Ctenitis equestris (Kunze) Ching

• Authority

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

• Family

  Dryopteridaceae

• Scientific Name

  Ctenitis equestris (Kunze) Ching

• Description

  Species Description - Rhizome erect, stout; rhizome scales 8-15 mm long, 0.8-1.5 mm wide, concolorous, tan to castaneous, linear, entirfronds clumped; stipe stramineous to greenish, densely to deciduously clothed with ovate to linear-lanceolate scales, large tuft of long scales at base, distally less pointed, mostly lanceolate, clathrate, black-walled in middle with edge pale, 3-6 mm long; blade deltate or ovate, mostly bipinnate-pinnatifid (tri-pinnate-pinnatifid at base), to 60 cm wide, basal pinna pair exaggerated basiscopically; pinnules pinnately lobed (with lobes slightly ascending), lobes entire to crenulate; scales of upper stipe continuing on all axes, especially concentrated at forkings; costae adaxially with dense ctenitoid hairs 0.1-0.3 mm long, abaxially with scattered, dark clathrate scales, 1-2 mm long, 0.3-0.5 mm wide and scattered to dense ctenitoid hairs 0.1 mm long; pinnae adaxially with rare ctenitoid hairs 0.1-0.3 mm long on midrib, abaxially with very rare ctenitoid hairs 0.1 mm long on midrib, margins ciliate with ctenitoid hairs 0.1-0.3 mm long; veins reaching margin; sori exindusiate or with small, caducous indusia.

• Discussion

  Aspidium equestre Kunze, Linnaea 18: 347. 1844. Dryopteris equestris (Kunze) Christensen, Kongel. Danske Vidensk. Selsk. Skr., Naturvidensk. Afd. VIII, 6: 54. 1920. Type. Mexico. Leibold 42 (isotype B!). Among the bipinnate-pinnatifid species of Ctenitis, the brownish rhizome scales, non-bullate, dark, clathrate, costal scales and veins reaching the ciliate pinna margin distinguish C. equestris.