Pityrogramma tartarea (Cav.) Maxon

  • 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

    Pityrogramma tartarea (Cav.) Maxon

  • Description

    Species Description - Rhizome erect; rhizome scales 8-12 mm long, 0.5-1.0 mm wide, concolorous, black at base of rhizome, golden brown near growing portion, entire, prolonged into hairlike, uniseriate tip; fronds to 100 cm long, 40 cm wide, clumped; stipe 1/3-½ the frond length, dark reddish-brown, glabrous except base with dense scales varying in size down to hairlike scales 2 mm long and sparse, short (less than 0.1 mm long) clavate hairs; blade deltate to narrowly triangular, broadest at base, pinnate-pinnatifid to bipinnate-pinnatifid; pinnae inequilateral, exaggerated basiscopically, segments ovate, glabrous above, coriaceous, white farinose beneath, margin strongly recurved; veins free, depressed above; sori elongate along veins, appearing as black specks scattered among the white farina; spores brown.

  • Discussion

    Acrostichum tartareum Cavanilles, Descr. pl. 242. 1802. Type. Peru. Nr. Guamantanga, Nées.n. (MA; isotype P, photo US). Pityrogramma tripinnata Domin, Spisy Prir. Fak. Karlovy Univ. 88: 7. 1928. Type. Mexico. Parry & Palmer 1004 (K, photo GH, UC; isotype US!). For additional synonyms, see R. Tryon (1962). Oaxacan material is referable by Tryon (1962) to var. tartarea. Proctor (1965. Taxonomic notes on Jamaican ferns. Brit. Fern Gaz. 9: 213-221. 1985) considered P. ebenea (Linnaeus) Proctor to be the correct name for P. tartarea (Cavanilles) Maxon, whereas Morton and Lellinger (Amer. Fern J. 61: 161-165. 1971) referred that name to P. calomelanos as did Tryon (1962). Pityrogramma tartarea and P. calomelanos are the two most widespread species of Pityrogramma in America, and although the former generally occurs at higher elevations, the two species occasionally grow together. Pityrogramma tartarea is distinguished by the pinnules being broadest at the base and held nearly at right angles to the pinna rachis.

  • Distribution

    Terrestrial on exposed banks; Ixtlán, Juquila, Miahuatlán, Mixe, Pochutla, Teotitlán, Tuxtepec, Villa Alta, Zaachila; 10002300 m. Mexico (Jal, Mich, Gro, Mex, Mor, Hgo, Ver, Pue, Oax, Chis); Guat to Pan; WI; Col & Ven, to Braz, Bol; Gal.

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