Athyrium
-
Authority
Mickel, John T. & Smith, Alan R. 2004. The pteridophytes of Mexico. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 88: 1-1054.
-
Family
Athyriaceae
-
Scientific Name
-
Description
Genus Description - Terrestrial; rhizomes short-creeping or erect, scaly; fronds medium-sized, erect; stipes stramineous to red, sparsely scaly to glabrous, with 2 crescent-shaped vascular bundles at bases; blades1-pinnate to bipinnate-pinnatifid, deltate to linear-lanceolate, laminae thin, glabrous; veins free, ending short of margin; sori elongate along veins, oblong to lunate or hooked over the vein to equally extended on both sides of a single vein, indusiate (ours) or not; spores bilateral, with folded to winged perispore; x = 40.
-
Discussion
Lectotype (chosen by J. Smith, Hist. Fil. 327. 1875): Athyrium filix-femina (L.) Roth [= Polypodium filix-femina L.]. See Pic. Serm. (Webbia 8: 437-442. 1952), for discussion of place of publication of Roth’s names.
Athyrium is a genus of about 100 species, most of eastern Asia. Most species occur in temperate climates or high elevations of tropical regions. Athyrium skinneri occurs at lower elevations in Mexico and Central America. Athyrium is distinguished by the sori elongate along the veins with the indusia often acroscopically hooking over the vein. The genus appears to be related most closely to Diplazium, onocleoid ferns, blechnoid ferns, and thelypteroid ferns, but the exact relationships are still uncertain. Athyrium filix-femina is considered cosmopolitan, but has not been well studied. In Mexico there are two extremes of this complex, plus three members of the A. skinneri complex, the latter having creeping rhizomes, thinner blade texture, and occurring at lower elevations.