Dicranopteris

  • Authority

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

  • Family

    Gleicheniaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Dicranopteris

  • Description

    Genus Description - Terrestrial; rhizomes long-creeping, cord-like, with stiff, dark, bristle-like hairs; fronds monomorphic, erect or scandent, to several meters long; blades pseudodichotomous, with pinnae consistently and repeatedly equally branching, i.e., both branches of a fork approximately the same size, bearing accessory branches at the base of some of the forks (especially proximally), axes terete; dormant buds covered by stiff, reddish brown, multicellular hairs, these often basally branched, also with a pair of foliaceous stipule-like outgrowths in some buds, especially in the proximal forks; penultimate divisions pectinate, bearing narrowly lanceate to linear segments; indument absent or of branched hairs on the blade and axes; veinlets free, 2–3(–4)-forked; sori abaxial, round, of ca. 6–15 sporangia; paraphyses absent; sporangia each with oblique annulus; indusia absent; spores whitish, tetrahedral, surfaces smooth, pitted, or granulate; x=39.

  • Discussion

    Lectotype (chosen by Bernhardi, Neues J. Bot. 1(2): 38. 1806 [1805]): Mertensia dichotoma (Thunb. ex Murray) Willd. [= Polypodium dichotomum Thunb. ex Murray] = Dicranopteris dichotoma (Thunb. ex Murray) Bernh.

    Hicriopteris C. Presl, Epimel. Bot. 26. 1849 [1851]. Type: Hicriopteris speciosa C. Presl [=Dicranopteris speciosa (C. Presl) Holttum]. For further synonymy, see Pichi Sermolli (Webbia 26: 491-536. 1972).

    Dicranopteris is a pantropical genus of about 10 species, four in tropical America. The single species in Mexico is widespread and common in the Neotropics. The genus is allied to Gleichenella and Sticherus, and is a member of an ancient and isolated lineage of basal leptosporangiate ferns. It occurs at low to middle elevations (some South American species at relatively high elevations), on roadsides and in clearings, in weedy, disturbed areas, sometimes forming thickets. From Gleichenella, it is distinct by the equally forking pseudodichotomies, presence of accessory pinnae subtending all but the penultimate divisions, terete axes lacking lateral ridges, and by the tetrahedral spores. Dicranopteris is distinct from Sticherus by the veins forking 2–3 times and the sori of 6–15 or more sporangia. See Gleichenella for a discussion of family level relationships.