Diplazium plantaginifolium (L.) Urb.

  • Authority

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

  • Family

    Athyriaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Diplazium plantaginifolium (L.) Urb.

  • Description

    Species Description - Rhizomes ascending to erect; rhizome scales concolorous black, lustrous, deltate, 0.8–1 x 0.5–0.8 mm; fronds (20–)30–60(–70) cm; stipes green, (10–)20–35 cm x 1–2.5 mm, 1/3–2/3 the frond length, bases with sparse black scales 2–3 mm long, otherwise glabrous; blades simple (lacking pinnae), 15–22(–30) x 3.5–6 (–8) cm, lanceolate to narrowly elliptic, bases truncate to broadly cuneate, apices abruptly narrowed to attenuate tips, margins crenulate or bicrenulate, occasionally serrulate toward apices, occasionally with a bud at blade bases; veins free, 3–5-forked, branches abruptly curving toward margins and running nearly parallel to each other; indument absent on all parts of the blades, or midribs abaxially with scattered brownish hair-like fibrils to 1 mm long; sori mostly single on veins, often along only acroscopic vein branch, occasionally diplazioid, appearing ± parallel, with entire indusia 4–30 x 0.3–0.5 mm.

  • Discussion

    Asplenium plantaginifolium L., Syst. Nat., ed. 10, 2: 1323. 1759. Asplenium plantagineum L., Sp. Pl., ed. 2, 2: 1537. 1763, nom. superfl. Type. Jamaica. Manchester: “Mayday-hills,” Brown s.n.; the specimen, formerly in the Linnaean Herbarium, is no longer there and is presumed lost. Neotype (designated by Proctor, 1985: 394). Jamaica. St. Catherine: Mt. Diablo, vic. of Hollymount, Maxon 1949 (US!; isoneotypes BM, NY!-2 sheets).

    Diplazium plantaginifolium is the only Mexican Diplazium with simple, undivided blades. It hybridizes with D. ternatum, forming plants with ternate blades, entire to slightly undulate margins, anterior vein branch forming areoles, and malformed spores: Hallberg 1615, NY, US, from Oaxaca, 150–250 m. This hybrid occurs at a relatively low elevation for D. ternatum. Another putative hybrid between the same two parents is Ventura A. 20222 (ENCB), from Puebla. This specimen has the terminal pinna 3–4 times longer than the two lateral pinnae and malformed spores. Other hybrids involving D. plantaginifolium have been seen from Hispaniola (Mickel 8990, NY, UC).

  • Distribution

    Terrestrial in lowland and lower montane rain forests; 150–1600 m. Mexico; Guat, Bel, Hond, Nic, CR, Pan; Gr & L Ant; Ven, Trin, Peru, s Braz, Bol, Parag. Adams (in Davidse et al., 1995) also included Colombia and Ecuador in the range, but Stolze et al. (1994) did not cite the species from Ecuador and we have seen no specimens.

    Mexico North America| Amazonas Ecuador South America| Colombia South America| Paraguay South America| Bolivia South America| Brazil South America| Peru South America| Trinidad and Tobago South America| Venezuela South America| West Indies| Panama Central America| Costa Rica South America| Nicaragua Central America| Honduras Central America| Belize Central America| Guatemala Central America|