Thelypteris sclerophylla (Poepp. ex Spreng.) 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 sclerophylla (Poepp. ex Spreng.) C.V.Morton

  • Description

    Species Description - Rhizome decumbent or ascending, 5-7 mm thick (excluding stipe bases), at apex bearing a tuft of dark brown, lustrous, linear-lanceolate scales 6-15 mm long, these lightly puberulous with scattered simple and forked hairs. Fronds few, 34-50 cm long; stipes pale brown, 6-18 cm long, minutely and densely stellate-puberulous. Blades lanceolate, narrowly ovate, or ovate-elliptic, 20-35 cm long, 10-15 cm broad, shortly acuminate at the pinnatifid apex, slightly narrowed to tapering at base; rhachis and costae minutely and densely stellate-puberulous on both sides, likewise (but much less densely) the costules, veins, and tissue surface, the whole blade somewhat grayish-green and of harsh texture. Pinnae mostly 15-23 pairs, altemate, linear to narrowly oblong-deltate, slightly falcate, acutish to acuminate at apex, essentially truncate at base, the lower ones short-stalked, the margins lobed about halfway or a little more to the costa, the lobes oblong or nanowly deltate, obtuse or acutish at apex, the margins entire to crenulate; veins 6-9 pairs, mostly simple, pale and prominulous abaxially, all free except the lowest pairs of adjacent lobes either connivent at the sinus or else joined in the tissue and sending an excunent veinlet to the sinus. Sori supramedial; indusium distinct, stellate-pubemlous; sporangia relatively few, glabrous.

  • Discussion

    Basionym. Aspidium sclerophyllum Poeppig ex Sprengel in Linnaeus, Syst. veg. ed. 16, 4: 99. 1827.

    Type. Poeppig s.n., from Cuba (isotype B).

    Syn. Aspidium dissidens Mettenius, Abh. Senckenberg. Naturf, Ges, 2: 400 {no. 275-b). 1858. (Type. Balbis, from Puerto Rico, not seen.)

    Nephrodium dissidens (Mettenius), Hooker, Sp. fil. 4:66. 1862.

    Nephrodium jamaicense Baker ex Jenman, J. Bot. 15: 264. 1877. (Type. Jenman 19, in 1876, K.)

    Bryopteris dissidens (Mettenius) Kuntze, Revis. gen. pl. 2: 812. 1891.

    Aspidium sintenisii Kuhn & Christ, Bot. Jahrb, Syst. 24: 119. 1897. (Type. Sintenis 2136, from Puerto Rico, B, isotypes G H , US.)

    Bryopteris sintenisii (Kuhn & Christ) Urban, Symb. antill. 4: 19. 1903.

    Bryopteris jamaicensis (Baker ex Jenman) C. Christensen, Index filic. 272. 1905.

    Bryopteris sclerophylla (Poeppig ex Sprengel) C. Christensen, Biol. Arb. til, Eug. Warming 84, 1911.

    Bryopteris sclerophylla var. dissidens (Mettenius) C. Christensen in Urban, Symb. antill. 9: 301. 1925.

    Thelypteris sclerophylla var. jamaicensis (Baker ex Jenman) Proctor, Bull. Inst. Jamaica Sci. Ser, 5:64. 1953.

    Goniopteris sclerophylla (Poeppig ex Sprengel) Wherry, South. Fem Guide 346. 1964.

  • Distribution

    Florida and the Greater Antilles. Distribution in Puerto Rico. Known from a few scattered localities in the central mountains; recorded from Aibonito, Cayey, Penuelas, Ponce, and Utuado. Habitat. Steep shaded banks, wooded hillsides, or sometimes among rocks beside streams, at middle to high elevations (350-1100 m), rare.

    Florida United States of America North America| Puerto Rico South America| Aibonito Puerto Rico South America| Cayey Puerto Rico South America| Peñuelas Puerto Rico South America| Ponce Puerto Rico South America| Utuado Puerto Rico South America|