Thelypteris kunthii (Desv.) C.V.Morton

  • Authority

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

  • Family

    Thelypteridaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Thelypteris kunthii (Desv.) C.V.Morton

  • Description

    Species Description - Rhizomes short- to long-creeping; fronds mostly 50-150 cm long; stipes (5-)20-80 cm x (1-)3-6 mm, with basal scales castaneous, lustrous, lanceolate, hairy; blades herbaceous to chartaceous, (9-)30-65(-80) cm long, tapering evenly toward the pinnatifid apices; pinnae (2-)8-15(-20) x (0.6-)0.9-2.5 cm, proximal pair the largest, incised 0.6-0.9 the way to costae, without without pronounced basal auricles, or infrequently with auricles weakly developed; segments oblique, straight or subfalcate, rounded or acute at tips; veins (3-)6-11 pairs per segment, the proximal pair from adjacent segments running to or near the sinuses; indument abaxially of usually rather dense hairs mostly 0.2-0.5 mm long on costae, costules, veins, and between veins, adaxially the costae, costules, and veins also hairy, the costal hairs stouter on both sides of blades, to 0.8 mm long, tissue between veins glabrous or often with light yellowish, stipitate glands; sori medial, with indusia sparsely to densely hairy, hairs 0.2-0.4 mm long; 2n = 144 (USA, Jam, CR)

  • Discussion

    Nephrodium kunthii Desv., Me´m Soc. Linn. Paris 6: 258. 1827. Lectotype (designated by Morton, Contr. U. S. Natl. Herb. 38: 53. 1967). [Venezuela.] Cumanacoa, Caripe, Humboldt & Bonpland s.n. (P-Humb.!). Dryopteris normalis C. Chr., Dansk Bot. Ark. 9(11): 31. 1910. Thelypteris normalis (C. Chr.) Moxley, Bull. S. Calif. Acad. Sci. 19: 57. 1920. Christella normalis (C. Chr.) Holttum, Webbia 30: 193. 1976. Lectotype (chosen by Smith, 1971: 78). Jamaica. Jenman s.n. (NY!). More complete synonymy given in Smith (1971), under T. normalis.

    This species, which is very common in the Greater Antilles and southeastern United States, is uncommon or rare everywhere in Mexico, except locally in Quintana Roo, Chiapas, and Oaxaca. Thelypteris kunthii is distinguished from T. hispidula by having the proximal pair of veins from adjacent segments running to the sinuses. From T. patens, it differs by having creeping rhizomes. Other close relatives (T. ovata, T. puberula) differ in having costules and veins glabrous adaxially. Generally, this species grows at lower elevations than T. puberula. Orcutt 6626 (DS), said to be from Berta, Veracruz, is very unusual in having two pairs of greatly reduced proximal pinnae and resembles in blade shape T. conspersa (Schrad.) A. R. Sm., known largely from South America but with populations also in Panama and Hispaniola. We wonder if the Orcutt specimen is wrongly labelled.

  • Distribution

    In woods, often along streams and trails; 350-1600 m. Se USA; Mexico; Guat, Bel, Hond, Salv, Nic, CR; Bah, Gr & L Ant; Col, Ven, n Braz.

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