Stigmatopteris

• 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

  Stigmatopteris

• Description

  Genus Description - Terrestrial; rhizome short, suberect, with scales; fronds medium-sized to large, monomorphic; stipe glabrous; blade once-pinnate to pinnate-pinnatifid (to bipinnate), proliferous buds in some, apex pinnatifid, pellucid-punctate with immersed yellowish glands, glabrous; veins free (in ours) or irregularly netted, ending well short of margin in a clavate tip; sori abaxial, round, exindusiate; paraphyses lacking (ours) or present; spores bilateral with perispore, brown.

• Discussion

  Type: Stigmatopteris rotundata (Willdenow) Christensen [=Polypodium flavopunctatum Kaulfuss]. Stigmatopteris is a neotropical genus of ca. 20 species, mostly of South America. One Oaxacan species is widespread (S. longicaudata), the other two local. The affinities of the genus are not entirely clear. Stigmatopteris resembles species of Thelypteris but has several stipe bundles, veins ending short of margin, and acicular hairs and indusia are lacking. References: Christensen, C. 1909. On Stigmatopteris, a new genus of ferns with a review of its species. Bot. Tidsskr. 29: 291-304; Christensen, C. 1913. A monograph of the genus Dryopteris. Part 1. The tropical American pinnatifid-bipinnatifid species. Kongel. Danske Vidensk. Selsk. Skr., Naturvidensk. Afd. VII, 10: 55-282.