Pityrogramma calomelanos (L.) Link

  • Authority

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

  • Family

    Pteridaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Pityrogramma calomelanos (L.) Link

  • Description

    Species Description - Rhizome ascending to erect, clothed at apex with dark golden-brown, narrowly lanceolate scales mostly 3-5.5 mm long, these long-filamentous at apex (a long portion one cell wide below the terminal cell). Fronds closely tufted, up to 1 m long; stipes dark lustrous reddishbrown, about as long as the blades or shorter. Blades lanceolate to oblong-deltate, 20-95 cm long, 10-30 cm broad below the middle, 2-pinnate to 2-pinnate-pinnatifid (rarely 3-pinnate); segments lanceolate to elliptic, usually at least sharp-pointed and often more or less sharply serrate or deeply incised; tissue firmly herbaceous. Sporangia numerous, often nearly concealing the undersurface ofthe pinnules; spores prominently ridged.

  • Discussion

    Basionym. Acrostichum calomelanos Linnaeus, Sp. pL 2: 1072, 1753.

    Type. LINN 1245.19, from an unknown locality.

    Syn. Gymnogramma calomelanos (Linnaeus) Kaulfuss, Enum. fil. 76. 1824.

    Ceropteris calomelanos (Linnaeus) Link, Fil. spec. 141. 1841.

    Neurogramme calomelanos (Linnaeus) Diels in Engler & Prantl, Nat. Pflanzenfam. 1(4): 264. 1899.

    Two varieties occur in Puerto Rico; these can be distinguished as follows:

    a, Abaxial powder white 4a. var. calomelanos.

    a. Abaxial powder yellow 4b. var. aureoflava.