Polypodium latum (T.Moore) T.Moore ex Sodiro

  • Authority

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

  • Family

    Polypodiaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Polypodium latum (T.Moore) T.Moore ex Sodiro

  • Description

    Species Description - Rhizome short-creeping, up to 10 mm thick, strongly nodose and often branched, enveloped in a dense mass of brown-tomentose rootlets; scales few, appressed, light brown, finely subclathrate, roundish-ovate, 3-5 mm long, the apex obtuse. Fronds closely clustered, 25-130 cm long; stipes stout, subquadrangular. Blades broadly ligulate, elliptic, or oblanceolate, up to 115 cm long, mostly 5-13 cm broad near or above the middle, abruptly acute at apex, the margins narrowly cartilaginous; primary veins more prominent than in P. phyllitidis, oblique-spreading, connected by numerous inegularly arching crossveins forming areoles with several included free veinlets, these variously combined to form secondary areoles in three or four rows, an intermediate costular vein sometimes developed. Sori 2- to 4-seriate between the primary veins, located on free areolar veinlets below the tips.

  • Discussion

    Basionym. Campyloneurum latum T. Moore, Index, fil. 225. 1861.

    Lectotype. Guilding, from St. Vincent (K).

    Syn. Polypodium phyllitidis var. (3 latum (T. Moore) Hooker, Sp, fil. 5: 38. 1863.

    Polypodium phyllitidis f. latum (T. Moore) Proctor, Bull, Inst, Jamaica Sci. Ser, 5: 49, 1953.

  • Distribution

    General Distribution. Florida, Greater and

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