Ctenitis nigrovenia (Christ) Copel.

  • Authority

    Mickel, John T. & Smith, Alan R. 2004. The pteridophytes of Mexico. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 88: 1-1054.

  • Family

    Dryopteridaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Ctenitis nigrovenia (Christ) Copel.

  • Description

    Species Description - Rhizomes short-creeping to suberect, caudices 1.5-3 cm diam.; fronds clumped or somewhat spaced, 50-100 cm long; stipes stramineous to tan, 1/4-1/2 the frond length, 15-30 cm x 2-3 mm, bases with spreading to lax brown scales 4-5 x 1-2 mm, distally the scales becoming somewhat inrolled, clathrate, 1-2 mm long, underlain with dense glandular hairs; blades green, pinnatepinnatisect, ovate, 30-50 x 16 -24 cm; rachises abaxially with scattered dark brown clathrate scales mostly 0.5-2 mm long; pinnae 10-15 pairs, the proximal ones stalked to 3 mm, 10-15 x 1.5-3 cm, deeply incised to about 1 mm from costae, broadest in the middle, usually somewhat narrowed at their bases; segments crenulate, slightly falcate, acute to sometimes apiculate at the apices, margins eciliate; veins simple, ending at the margins (or nearly so), in small teeth, above the sinuses; indument on costae abaxially of scattered dark brown, flat or basally inrolled scales 0.8-2 mm long, costae also with appressed to spreading, yellowish glandular hairs 0.1-0.2 mm; laminae between veins with scattered yellowish to tan glandular hairs 0.1-0.3 mm long on laminae (also with similar glandular hairs on veins) adaxially glabrous, margins eciliate; sori medial, exindusiate, but often with yellowish, glandular hairs (paraphyses) arising from receptacles.

  • Discussion

    Nephrodium nigrovenium Christ in Donnell Smith, Bot. Gaz. 20: 545. 1895. Dryopteris nigrovenia (Christ) C. Chr., Index Filic. 279. 1905. Type. Honduras. Santa Ba´rbara: San Pedro Sula, Thieme s.n. [Donn. Sm. 5646] (P!; isotype US!).

    Among the pinnate-pinnatifid species in Mexico, the combination of veins reaching the margins and the lack of marginal hairs will distinguish Ctenitis nigrovenia. These characters are also found in C. thelypteroides and C. baulensis, which see for differences. Breedlove 42648 (DS, MEXU), from Chiapas, is atypical in having eglandular costae and blade tissue abaxially, costal scales less abruptly tapered into hair-like tips, and more deeply incised pinnae. In its scales and glabrous blades it is more like C. baulensis.

  • Distribution

    Terrestrial in wet montane forests; 50-120 m. Mexico; Guat, Hond, Salv (Seiler 817, NY), CR, Pan; Col, Ven, Peru, Bol. Also cited from Nicaragua by Moran (in Davidse et al., 1995).

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