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:
Polypodiaceae
Polypodiaceae
Description:
Species Description - Rhizome short-creeping, 5-8 mm thick, enveloped in a mass of brovm-tomentose rootlets, toward apex bearing appressed-imbricate, gray-brown, clathrate, ovate-oblong or broadly ovate scales 2-6 mm long, these mostly acute to acuminate at apex. Fronds densely clustered, nearly sessile or with a short, stout, subquadrangular stipe, the green margins passing gradually upward into the long-decunent blade. Blades ligulate, narrowly oblong-linear, or lance-linear, mostly 30-120 cm long, 4-8 cm broad near the middle, sharply acute or rarely obtuse at apex, the margins entire and narrowly cartilaginous; primary veins oblique, prominent abaxially, connected by arching cross-veins forming areoles mostly with two or three included free veinlets, one of these often prolonged and joined to the next higher cross-vein, thus forming secondary areoles. Sori 2-seriate between the primary veins, located on free areolar veinlets below the tips.
Distribution and Ecology - General Distribution. Florida, Bahamas, Greater Antilles, Cayman Islands, Virgin Islands, Lesser Antilles, Tobago, Trinidad, and continental tropical America from Mexico to Uruguay. Distribution in Puerto Rico. Of very wide occunence; recorded from Aguas Buenas, Aibonito, Arecibo, Barranquitas, Cabo Rojo, Caguas, Comerio, Isabela, Juana Diaz, Lares, Loiza, Manati, Maricao, Quebradillas, Vega Alta, and Yabucoa; also Vieques. Virgin Islands. St. Croix, St. Thomas, St. John, and Tortola. Habitat. On trees, rocky banks, boulders, and shaded cliflfs at low to rather high elevations (sea-level- 950 m), common.
Species Description - Rhizome short-creeping, 5-8 mm thick, enveloped in a mass of brovm-tomentose rootlets, toward apex bearing appressed-imbricate, gray-brown, clathrate, ovate-oblong or broadly ovate scales 2-6 mm long, these mostly acute to acuminate at apex. Fronds densely clustered, nearly sessile or with a short, stout, subquadrangular stipe, the green margins passing gradually upward into the long-decunent blade. Blades ligulate, narrowly oblong-linear, or lance-linear, mostly 30-120 cm long, 4-8 cm broad near the middle, sharply acute or rarely obtuse at apex, the margins entire and narrowly cartilaginous; primary veins oblique, prominent abaxially, connected by arching cross-veins forming areoles mostly with two or three included free veinlets, one of these often prolonged and joined to the next higher cross-vein, thus forming secondary areoles. Sori 2-seriate between the primary veins, located on free areolar veinlets below the tips.
Distribution and Ecology - General Distribution. Florida, Bahamas, Greater Antilles, Cayman Islands, Virgin Islands, Lesser Antilles, Tobago, Trinidad, and continental tropical America from Mexico to Uruguay. Distribution in Puerto Rico. Of very wide occunence; recorded from Aguas Buenas, Aibonito, Arecibo, Barranquitas, Cabo Rojo, Caguas, Comerio, Isabela, Juana Diaz, Lares, Loiza, Manati, Maricao, Quebradillas, Vega Alta, and Yabucoa; also Vieques. Virgin Islands. St. Croix, St. Thomas, St. John, and Tortola. Habitat. On trees, rocky banks, boulders, and shaded cliflfs at low to rather high elevations (sea-level- 950 m), common.
Discussion:
Fig. 95.
Lectotype. Plumier, Descr. pl. Amer., t. 38 (=Traite foug. Amer., t. 130), chosen by Proctor (1977: 341), based on material from the "Antilles" without precise locality. Authentic Plumier specimens exist: Herb. Surian 273, P; Herb. Jussieu 1071-D, P.
Syn. Campyloneurum phyllitidis (Linnaeus) K. Presl, Tent, pterid. 190, /. 7, figs. 18-20. 1836.
Cyrtophlebium phyllitidis (Linnaeus) J. Smith, J. Bot, (Hooker) 4: 58, 1841.