Polystichum rachichlaena Fée

  • Authority

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

  • Family

    Dryopteridaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Polystichum rachichlaena Fée

  • Description

    Species Description - Similar to P. erythrosorum except: fronds somewhat smaller (to 1 m long); pinnae 7-14 cm long; indusia 1-1.5 mm diam., flat, persistent, pale brown, thick; stipe base scales 10-25 mm long, 1.5-2 mm wide, lanceolate, dark to light brown, concolorous, or scales indistinctly bi-colorous with central stripe dark brown grading into lighter brown margins (but not black, lustrous), spinulose; costae with hairlike scales and broader (0.1-0.5 mm wide, 3-6 mm long) scales; lower blade surface glabrous with straight, hairlike scales along veins, 0.5-1 mm long, with reddish-brown cross-walls.

  • Discussion

    Type. Mexico. Popocatépetl, 3000+ m, Schaffner 290 (not found at P; probable isotype K). Schaffner s.n. (P) seems to be the same as the Kew specimen, fide A. R. Smith (1981). Polystichum confluens Fournier, Mexic. pl. 1:92. 1872. Syntypes. Mexico. San Andrés, Bottieri 1443, Herb. Van Heurck (P!); San Rafael, Guillemin s.n. (P!). The single collection from Oaxaca is a sterile specimen but matches the species closely. See P. erythrosorum for discussion of differences. Polystichum drepanoides has much larger and broader pinnae (15-30 cm long, 3-5 cm wide) and more entire indusia.

  • Distribution

    Terrestrial in wet forest; Juquila; 1750 m (2600-3200 m in DF and Mex). Mexico (Jal, Mex, DF, Oax, Chis); Guat.

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