Trichomanes reptans Sw.

  • Authority

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

  • Family

    Hymenophyllaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Trichomanes reptans Sw.

  • Description

    Species Description - Rhizome slender, 0.3 mm diam., long-creeping; rhizome hairs dense, dark brown, 0.5 mm; roots lacking; fronds 2.5-8 cm long, 1.5-3.5 cm wide, distant; stipe ca. 1/10-1/3 the frond length, terete to flattened, 0.8 mm wide, with dark brown hairs, 0.3-0.5 mm long; blade shape variable, broadly lanceolate, pinnatifid to bipinnatifid; rachis alate ½ way to base; pinnae non-overlapping, membranaceous, margin entire with black forked hairs along the margin (sparse) and stellate hairs in sinuses, scattered clavate hairs 0.1 mm long on veins and involucre; veins free, major ones strongly pinnate, false veins parallel to true veins, many unconnected, some parallel to and very near the margin; sori partly immersed to stalked; involucre 0.8-1.0 mm wide at middle, 2.5 mm long, mouth flaring, 1.0-1.2 mm wide, bilabiate, dark-margined.

  • Discussion

    Didymoglossum reptans (Swartz) Presl, Abh. Bõhm. Ges. Wiss. 5: 115. 1843. Hemiphlebium reptans (Swartz) Prantl, Unters. Morph. Gefasskrypt. 1: 46. 1875. Type. Jamaica. Swartz s.n. (S). Trichomanes krausii Hooker & Greville, Icon, fil., t. 149. 1831. Didymoglossum krausii (Hooker & Greville) Presl, Abh. Bõhm. Ges. Wiss. 5: 115. 1843. Hemiphlebium krausii (Hooker & Greville) Prantl, Unters. Morph. Gefässkrypt. 1: 46. 1875. Type. Dominica. Kraus s. n. (E). Trichomanes quercifolium Hooker & Greville, Icon, fil., t. 115. 1829. Type. Colombia. Esmeraldas, Jameson s.n. (K). Trichomanes montanum Hooker, Icon. pl., t. 187. 1837. Type. Colombia. Esmeraldas, Jameson, s.n. (K). In spite of Wessels Boer’s (1962) statements as to the distinctiveness of T. krausii and T. reptans, Oaxacan material shows no consistent differences by which to separate these two taxa. Therefore the two are combined and the need for additional study pointed out. Closely resembling T. bucinatum, T. reptans is distinct by its non-stalked sori, narrow involucral lips, and marginal forked and stellate hairs restricted to sinus bases.

  • Distribution

    Epiphytic and epipetric in wet montane forests; Choapan, Ixtlán, Juquila, Mixe, Teotitlán, Tuxtepec, Villa Alta; 50-2550 m. Mexico (SLP, Tam, Ver, Pue, Oax, Chis); Guat to Pan; WI, Trin; Col, s to Arg & Parag.

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