Polystichum echinatum (J.F.Gmel.) C.Chr.

  • Authority

    Proctor, George R. 1989. Ferns of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 53: 1-389.

  • Family

    Dryopteridaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Polystichum echinatum (J.F.Gmel.) C.Chr.

  • Description

    Species Description - Rhizome curved-ascending to erect, 5-7 mm thick (excluding the tightly adhering, persistent stipe bases), at the apex bearing numerous rigid, shining black, narrowly deltate scales up to 7 mm long or more, these pale-marginate and often curved. Fronds numerous, stiflly erect or sometimes spreading, 25-50 cm long; stipes much shorter than the blades, 4-12 cm long, densely scaly toward base, the lowermost scales like those of rhizome, those upward being smaller, uniformly pale brown, and fibrillose. Blades usually narrowly linear to lance-linear, 20-45 cm long, 2-3(-5 +) cm broad, narrowed or acuminate, the apex not usually proliferous (but occasionally a proliferous apex occurs, though not yet found in Puerto Rico); rhachis narrowly grooved adaxially, deciduously fibrillose-scaly; pinnae numerous (25-35 pairs), narrowly to broadly rhombicovate, rhombic-deltate, or lance-deltate from a strongly inequilateral base, chiefly l-1.5(-2.5) cm long, 0.7-1(-2) cm broad, acuminate-spinulose at apex, auriculate on one or both sides at base, short-stalked; margins more or less serrate, the serrations and auricles more or less spinulose; veins very oblique, 2- or 3-forked; tissue rigid, opaque, dark green adaxially, paler beneath. Sori about medial, the indusium quickly deciduous.

  • Discussion

    Basionym. Polypodium echinatum J. F. Gmelin in Linnaeus, Syst. nat. ed. 13,2(2): 1309. 1791.

    Lectotype. Sloane, vol. l,p. 73, middle specimen, from Jamaica (BM-SL).

    Syn. Aspidium triangulum Swartz, J. Bot. (Schrader) 1800(2): 31. 1802, not Polypodium triangulum Linnaeus, 1753.

    Polystichum falcatum Fee, Mem. foug. 5: 279. 1852. (Type. LEpagnier, from Port-au-Prince, Haiti, RB.)

    Aspidium triangulum var. submucronatum Christ ex Krug, Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 24: 111. 1897. (Type. Eggers 3707, from Jamaica, B, isotype US.)

  • Distribution

    General Distribution. Greater Antilles.