Asplenium harpeodes Kunze

  • 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 harpeodes Kunze

  • Description

    Species Description - Roots wiry and thin, fibrous, not proliferous; rhizomes suberect; rhizome scales brown, clathrate, tips long-attenuate, 6–10 mm long, margins with occasional teeth; fronds clumped, arching or pendent, (25–)35–70(–100) cm long; stipes castaneous to black, dull or sublustrous, 7–16 cm x 1–2 mm, 1/10 of frond length, glabrous, without wings; blades thin-chartaceous, 1-pinnate with a non-radicant, pinnatifid apices, (25–)40–70(– 90) x 6–12 cm, proximal pinnae deflexed, linear; rachises castaneous to black, lustrous, glabrous, with narrow wings 0.2–0.3 mm wide; pinnae lanceolate, falcate, over 30 pairs, (3–)4.5–7x 0.8–1.5 cm, sessile, basal basiscopic margins cuneate and excavate, apices long-attenuate, distal 1/3–1/2 of pinnae less than 3 mm wide, margins serrate, sinuses 1–3 mm deep; veins mostly simple except for proximal portion of pinnae, vein tips evident adaxially; indument apparently absent, blades essentially glabrous; sori (8–)10–15 pairs per pinna (usually none on basal, forked veins), on both sides of midveins; indusia 2–4 x 0.2–0.5 mm, margins entire; spores reniform.

  • Discussion

    Asplenium erectum Bory var. harpeodes (Kunze) Mett., Abh. Senckenberg. Naturf. Ges. 3: 166. 1859. Lectotype (chosen by Morton & Lellinger, 1966: 15). Mexico. Leibold 26 (B!-2 sheets, photo US!; isolectotype P!).

    Asplenium pendulum Fe´e, Me´m. Foug. 5: 196. 1852. Type. Mexico. Veracruz: Galeotti 6407 (P?; isotype BR!).

    Asplenium donnell-smithii Christ, Bot. Gaz. 20: 544. 1895. Type. Guatemala. Dept. Quiche: Heyde & Lux s.n. [Donn. Sm. 4678] (P?; isotype US!, frag. NY!).

    This is most similar to A. miradorense and A. potosinum, differing in its epiphytic habit, darker and more lustrous stipes and rachises, and falcate, less deeply serrate, more attenuate pinnae. From A. pteropus and A. pseuderectum, A. harpeodes differs in its non-alate rachises, or rachises adaxially narrowly winged (vs. laterally and broadly winged in A. pteropus and A. pseuderectum).

  • Distribution

    Epiphytic in wet forests; (1000–)1600–2800 m. Mexico; Guat, Hond, Salv, Nic, CR, Pan; Jam, Hisp; Col, Ven, Guy, Ec, Peru, s Braz, Bol. Reported from Nicaragua by Gómez (1976); also reported from French Guiana by Adams (in Davidse et al., 1995).

    Mexico North America| Guatemala Central America| Honduras Central America| El Salvador Central America| Nicaragua Central America| Costa Rica South America| Panama Central America| Jamaica South America| West Indies| Colombia South America| Venezuela South America| Guyana South America| Ecuador South America| Peru South America| Brazil South America| Bolivia South America| Nicaragua Central America|