Asplenium resiliens 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 resiliens Kunze

  • Description

    Species Description - Rhizomes erect, saxicolous, scaly mostly at the apex with narrow, black or brown-margined scales; fronds many, the new and old stipe bases crowded; stipes and rhachises thick, atropurpureous to black, adaxially flattened with minute tan wings; blades simply pinnate, linear, up to 45 cm long; pinnae to nearly 40 pairs, acroscopically auriculate and basiscopically cut away, the median pinnae to about 1 cm long, the proximal pinnae about half as large, the distal ones evenly diminished to a minute, confluent, terminal pinna; sori on both sides of the costules, short, broad, and medial, the opaque, pale indusia turned back and hidden at maturity by the round or confluent sori.

    Distribution and Ecology - Jamaica, Hispaniola, United States, Mexico, and Guatemala; Venezuela (Merida), Colombia and Ecuador to Brazil and Argentina.

  • Discussion

    Asplenium parvulum Mart. & Gal. Mem. Acad. Bruxelles 15: 60, t. 15, f. 5. 1842, non Hook., 1840. Type: Environs of Capulalpan and Hacienda del Carmen, Oaxaca, Mexico, Galeotti 6462.

    Asplenium trichomanoides sensu Kunze, Am. Jour. Sci. II, 6: 85. 1848, non Michx. (1803).

    Asplenium lealii Alston, Jour. Bot. Brit. & For. 78: 20. 1940. Type: Las Heras, near Ida de la Casa de Piedra, A. Ruiz Leal 4762 (BM, not seen). No distinctions from A. resiliens were given by Alston other than that the scales of A. resiliens have “more hyaline cells on the margin.” This difference, even if true, is hardly sufficient to merit any taxonomic distinction.

    Type. Based on A. parvulum Mart. & Gal., non Hook., the type thus Galeotti 6462.