Trismeria trifoliata (L.) Diels

  • 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

    Trismeria trifoliata (L.) Diels

  • Description

    Species Description - Rhizome erect; rhizome scales bicolorous, center dark reddish-brown, thickened, margin narrow, light brown, 3-4 mm long, 0.5-0.8 mm wide; fronds 0.5-2.4 m long, 15 cm broad, clumped; stipe 1/5-1/3 the frond length, with scales at base numerous, castaneous, concolorous, light brown, to 5 mm long, 1-1.5 mm wide, often enlarged both decurrently and surcurrently at base to 3 mm, and scattered hairs (1 mm long); blade pinnate at tip to usually bipinnate at base, linear or narrowly deltate, the pinnae usually divided toward the frond base into (2-)3 pinnules oriented out of the plane of the frond appearing like an angiosperm; pinnules irregularly serrate, thin with prominent veins, glabrous above, glabrous to white farinose below, non-articulate, sterile ones to 90 mm long, 8-12 mm wide, fertile ones to 90 mm long, 3-5 mm wide, margin recurved, unmodified; sori elongate irregularly along the veins from margin to midrib; spores reddish-brown.

  • Discussion

    Acrostichum trifoliatum Linnaeus, Sp. pl. 2: 1070. 1753. Pityrogramma trifoliata (Linnaeus) R. Tryon, Contr. Gray Herb. 189:68. 1962. Type. LINN sheet 1245.9, photo A, and Sloane, Voy. Jamaica 1: t. 45, f. 2. 1707, are both this species (R. Tryon, 1962). Trismeria argéntea Fée, Mém. foug. 5: 165, t. 14A, f. 1. 1852. Syntypes. Venezuela. Caracas, Moritz s.n. (P?); Brazil. Minas Gerais, Pohl s.n. (P?). The temate pinnae turned out of the normal plane of the frond are diagnostic for Trismeria. This species hybridizes in Costa Rica and Argentina with Pityrogramma calomelanos (R. Tryon, 1962). Tryon erroneously reported that “the species has the pinnae entire . . . ,” whereas the margins are distinctly serrate.

  • Distribution

    Wet open banks or meadows or seepage areas; Choapan, Juquila, Putla, Tehuantepec, Teotitlán, Tuxtepec, Villa Alta, Zaachila; 450-1350 m. Mexico (BC, SLP, Mex, Ver, Oax, Chis); US (Fla); Guat to Pan; Gr Antill; Col & Ven to Chile & Arg.

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