Polytaenium feei (W.Schaffn. ex Fée) Maxon

  • Authority

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

  • Family

    Pteridaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Polytaenium feei (W.Schaffn. ex Fée) Maxon

  • Description

    Species Description - Rhizomes short-creeping; rhizome scales clathrate, lanceattenuate, 2–3 x 0.5–0.8 mm; fronds 7–23 cm long, clumped; stipes absent; blades papyraceous, linear-oblanceolate to linearelliptic, 9–12(–18) mm wide at widest point (1.5–2 mm wide at bases), apices acuminate, laminae glabrous; veins forming 3–4 rows of oblique areoles between midribs and blade margins, veins near blade margins also areolate; sporangia (sori) surficial or in very shallow grooves, following most of the netted vein pattern, at least in distal 2/3 of blades; spores pale yellowish, hyaline; 2n=ca. 120 (PR).

  • Discussion

    Antrophyum feei W. Schaffn. ex Fe´e, Me´m. Foug. 7: 42, t. 22, f. 1. 1857. Type. Mexico. [Veracruz:] Huatusco, Schaffner 133 (P!; isotype K!). Hemionitis lanceolata L., Sp. Pl. 2: 1077. 1753. Antrophyum lanceolatum (L.) Kaulf., Enum. Filic. 198. 1824. Polytaenium lanceolatum (L.) Benedict, Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 38: 169. 1911, hom. illeg., non (Sw.) Desv., 1827. Lectotype (designated by Proctor, 1985: 258). Plumier, Traite´ Foug. Ame´r., pl. 127, f. C, 1705 (cited as f. 6 by Linnaeus, in error), based on a specimen from St. Vincent. Antrophyum stenophyllum Rovirosa, Pteridogr. Sur Me´xico 242. 1910, hom. illeg., non Baker, 1898. Type. Mexico. Chiapas: Cerro de Moyos, Ri´o Lacanja´ region, Marti´nez s.n. (Herb. Rovirosa 1104, not seen, not found at K, MEXU, P, PH).

    This species is distinguished from P. cajenense by the elliptic blades, thinner blade texture, nearly surficial sori, and long axis of the areoles more or less parallel to the midribs. Like P. chlorosporum, P. feei has veins often or mostly free along the blade margins, but these tend to curve and extend for quite a long distance parallel to the blade margins, whereas in P. chlorosporum the free veins are relatively short and oblique or perpendicular to the blade margins. The veins are generally more visible and sunken abaxially in P. feei than in P. chlorosporum. Polytaenium feei often goes under the name of Antrophyum lanceolatum; however, the epithet lanceolatum cannot be used in Polytaenium for this species because of the prior existence of P. lanceolatum (Sw.) Desv., a synonym of P. lineatum. Material of P. feei from the West Indies is often somewhat larger and has thicker texture; this variation is probably not significant taxonomically.

  • Distribution

    Epiphytic in wet forests on Atlantic slope, lower montane rain forests; 150–1400 m. Mexico; Guat, Bel, Hond, Nic, CR, Pan; Gr & L Ant; Ven, Trin, Sur, n Braz. This is accorded a much wider distribution in South America (Col, Ec, Peru, Bol) by Moran (in Davidse et al., 1995), but we doubt its occurrence beyond northern South America, and it is not cited from Peru by Tryon and Stolze (1989).

    Mexico North America| Guatemala Central America| Belize Central America| Honduras Central America| Nicaragua Central America| Costa Rica South America| Panama Central America| West Indies| Venezuela South America| Trinidad and Tobago South America| Suriname South America| Brazil South America|