puberulous, lanceolate scales 1.5-2 mm long. Fronds few, slightly dimorphic (the fertile ones with longer stipes), mostly 50-100 cm long; stipes 15-45 cm long, light brown, minutely furcate-puberulous chiefly toward base. Blades oval to broadly deltate-oblong, 20-35 cm long (rarely more), 18-30 cm broad; pinnae 2-5 (-6) pairs, narrowly oblong to elliptic-linear or oblanceolate, sessile or nearly so, abruptly acuminate, 3-6 cm broad, the margins subentire to coarsely crenate; veins 6-9 pairs, the lower 3-5 adjacent ones united and giving rise to free excunent veinlets, the rest connivent below or at the sinus. Sori in double rows between costules; indusium lacking; sporangia more or less setulose.
Distribution and Ecology - General Distribution. Greater and Lesser Antilles, Tobago, Trinidad, and continental tropical America from Guatemala to Peru and Brazil. Distribution in Puerto Rico. O f wide occurrence although not so far collected in many central and westem municipios; recorded from Aguas Buenas, Aibonito, Arecibo, Bayamon, Cabo Rojo, Caguas, Cayey, Coamo, Comerio, Florida, Guayanilla, Isabela, Las Marias, Maricao, Mayagñez, Ponce, Quebradillas, Rio Grande, San Juan, Utuado, Vega Alta, Vega Baja, and Yabucoa; also Vieques. Virgin Islands. St. Croix, St. Thomas, St. John, and Tortola. Habitat. Moist shaded banks, thickets, and shady ravines, or often in groves of fruit trees, at low to middle elevations (10-700 m), common; to be expected in all areas with adequate shade and moisture.
Species Description - Rhizome woody, creeping, 5-9 mm thick (excluding stipe bases), bearing at apex (and on stipe bases) a few thin, light brown, subclathrate, minutely furcate-puberulous, lanceolate scales 1.5-2 mm long. Fronds few, slightly dimorphic (the fertile ones with longer stipes), mostly 50-100 cm long; stipes 15-45 cm long, light brown, minutely furcate-puberulous chiefly toward base. Blades oval to broadly deltate-oblong, 20-35 cm long (rarely more), 18-30 cm broad; pinnae 2-5 (-6) pairs, narrowly oblong to elliptic-linear or oblanceolate, sessile or nearly so, abruptly acuminate, 3-6 cm broad, the margins subentire to coarsely crenate; veins 6-9 pairs, the lower 3-5 adjacent ones united and giving rise to free excunent veinlets, the rest connivent below or at the sinus. Sori in double rows between costules; indusium lacking; sporangia more or less setulose.
Distribution and Ecology - General Distribution. Greater and Lesser Antilles, Tobago, Trinidad, and continental tropical America from Guatemala to Peru and Brazil. Distribution in Puerto Rico. O f wide occurrence although not so far collected in many central and westem municipios; recorded from Aguas Buenas, Aibonito, Arecibo, Bayamon, Cabo Rojo, Caguas, Cayey, Coamo, Comerio, Florida, Guayanilla, Isabela, Las Marias, Maricao, Mayagñez, Ponce, Quebradillas, Rio Grande, San Juan, Utuado, Vega Alta, Vega Baja, and Yabucoa; also Vieques. Virgin Islands. St. Croix, St. Thomas, St. John, and Tortola. Habitat. Moist shaded banks, thickets, and shady ravines, or often in groves of fruit trees, at low to middle elevations (10-700 m), common; to be expected in all areas with adequate shade and moisture.
Discussion:
Fig. 63.
Basionym. Lastrea poiteana Bory, Diet, class hist. nat. 9:233. 1825.
Type. Poiteau, from French Guiana (not seen).
Syn. Polypodium crenatum Swartz, Prodr, 132, 1788, not Forsskal, 1775, (Type. Swartz, from Jamaica, SBT; isotypes Herb. Thunb. 24478, UPS; Herb. Willd. 19682.1. 19682.2, B, photos G H, US) Plumier, Traite foug. Amer., t. Ill, also represents this species.
Goniopteris crenata K, Presl, Tent, pterid. 183. 1836, (Type, The same as for Polypodium crenatum Sw.)
Phegopteris crenata (K. Presl) Mettenius, Fil, hort, bot. Lips, 84, 1856.
Bryopteris poiteana (Bory) Urban, Symb. antill. 4: 20. 1903.
Goniopteris poiteana (Bory) Ching, Sunyatsenia 5: 239. 1940.