Polystichum muricatum (L.) Fée

  • Authority

    Mickel, John T. & Smith, Alan R. 2004. The pteridophytes of Mexico. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 88: 1-1054.

  • Family

    Dryopteridaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Polystichum muricatum (L.) Fée

  • Description

    Species Description - Caudices ca. 2 cm diam. or less; fronds mostly (30–)50–75 cm long; stipes 15–25 cm long, ca. 3 mm diam., ca. 1/2–2/3 the blade length; stipe bases with concolorous, tan to brown, ovate scales to 15 x 6 mm, these entire, lacking a distinct medial stripe but sometimes with a broad, darkened central band, scales of the distal part of stipes light brown; blades herbaceous to chartaceous, ca. 35–50 x 12–25 cm, broadest at the bases or proximal pair of pinnae only slightly shorter than the next pair, attenuate at apices; rachises lacking buds, with tan hair-like eciliate scales to 6 mm long; pinnae pinnate to pinnate-pinnatifid, ca. 20–25 pairs, 8–12 x 1.8–2.3 cm, pinnules crenate, each with a deltate, acroscopic auricle, or some pinnules with a± free obovate lobe at base and beyond that shallowly lobed to coarsely dentate, both margins and tips spinulose; indument abaxially along costae and costules of fibrillose scales; sori indusiate, not confluent at maturity, indusia tan, relatively small, 0.2–0.4 mm diam.; 2n =82 (Chis).

  • Discussion

    Polypodium muricatum L., Sp. Pl. 2: 1093. 1753. Type. Petiver, Pterigraphia Amer., pl. 1, f. 6, 1712, which is a small copy of Plumier’s Traite´ Foug. Ame´r., pl. 39, 1705, illustrating a plant from Hispaniola.

    Unverified, Doubtful, or Mistaken Reports. Rev (Mason 1630, 1677, and Barkelew 227, cited in the range by Levin & Moran, 1989: 22, but these specimens are here regarded as aberrant P. hartwegii). Polystichum muricatum seems to be found at lower elevations than most other Polystichums in southern Mexico except P. platyphyllum and P. alfaroi. It is distinguished by its broad, often tan, concolorous, entire scales at the stipe bases, 2-pinnatepinnatifid blades, fibrillose rachis scales, thin blade texture, and relatively small indusia. The species with which it is most often confused in Mexico include P. hartwegii (which is generally larger, thicker-textured, and with narrower, often bicolorous stipe base scales), P. ordinatum (which has narrower blades, several pairs of reduced proximal pinnae, and narrower stipe base scales with greatly thickened bases), and P. fournieri (which is generally found at higher elevations and has narrower, usually bicolorous stipe base scales and much larger indusia).

  • Distribution

    Terrestrial in montane rain forests; 1350–1850 m. Mexico; Guat, Hond, Salv, Nic, CR, Pan; Jam, Hisp; Ven. Barrington (in Davidse et al., 1995: 223) also cited a specimen from El Salvador (Villacorta et al. 906, MO!) and included Galapagos in the range. In our opinion, the Salvadorean specimen is doubtfully this species.

    Mexico North America| Guatemala Central America| Honduras Central America| El Salvador Central America| West Indies| Jamaica South America| Panama Central America| Costa Rica South America| Nicaragua Central America| El Salvador Central America| Honduras Central America| Guatemala Central America|