Adiantum andicola Liebm.

  • Authority

    Mickel, John T. & Beitel, Joseph M. 1988. Pteridophyte Flora of Oaxaca, Mexico. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 46: 1-580.

  • Family

    Pteridaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Adiantum andicola Liebm.

  • Description

    Species Description - Rhizome horizontal, compact to long-creeping, 2-3 mm diam. (plus leaf bases); rhizome scales dark castaneous (at apex) to mostly black, linear-lanceolate, entire, 1-1.5 mm long, 0.1-0.3 mm wide; fronds 23-70 cm long, clumped (to slightly apart); stipes ½-1/3 the frond length, atropurpureous, glabrous, lustrous; blade 3-5 times pinnate at base, broadly ovate; pinnae 4-8 compound pairs, alternate, stalked; segments ob-ovate to rhombic, narrowly (to broadly) cuneate at base, articulate, tiny (4 mm long, 4 mm wide) to large (22 mm long, 25 mm wide), margin incised-lobate; upper surface glabrous; lower surface glabrous, often glaucous, with or without dense covering of large, easily visible papillae; veins ending in teeth (when teeth are present); sori 1-2 per lobe; indusia 1-2 mm long, reniform, glabrous; spores tan.

  • Discussion

    Type. Mexico. Oaxaca: Cerro de Sempoaltepec, Liebmann [Pl. Mex. 2203, Fl. Mex. 434] (C!). Adiantum cuneatum var. angustifolium Martens & Galeotti, Mém. foug. Mexique 70. 1842. Lectotype (chosen by C. V. Morton, Contr. U.S. Natl. Herb. 38: 216. 1973). Mexico. Veracruz: “Pic d’Orizaba,” Galeotti 6266 (BR!). Adiantum tenerum Swartz var. dissectum Martens & Galeotti, Mém. foug. Mexique 71. 1842. Type. Mexico. “Oaxaca”: Galeotti 6361 (BR!). Adiantum amabile Liebmann, Mexic. bregn. 265 (seors. 113). 1849. Type. Mexico. Oaxaca: “Inter Tonaguia et Roayaga,” Liebmann [PI. Mex. 2206, FI. Mex. 430, 826] (C!). Lectotype (chosen by A. R. Smith, 1981). Liebmann [FI. Mex. 826]. Adiantum glaucophyllum Hooker, Sp. fil. 2: 40. 1851. Lectotype (chosen by Lellinger, Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash. 89: 704. 1977). Panama. Veraguas, Seemann s.n. (K!). Adiantum andicola is most likely made up of several species and is in need of monographic study. The papillate nature of the segments in some variants has apparently been overlooked. There is considerable variation in this species in segment size, shape and dissection, and rhizome form (compact to long-creeping). There is some correlation between segment size and papilla size, at least in the fronds with large papillae. The several variations lumped together here have in common the dark rhizome scales (not found in other species with articulate segments) and laminar papillae of medium length (visible but not longer than wide). Maxon and Morton’s unpublished A. hintonii belongs here as well as a particularly extreme form with incised segments. This variant ranges from Guatemala to Panama. Another extreme with numerous, small, narrow segments, and large papillae (longer than wide) on the leaf undersurface, appears to be localized in the Oaxacan districts of Ixtlán (3727. 5314, 5541b, 7024), Mixe (4689, 4840, Hallberg 1810), Villa Alta (904), and in Veracruz (Ventura-A. 4024 (NY)). The others, with small or no papillae, range over the entire state and have small to large segments.

  • Distribution

    Terrestrial, in moist, oak or pine-oak forests at middle to high elevations; Centro, Cuicatlán, Etla, Ixtlán, Juquila, Miahuatlán, Mixe, Pochutla, Tehuantepec, Teotitlán, Tlacolula, Tlaxiaco, Villa Alta; 1200-2950 m. Mexico (Hal, Mich, Gro, Mor, Mex, DF, SLP, Hgo, Ver, Pue, Oax, Chis); Guat to Pan.

    Mexico North America| Panama Central America| Guatemala Central America|