Hymenophyllum fragile (Hedw.) C.V.Morton
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Authority
Proctor, George R. 1989. Ferns of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 53: 1-389.
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Family
Hymenophyllaceae
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Scientific Name
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Description
Species Description - Rhizome filiform, lightly clothed with delicate spreading hairs. Fronds pendent; stipes filiform, 0.5-2.5 cm long, winged at the apex only, deciduously pubescent with mixed forked and stellate hairs. Blades usually oblong-linear to linearelongate, rarely lanceolate or ovate, 3-15 cm long, 1-2(-2.5) cm broad, the rhachis broadly winged throughout. Pinnae 4-20 on a side, ascending, subflabellate, pinnatifid with few segments; ultimate segments flat, 1.5-2 mm broad; hairs of surfaces and veins all stellate and short-stalked, those of the margins bistellate with very short stalks (ca. 0.1 mm long). Sori chiefly terminating segments on apical half of blade, narrower than the segments, ca. 1 mm broad, the valves broader than long, rounded at apex and densely stellatepilose, also ciliate with stellate hairs.
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Discussion
Basionym. Trichomanes fragile Hedwig Fil. gen. sp., t. 18. 1802.
Type. Hedwig, Gen. fil., t. 18, based on material from "America meridionale."
Syn, Hymenophyllum hirsutum of Jenman, Bull. Bot. Dept. Jamaica no. 18: 6. 1890, not Swartz, 1802.
General Distribution. Greater Antilles and continental tropical America from Mexico to Bolivia and Brazil. Distribution in Puerto Rico. Known from but three collections in the Cordillera Central. Ciales: Upper SE slopes and summit of Cerro Rosa, Proctor 44605 (SJ); Jayuya: N W ridge of Monte Jayuya, Proctor 40364 (SJ, US); Ponce: Along headwaters of Rio Inabon above high falls. Proctor 40082 (IJ, NY, SJ, US). Habitat. Mossy tree-trunks, moist sheltered ledges and shaded vertical cliffs at high elevations (1120-1300 m), very rare.
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Distribution
México Mexico North America| Bolivia South America| Brazil South America| Puerto Rico South America|