Asplenium pteropus Kaulf.

  • Authority

    Morton, Conrad V. & Lellinger, David B. 1966. The Polypodiaceae subfamily Asplenioideae in Venezuela. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 15: 1-49.

  • Family

    Aspleniaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Asplenium pteropus Kaulf.

  • Description

    Species Description - Rhizome erect, epiphytic: fronds pendent, up to 40 cm long and 7 cm broad; stipes much shorter than the blades, not more than one-sixth as long, green or at base Yiolet, green-winged at apex or nearly throughout, the wing often more than 1 mm wide; blades simply pinnate, attenuate and pinnatifid at apex, the rhachis green, winged, not proliferous; pinnae numerous, more than 30 pairs, horizontally spreading, oblong, mostly 3-4 cm long and 0.7-1.0 cm wide, acuminate but not long-attenuate at apex, subfalcate, unequal at base, excised at lower base, sub-auriculate at superior base, conspicuously toothed, the teeth on the upper margin 7-12, rounded, fewer on the lower margin; texture thin; veins 8-11 pairs, all simple except those of the superior basal auricle; sori mostly 5-9 pairs, straight, medial: indusia membranous, narrow.

    Distribution and Ecology - Cuba throughout the West Indies, and British Honduras south to Peru and Brazil. In Venezuela in Aragua. Trujillo, Merida, Bolivar, and Amazonas.

  • Discussion

    Asplenium lunulatum Swartz var. pteropus (Kaulf.) Sodiro, Anal. Univ. Quito 8: 276.1893.

    Asplenium pseuderectum Hicron. Hedwigia 60: 239. 1918. SynTypes: Puerto Rico. Sintenis 2637 (isosyntype US'). 5458, 2672; Schwanecke 49 (B, photograph 9318): Balbis (B. photograph 9316) St. Vincent, Hooker (B. photograph 9317). Grenada, Sherring 215. Lectotype: Sintenis 2637 (B).

    This is generally a strictly epiphytic fern (although one collector reports the species from wet rocks), the thin, light green fronds being pendent from tree trunks. In general, it resembles A. harpeodes, but the pinnae are merely acuminate and not long-attenuate at the apex, and the rhachis and stipe are more broadly alate. In the latter character it resembles A. alatum, but the apex of the blade is merely attenuate and pinnatifid and does not suddenly terminate in a proliferous bud. the bases of the pinnae are more strongly unequal, and the veins are all simple (except the superior basal) rather than forked. The segregate A. pseuderectum was recognized by Maxon as distinct, probably chiefly on the authoritv of Hieronymus, but the characters pointed out are vague and variable. The relationship to the Old World species A. lunulatum Swartz needs to be clarified.