Diplazium
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Authority
Proctor, George R. 1989. Ferns of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 53: 1-389.
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Family
Athyriaceae
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Scientific Name
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Description
Species Description - Tenestrial fems of small to large size. Rhizomes creeping, ascending, or erect, sometimes massive or trunk-like, bearing scales at the apex, these usually not clathrate. Fronds stipitate; stipes not articulate, internally having a single U-shaped stele at the top (just below the blade), formed by two lunate bundles joined end-to-end. Blades simple to 4-pinnate; ultimate divisions small or large, of various textures but sometimes rather heavy and succulent; veins free, partly connivent or reticulate, or completely reticulate, the areoles without included free veinlets. Sori elliptic to elongate-linear, often partly or wholly doubled or paired along a single vein; indusia similar in shape to the sori, attached laterally to a vein, those of a pair opening back-to-back away from each other, or rarely the sori exindusiate; paraphyses absent; sporangia with annulus of 12-20 cells; spores more or less ellipsoid, monolete, with prominent winglike folds, the surface otherwise often smooth, or else variously echinate or papillate.
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Discussion
Type Species. Diplazium plantagineum (Linnaeus) Swartz, n o w conectly known as Diplazium plantaginifolium (Linnaeus) Urban of widespread distribution in the neotropics.
A large, pantropical genus of perhaps 350 species, for which there is no adequate subgeneric classification. Ten species and one hybrid complex occur m Puerto Rico; none ofthe local species is endemic. The generic name is derived from Greek diplazios, double, referring to the sori.
Special Literature. Tryon, R. M . & A. F. Tryon, 1982. Ferns and allied plants, pp. 543-554, 39 figs.