Pellaea ovata (Desv.) Weath.

  • Authority

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

  • Family

    Pteridaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Pellaea ovata (Desv.) Weath.

  • Description

    Species Description - Rhizome short- to moderately creeping, slender, ca. 2 mm diam.; rhizome scales 2-3 mm long, 0.5-0.8 mm wide, bicolorous, central portion lustrous black, margin thin, light brown, erose, tip hairlike; fronds to 60 cm long; stipe ca. 1/3 the frond length, stramineous, plane on top, glabrous to sparsely hairy with scattered black specks, rachis flexuous, costae and costules densely short-pubescent with 0.1-0.3 mm long reddish hairs; blade deflate, bipinnate to tripinnate, the pinnae retroflexed, segments elliptic to ovate, glabrous, articulate, base cordate, apex obtuse to truncate, 8-12 mm long, 5-10 mm wide, terminal pinnule of pinna with base equilateral; veins obscure, subcoriaceous; margin recurved with narrow modified indusium 0.1 mm wide with margin entire; spores brown.

  • Discussion

    Pteris ovata Desvaux, Mém. Soc. Linn. Paris 6: 301. 1827. Type. Peru. s. coll. (P-Desv. —not found, photos GH, UC). Pteris flexuosa Kaulfuss ex Schlechtendal & Chamisso, Linnaea 5: 614. 1830. Allosorus flexuosus (Schlechtendal & Chamisso) Kunze, Linnaea 13: 136. 1839. Pellaea flexuosa (Schlechtendal & Chamisso) Link, Fil. spec. 60. 1841. Platyloma flexuosa (Schlechtendal & Chamisso). J. Smith, Bot. Mag. 72: Comp. 21. 1846. Type. Mexico. Nr. Jalapa, Aug 1828, Schiede & Deppe s.n. (B; isotype LE!). There are two forms of this species, an apogamous 32-spored form and a sexual 64-spored form. Pellaea ovata is distinct by its strongly flexuous frond axes and densely hairy pinna rachises.

  • Distribution

    Dry, rocky slopes and moist oak forests; Centro, Etla, Huajuapan, Ixtlán, Sola de Vega, Teotitlán, Teposcolula, Tlacolula, Villa Alta, Zaachila; 1450-2350 m. Mexico (BC, Son, Chih, Coah, Dgo, Jal, Mich, Gro, Mex, DF, Mor, Qro, Gto, NL, SLP, Hgo, Tam, Ver, Oax, Pue, Chis); US (Tex); Guat to CR; Hisp; Ven & Col, s to n Arg.

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