Tectaria cicutaria (L.) Copel.
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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
Tectariaceae
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Scientific Name
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Description
Species Description - Rhizome decumbent to erect, 5-8 mm thick, concealed by persistent stipe bases, clothed at apex with a tuft of brown, glabrous, linear-attenuate scales, these 5-10 mm long, 0.2-0.3 mm broad, with hairiike apex. Fronds few, mostly 25-60 cm long; stipes shorter than the blades, light brown, grooved adaxially, densely hirtellous throughout with pale articulate hairs, and clothed toward base with scattered spreading narrowly lance-linear scales up to 8 mm long. Blades ovate or oblong-ovate, 15-32 cm long, 9-24 cm broad below the middle, acuminate at the pinnatifid apex; rhachis, costae, and to a lesser extent the costules and veins softly puberulous with articulate hairs on both sides; free pinnae 1-5 pairs, the distal divisions more or less adnate, the basal pair of pinnae unequally deltate with an elongate basal basiscopic segment; middle pinnae deltate-oblong or oblong, 6-11(-14) cm long, coarsely lobate or subpinnatifid, the lobes obtuse or acutish, 7-10 mm broad except for the larger basal basiscopic ones; tissue thinly herbaceous, glabrous, but the margins ciliate. Sori biseriate, inframedial near costa of subentire pinnae, or slightly supramedial on either side of costule of pinna-lobes.
Distribution and Ecology - General Distribution. Greater Antilles, but polymorphic, the populations of each island differing in several details. The above description applies to the Puerto Rican form. Distribution in Puerto Rico. Occurs in a rather limited area in the northwestem part of the island; recorded from Arecibo, Ciales, Florida, Hatillo, Lares, Quebradillas, and Utuado. To be expected in Camuy. Habitat. In humus on moist shaded limestone ledges, or along the base of limestone cliffs, at lower middle elevations (200-350 m), locally common.
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Discussion
Basionym. Polypodium cicutarium Linnaeus, Syst nat. ed. 10, 2: 1326. 1759.
Lectotype. Plukenet, Phyt., t. 289, fig. 4. The specimen labelled P. cicutarium in the Linnaean Herbarium (1251.26) appears to represent a juvenile form of Tectaria apiifolia.
Syn. Aspidium cicutarium (Linnaeus) Swartz, J. Bot. (Schrader) 1800(2): 36. 1802.
Sagenia cicutaria (Linnaeus) T. Moore, Index fil. Ixxxvi. 1857.
Nephrodium cicutarium (Linnaeus) Baker in Hooker &, Baker, Syn. fil. 299. 1867, in part, as to name.