Asplenium auriculatum Sw.

  • Authority

    Mickel, John T. & Smith, Alan R. 2004. The pteridophytes of Mexico. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 88: 1-1054.

  • Family

    Aspleniaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Asplenium auriculatum Sw.

  • Description

    Species Description - Roots fibrous, proliferous; rhizomes erect; rhizome scales orange-brown, clathrate, 3–4 x 1–2 mm, with golden hairs 0.8–2 mm long; fronds clumped 8–30(–40) cm long; stipes gray-green or brownish green, dull, (2–)8–12 cm x 0.8–1.2 mm, 1/5–1/2 of frond length, glabrous except for a few scales at bases, narrowly green-alate; blades thick-herbaceous, 3.5–9 cm wide, 1-pinnate with pinnatifid nonproliferous apices; rachises greenish, glabrous, narrowly alate with wings 0.1–0.3 mm wide; pinnae lanceolate, 8–14 pairs, 18–40 x 7–15 mm, stalked 1.5–2 mm, inequilateral, basal acroscopic auricles often overlapping the rachises, apices acuminate, tips acuminate to obtuse, coarsely toothed, crenate, or bicrenate, 10–20 teeth on acroscopic margins, incisions 1–2(– 3) mm deep; veins obscure, simple or 1-forked at the acroscopic base, tips evident adaxially; indument seemingly absent, or of sparse, appressed, tan hairs 0.1 mm long; sori 4–6 pairs per pinna, on both sides of midribs; indusia 5–6 x 0.8–1 mm, margins entire or with scarious fringe; spores reniform; 2n=144 (Oax).

  • Discussion

    Asplenium salicifolium L. var. auriculatum (Sw.) Proctor, Fl. Lesser Antill. 2: 321. 1977. Type. Brazil. Minas Gerais: Rio de Sao Francisco, Freyreis s.n. (S; isotypes BM, BR).

    Asplenium semicordatum Raddi, Pl. Bras. 1: 36, t. 52, f. 1. 1825. Type. Brazil. Rio de Janeiro, Raddi s.n. (isotypes FI, FI-WEBB).

    Asplenium pimpinellifolium Fe´e & Schaffner ex Fe´e, Me´m. Foug. 7: 52, t. 25, f. 5. 1857. Type. Mexico. [Veracruz:] Huatusco, 1854, Schaffner 50 (P!; isotype K!).

    This species is closely related to A. salicifolium, from which it differs by the smaller fronds and pinnae, 1-forked veins, fewer acroscopic teeth (10–20), and fewer sori (4–6 pairs) per pinna. Both species have long golden hairs on the rhizome apices and sometimes on the stipe base scales, and they differ from other Mexican Aspleniums in this character. Proctor (1977, 1985) included A. auriculatum as a variety of A. salicifolium. Asplenium auriculatum is extremely variable: the pinnae are slender to broad, apices long-acuminate to obtuse, fronds long to short, blades thin to fleshy, small to large. It propagates vegetatively by root buds, so populations are nearly uniform. Gonza´lez-E. et al. 649 (XAL), from Chiapas, and Lorence 4099 (ENCB, NY), from Oaxaca, are large forms of this species, in size approaching A. salicifolium, but the high elevation (2500 m) and lack of pronounced basal acroscopic auricles suggest that they are both A. auriculatum. Asplenium hastatum Klotzsch ex Kunze (Linnaea 23: 235, 305. 1850), based on a cultivated specimen from Venezuela, differs from A. auriculatum in the larger, more equilateral pinnae and broader rachis wings (see Morton & Lellinger, 1966).

  • Distribution

    Epiphytic, epipetric or terrestrial in wet forests; 250-2800 m. Mexico; Guat, Hond, Salv, Nic, CR, Pan; Gr Ant, Guadeloupe; Col, Ven, Trin, Guy?, Ec, Peru, Braz, Bol. Adams (in Davidse et al., 1995) also reported Paraguay in the range.

    Mexico North America| Paraguay South America| Bolivia South America| Brazil South America| Peru South America| Amazonas Ecuador South America| Guyana South America| Trinidad and Tobago South America| Venezuela South America| Colombia South America| Guadeloupe South America| West Indies| Panama Central America| Costa Rica South America| Nicaragua Central America| El Salvador Central America| Honduras Central America| Guatemala Central America|