Anemia adiantifolia (L.) Sw.

  • Authority

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

  • Family

    Anemiaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Anemia adiantifolia (L.) Sw.

  • Description

    Species Description - Rhizome horizontal, creeping, ca. 2 mm diam.; rhizome hairs dark brown; fronds erect, 13-160 cm tall, 9-24 cm wide; stipe ½-2/3 the frond length, 1-1.4 mm wide, stramineous to castaneous, hirsute to glabrous; blade deltate, tripinnate, anadromous, coriaceous; pinnae 12-18 pairs, alternate to subopposite, segments oblanceolate, base cuneate, apex obtuse, margin minutely denticulate, pilose with stiff white hairs; veins free; fertile pinnae remote from the sterile pinnae, usually shorter than the sterile blade in height; spores tetrahedral, striate, ridges smooth.

  • Discussion

    Osmunda adiantifolia Linnaeus, Sp. pl. 2: 1065. 1753. Ornithopteris adiantifolia (Linnaeus) Bernhardi, Neues J. Bot. 1(2): 40. 1806 [1805]. Lectotype (chosen by Proctor, Fl. L. Antill. 2: 53. 1977). Plumier, Traité foug. Amér., t. 158. 1705, based on material from Haiti, nr. Petit Goave. Anemia carvifolia Presl, Reliq. haenk. 1: 74. 1825. Type. Mexico. Haenke (PRC?). Anemia adiantifolia (Linnaeus) Swartz var. helveola Fée, Mém. foug. 9: 41. 1857. Type. Mexico. Oaxaca: Villa Alta, Galeotti 6585 bis (P). Anemia adiantifolia (Linnaeus) Swartz var. distans Fée, Mém. foug. 9: 41. 1857. Type. Mexico. Oaxaca: Talea, Galeotti 6567 bis (P). More complete synonymy cited in Mickel (1981). This species and A. mexicana are limited to calcareous rocks and soils. Anemia adiantifolia seems to be diploid in Mexico, but Walker (1962) has found 2n, 3n, and 4n plants in Jamaica. In light of the varied numbers in several species of Anemia, other ploidy levels of A. adiantifolia might be expected in Mexico.

  • Distribution

    Open to lightly shaded, rocky slopes, often on limestone, in mesic regions; Choapan, Cuicatlán, Ejutla, Jamiltepec, Juchitán, Mixe, Sola de Vega, Tehuantepec, Tlacolula, Tuxtepec, Villa Alta; 90-1600 m. Mexico (Jal, Col, Mich, Gro, Chih, NL, SLP, Tam, Hgo, Ver, Mor, Oax, Chis, Tab, Yuc, QR); US (Fla); Guat to Pan; WI, Trin; Col, Ven, Ec, Braz.

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