Thelypteris kunthii (Desv.) C.V.Morton

  • Authority

    Proctor, George R. 1989. Ferns of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 53: 1-389.

  • Family

    Thelypteridaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Thelypteris kunthii (Desv.) C.V.Morton

  • Description

    Species Description - Rhizome creeping, 4-8 mm thick (excluding stipe bases), clothed at apex with light brown, lance-linear or narrowly lanceolate-attenuate scales 4-7 mm long, these ciliate and with scattered minute hairs on surfaces; similar scales on stipe bases. Fronds closely distichous, mostly 35-90 cm long; stipes shorter than the blades, 11-40(-45) cm long, glabrate to sparsely pubescent. Blades lance-oblong to broadly ovate-oblong, up to 60 cm long, 10-25 cm broad, acuminate at apex, very slightly narrowed at base, the lowest pinnae often deflexed at an angle to the plane of the blade; rhachis and other vascular parts hirtellous on adaxial side, the whole underside whitish- pilose and minutely capitate-glandular; pinnae linear-attenuate, 0.8-2 cm broad, sessile, pinnatifid; segments more or less oblong-falcate, acute, the basal ones not or but slightly enlarged with slightly crenate margins, but never auriculate; veins 8-10 pairs, simple. Sori medial; indusium light brown, persistent, densely hairy; sporangial stalks often with minute stipitate glands.

  • Discussion

    Fig. 60.

    Basionym. Nephrodium kunthii Desvaux, Mem. Soc. Linn. Paris 6: 258. 1827.

    Lectotype. Humboldt & Bonpland, from Cumanacoa, Caripe, Venezuela (P-Humboldt Herb., cited by A. R. Smith, 1981).

    Syn. Nephrodium patens of Jenman, Bull. Bot. Dept. Jamaica n.s. 3: 165. 1896; Fems Brit. W . Ind. 240. 1908, not Desvaux, 1827; not Polypodium patens Swartz, 1788.

    Bryopteris normalis C. Christensen, Ark. Bot. 9(11): 31. 1910. (Lectotype. Jenman, from Jamaica, NY, chosen by A. R. Smith, 1971.)

    Thelypteris normalis (C. Christensen) Moxley, Bull. S. Calif Acad. Sci. 19: 57. 1920.

    Filix-mas augescens var. normalis (C. Christensen) Farwell, Amer. Midi. Nat, 12: 253, 1931.

    Southeastem United States, Bahamas, Greater Antilles, Cayman Islands, Lesser Antilles (rare), southeastem Mexico and Central America, a few scattered localities in northem South America. Distribution in Puerto Rico. Of wide occurrence; recorded from Aibonito, Arecibo, Bayamon, Ciales, Coamo, Corozal, Guayanilla, Hatillo, Lares, Mayagñez, Quebradillas, San Sebastian, Toa Alta, Vega Alta, Vega Baja, and Yauco. To be expected in all municipios. Virgin Islands. St. Thomas and Tortola. Habitat. Roadside banks and ditches, pastures, forest clearings, and among stones beside Streams and rivers, at low to middle elevations (10-400 m), locally common.

  • Distribution

    Tortola Virgin Islands South America| Saint Thomas Virgin Islands of the United States South America| Virgin Islands South America| United States of America North America| Bahamas South America| Cayman Islands South America| West Indies| México Mexico North America| Central America| Puerto Rico South America| Aibonito Puerto Rico South America| Arecibo Puerto Rico South America| Bayamón Puerto Rico South America| Ciales Puerto Rico South America| Coamo Puerto Rico South America| Corozal Belize Central America| Guayanilla Puerto Rico South America| San Sebastián Costa Rica Central America| Toa Alta Puerto Rico South America| Vega Alta Puerto Rico South America| Vega Baja Puerto Rico South America| Yauco Puerto Rico South America|