Trichomanes crispum L.

  • Authority

    Proctor, George R. 1989. Ferns of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 53: 1-389.

  • Family

    Hymenophyllaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Trichomanes crispum L.

  • Description

    Species Description - Rhizome short, decumbent to erect, ca. 4-5 mm thick, densely clothed with stiflf, lustrous, dark brown hairs. Fronds fasciculate, usually erect, 7-30 cm long (rarely more), clothed throughout on vascular parts and margins with spreading, simple, flexuous, pluricellular, rusty hairs; stipes 2-12 cm long. Blades lance-oblong to narrowly deltate-lanceolate, 5-25 cm long, 2.5-6 cm broad, deeply pinnatifid (or fully pinnate at base), gradually narrowed distally to the blunt apex, slightly reduced at base, the lowest pinnae or segments often somewhat reflexed; rhachis becoming winged distally; segments up to 25 or more pairs, spreading, close or slightly overlapping to distinctly apart, narrowly to broadly oblong, 5-10 mm broad, constricted but partly adnate at base, obtuse at apex, the margins subentire; veins obhque, 1- to 3-forked; tissue firmly m e m branous, pellucid, often crispate (in South America crispate or mflfled forms have been called T. cristatum Kaulfuss; similar forms have been found in Puerto Rico). Sori apical on middle and distal segments, mostly 1-6 per segment; involucres immersed, cylindric, slightly flaring at the slightly bilobed mouth, glabrous; receptacle becoming very long-exserted.

    Distribution and Ecology - General Distribution. Greater and Lesser Antilles, Trinidad, and continental tropical America from southem Mexico to Colombia, Venezuela, and Brazil, Distribution in Puerto Rico. Widely scattered over the island in suitable habitats; recorded from Bayamon, Cayey, Isabela, Lares, Naguabo, Rio Grande, San Sebastian, and Utuado, T o be expected in many more localities. Habitat. In moss or humus on tree-tmnks, rotten logs, stumps, or rarely on shaded banks, at low to rather high elevations (200-945 m), frequent but nowhere common.

  • Discussion

    Lectotype. Plumier, Traite foug. Amer., t. 86, based on material from M o m e de la Calebasse, Martinique.

    Syn. Trichomanes badium Foumier, Bull. Soc. Bot. France 15: 144, 147, 148. 1868, (Lectotype. Wright 900, from Cuba, P, isolectotypes GH, US.)

    Ptilophyllum crispum (Linnaeus) Prantl, Unters. Morph. Gefasskrypt. 1: 47. 1875.