Lygodium venustum Sw.

  • Authority

    Mickel, John T. & Beitel, Joseph M. 1988. Pteridophyte Flora of Oaxaca, Mexico. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 46: 1-580.

  • Family

    Lygodiaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Lygodium venustum Sw.

  • Description

    Species Description - Rhizome short-creeping, 1-2 mm diam., hairs brown; stipe and rachis stramineous, wiry, twining, indeterminate, climbing; axes glabrescent to densely hairy with short stiff hairs; pinna axis very short, apex dormant, producing two lateral pinnules; pinnule axis pinnate, the segments alternating, each segment trifid to quinquifid, the central lobe much the largest, 3-10 cm long, 0.5-1.4 cm wide, margin finely serrulate; veins free, sparsely strigose (0.5 mm long, whitish hairs) to densely hairy; fertile lobes ca. 1 mm wide with two rows of sporangia, each sporangium covered with a yellow, pocket-like indusium, with many long (0.5 mm) white hairs.

  • Discussion

    Lectotype (chosen by Proctor, FI. L. Antill. 2: 51. 1977). Brazil. Breynius s.n. (S?). Syntypes from Brazil & Surinam. Figs. 17H, J. Lygodium mexicanum Presl, Reliq. haenk. 1:72. 1825. Type. Mexico. Haenke s.n. (PRC?). Lygodium venustum is easily distinguished from L. heterodoxum by its free veins, pubescent lamina and the palmately 3-5-parted pinnules. An abortive-spored hybrid of L. heterodoxum and L. venustum was collected in Oaxaca (Dist. Juchitán, Isthmus of Tehuantepec, 58 km N of Matías Romero, exposed roadside banks, 100 m, Mickel 4179) with some free and some net veins, fertile lobes with associated whitish hairs, pinnules of intermediate width (11-14 mm wide), pinnule axes flexuous, and inequilaterally 2-4 palmately lobed pinnules.

  • Distribution

    Scrubby open areas of low elevation; Choapan, Cuicatlán, Ixtlán, Jamiltepec, Juchitán, Juquila, Mixe, Pochutla, Putla, Tux-tepec; 50-900(-1300) m. Mexico (Nay, Jal, Col, Mich, Gro, SLP, Hgo, Tam, Ver, Oax, Chis, Tab); Guat to Pan; Gr Antill, Trin; Col to Sur, to Bol, Braz, Parag.

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