Asplenium cirrhatum Rich. ex Willd.

  • 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 cirrhatum Rich. ex Willd.

  • Description

    Species Description - Roots wiry, fibrous, not proliferous; rhizomes suberect or erect; rhizome scales dark brown, clathrate, ca. 4–6 x 0.4–0.6 mm, entire; fronds clumped, 20–35 cm long (including flagelliform tips); stipes dark purplish to castaneous, lustrous, 4–10 cm x 0.8– 1 mm, 1/4–1/3 of frond length, glabrous or with a few hair-like scales, not alate; blades thick-herbaceous, lanceolate, 1-pinnate, 10–25 x 3.5–6(–8.5) cm, broadest at bases or nearly so, apices with gradually smaller pinnae, ending in flagelliform tips 3–8 cm long terminated by a small bud; rachises atropurpureous to castaneous (at least proximally), lustrous, with sparse hair-like scales, lacking wings or adaxially with narrow green wings to ca. 0.2 mm; pinnae oblong, 10–15 pairs, 1.5–3(–4) x 0.6–1.2 cm, sessile, not articulate, excavate basiscopically, truncate and nonauriculate to slightly auriculate acroscopically, margins subentire to crenate, apices obtuse to acutish, sinuses to ca. 1 mm deep; veins obscure on both sides, 0–1-forked, tips prominent adaxially; indument abaxially of scattered, tan, appressed, clavate hairs 0.1–0.2 mm long; sori 3–7(–9) pairs per pinna, on both sides of midveins; indusia 2–4(–6) x 0.4–0.7 mm, margins entire to suberose; spores reniform.

  • Discussion

    Asplenium radicans L. var. cirrhatum (Rich.) Rosenst., Hedwigia 46: 102. 1906. Type. Guadeloupe. Richard s.n. (B-Willd. 19894!, microfiche UC!; frag. and tracing NY!).

    This species, with 1-pinnate blades and non-auriculate to slightly auriculate pinnae, is part of a related group of species with castaneous to atropurpureous, lustrous stipes and long, flagelliform, proliferous blade apices. This complex includes taxa that are progressively more divided, ending with the fully 3-pinnate A. uniseriale. For discussion of this complex see under A. radicans. In Mexico, Asplenium cirrhatum is most closely related to the 1-pinnate A. yelagagense (which see). Mickel and Beitel (1988) reported this species from Chiapas, but we are now unable to verify this record.

  • Distribution

    Terrestrial, in wet montane forest; 450–2200 m. Mexico; Bel, Guat, Nic, CR, Pan; Jam, PR, L Ant; Col, Ven, Ec, Peru, s Braz, Bol. Also reported from Honduras, and French Guiana by Adams (in Davidse et al., 1995). References to this species from Trinidad (Adams in Davidse et al., 1995) may pertain to A. acutiserratum (Hieron.) Mickel.

    Mexico North America| Honduras Central America| French Guiana South America| Honduras Central America| Bolivia South America| Brazil South America| Peru South America| Amazonas Ecuador South America| Venezuela South America| Amazonas Colombia South America| West Indies| Guatemala Central America| Belize Central America|