Asplenium sessilifolium Desv.

  • 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 sessilifolium Desv.

  • Description

    Species Description - Rhizome erect; rhizome scales ovate-lanceolate to linear-lanceolate, black to dark brown, clathrate, 2-3(-5) mm long, 1-1.3 mm wide, with occasional teeth; fronds clumped; stipe 6-7 cm long, 1/6-¼ the frond length, dark reddish-brown, dull, with scattered scales at base, wings narrow (0.1 mm wide); blade 40-50 cm long, 2.5-4 cm wide, pinnate-pinnatifid, pinnatifid at apex, often terminating in small scaly bud, linear-lanceolate, reduced at base, short-petiolate 2-6 cm; rachis castaneous, glabrous, wings narrow (0.1 mm wide); pinnae 22-50 pairs, sessile (less than 1 mm petiolulate), the most developed with a single oval or flabellate, nearly free superior basal segment, bicrenately toothed, crenate-serrate towards tip, apex acute to acuminate, membranaceous to chartaceous, glabrous; hydathodes prominent; sori 2-6 pairs, 0-3 on superior basal segment; indusia 1.5-3.5 mm long, 0.5-0.8 mm wide, entire.

  • Discussion

    Type. “America equinoctali.” Collector not stated (P!, photo BM; isotype B!). Asplenium sessilifolium Desvaux var. guatemalense Hieronymus, Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 34: 461. 1904. Syntypes. Guatemala. Lehmann 1480 (B!, frag. NY!; isosyntype BM), Heyde & Lux s.n. [Donnell-Smith 4670 (B!), 4671 (B!)]; Costa Rica. Wendland 710 (B!). A. potosinum Hieronymus var. incisum Hieronymus, Hedwigia 60: 247. 1918. Type. Mexico. San Luis Potosí: Tamasopo Canyon, Pringle 3968 (B!; isotypes K!, LE, NY!—2 sheets). Asplenium sessilifolium, a very widespread species in America, is intermediate in dissection between two rare species of western Mexico, A. hesperium (once-pinnate) and A. munchii (bipinnate-pinnatifid to tripinnate). The three belong to a natural group that probably includes also A. potosinum and A. bradeorum. See A. hesperium for further discussion of the complex.

  • Distribution

    Terrestrial or epiphytic in wet montane and cloud forests; Centro, Ixtlán, Mixe, Teotitlán; 1850-2700 m. Mexico (Sin, Dgo, Jal, Mex, SLP, Hgo, Ver, Pue, Oax, Chis); Guat to CR; Col to Peru.

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