Asplenium hastatum Klotzsch ex Kunze

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 hastatum Klotzsch ex Kunze

Description

Species Description - Rhizomes epiphytic; fronds rather few, the stipes dull gray, one-third to one-half as long as the blades, green-winged at apex; blades thick in texture and probably fleshy, yellow-green, simply pinnate, attenuate and pinnatifid at apex, not proliferous, the rhachis green, broadly green-winged; pinnae 10-15 pairs, obviously petiolulate, lanceolate, unequal-sided, acuminate but not long-attenuate. straight, not falcate, entire at lower base, auriculate at upper base but the auricle not overlapping the rhachis, prominently rounded-toothed on the upper margin; veins forked; sori few.

Distribution and Ecology - Uncertain; surely Venezuela (Distrito Federal, Aragua, Merida) to Ecuador, and perhaps elsewhere. Most of the specimens from the West Indies and Mexico and Central America that have been identified as A. hastatum appear to be forms of A. auriculatum, which is much commoner and more widespread than has been believed.

Discussion

Asplenium fragrans Hooker, Icon. Plant. 1: t. 8S. 1837. non Swartz. 1788. S\ntypes: “On the trunks of trees in the forest of El Pau,' near Guachapala,” Ecuador, Jameson SO, and “on the descent from Molleturo to Narausal, elevated 6000 feet,” Ecuador, Jameson 216. Hooker indicates the first-mentioned specimen as var. a (“Foliolis longe acumi-natis"), and this may be designated lectotype; the second is called var. ß (“Foliolis brevi-acuminatis”) without the assignment of a varietal name.

Asplenium odoratum Moore, Ind. Fil. 151. 1859. A new name for A. fragrans Hook., non Swartz.

Asplenium hastatum var. pterocaulon Hook. Sp. Fil. 3: 116. 1860. Based on A. fragrans Hook.

Type. A plant cultivated in the botanical garden, Leipzig, in 1847. originally sent from Venezuela by Karsten.

Lectotype. Since the holotype specimen is Leipzig has presumably been destroyed (if a herbarium specimen was ever made) . the following is here designated as lectotvpe: Hort. Lips. 1851, ex Venezuela, B, photograph 9185: this is doubtless fully authentic material collected from the type plants by Kunze and sent to Berlin. A specimen in the British Museum (photograph 7267, middle plant) of a plant cultivated in Leipzig is probably authentic. The plants on this sheet at the upper right and lower left were collected at Colonia Tovar. Venezuela, by Moritz, and are not authentic, although they are doubtless correctly identified, and probably represent the earliest collections of the species from the wild.

There is some question if A. hastatum is truly distinct from A. auriculatum, the only obvious difference being that the rhachis is rather broadly alate by the decurrent bases of the pinnae. In A. auriculatum, the rhachis is apparently darker and only very narrowly alate. The pinnae of A. hastatum are generally somewhat larger and less prominently auriculate. The group of species containing A. hastatum, A. auriculatum, and A. salicifolium is badly in need of revision.