Asplenium divaricatum Kunze

  • Authority

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

  • Family

    Aspleniaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Asplenium divaricatum Kunze

  • Description

    Species Description - Rhizome erect; rhizome scales black, clathrate but lumina small, often occluded, linear-lanceolate, 0.8-1(-1.5) mm long, 0.5 mm wide; fronds clumped; stipe 1-2(-8) cm long, ca. 1/10(-1/3) the frond length, dull reddish-brown to grayish-green, glabrous, grooved, finely winged; blade 10-25 cm long, 3.5-10 cm wide, tripinnate, elliptical, tapered at base, tip elongate, non-conform, nonproliferous; rachis dull, reddish-brown to grayish-green, glabrous, wings narrow (0.1 mm wide); pinnae 10-20 pairs, sessile to short-petiolate, membranaceous; segments obovate to elliptical, slightly narrowed at base, apex acute, pinnules towards apex of pinnae slightly narrowed at base, non-falcate; sori linear, 1-1.5(-2) mm long; indusia 0.5-0.8 mm wide, entire.

  • Discussion

    Type. Peru. Cerro de San Cristóbal, prope Cassapi, Poeppig [1151] (isotypes B!, NY!, P!, W). The Asplenium myriophyllum complex is in need of biosystematic study in the neotropics from Florida to South America. The Oaxacan material appears to differ from A. myriophyllum (Swartz) Presl of the West Indies (type from Jamaica, Swartz s.n. holotype S, isotype B-Willd. 19859, photo NY!), which is conspecific with A. monteverdense Hooker (1860, type from Cuba, Wright 1029, holotype K!, isotypes B!, NY!, US!). Mexican and Central American material has gone under the names A. myriophyllum and A. monteverdense as well as A. divaricatum. A. R. Smith (1981) considered this Mexican taxon to be distinct from A. divaricatum, but our material, although somewhat larger, resembles Peruvian A. divaricatum closely. Asplenium verecundum Chapman of Florida may be conspecific with A. divaricatum. It hybridizes in Florida with A. abscissum to form A. x curtissii Underwood. See discussion under A. cristatum and A. rutaceum for differences from those taxa.

  • Distribution

    Epipetric (on limestone) and terrestrial; Choapan, Ixtlán, Teotitlán; 1300-2450 m. Mexico (Ver, Oax, Chis); Guat to Pan; Ven & Col to Peru.

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