Asplenium rutaceum (Willd.) Mett.

  • Authority

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

  • Family

    Aspleniaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Asplenium rutaceum (Willd.) Mett.

  • Description

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    Species Description - Roots fibrous, not proliferous; rhizomes erect; rhizome scales black, strongly clathrate, 3-4 x 0.3-0.8 mm, entire; fronds clumped, mostly 20-45 cm long; stipes castaneous to atropurpureousatropurpureous, lustrous, 1-3 cm long, to 1/10 of frond length, with appressed clavate hairs 0.1-0.2mmlong, adaxially with brownish wings 0.1 mm wide; blades thin-herbaceous, 15-35 x 4-10(-15) cm, 3-pinnate, elliptical, gradually tapered both proximally and distally, apices elongate, naked, proliferous; rachises castaneous to atropurpureous, lustrous, glabrous or with scattered appressed clavate hairs 0.1 mm long, adaxially with wings 0.1 -0.3 mm wide; pinnae narrowly deltate, somewhat falcate, 10-24 pairs, 2.5-9 x 1-2.5 cm, sometimes ending in naked flagelliform apices, sessile, usually 2-pinnate, proximal pinnules essentially opposite, perpendicular to and overlapping rachises, ultimate segments elliptic or obovate, mostly 3-5 x 1-1.5 mm, bases cuneate, apices acute, margins entire, segments towards apices of pinnae slightly falcate and sometime slightly gibbous on indusia-bearing side; veins solitary in the ultimate segments, tips readily evident adaxially; indument abaxially of appressed clavate hairs 0.1-0.2 mm long; sori 1 per ultimate segment; indusia 1.5-2.5 x 0.3-0.6 mm, margins minutely erose; spores reniform.

  • Discussion

    Aspidium rutaceum Willd., Sp. Pl., ed. 4, 5(1): 266. 1810. Lectotype (chosen by Morton & Lellinger, 1966: 36). Plumier, Traite´ Foug. Ame´r., pl. 57, 1705, illustrating a plant from Hispaniola (contrary to Adams in Davidse et al., 1995).

    Asplenium conquisitum Underw. & Maxon ex Christ, Bull. Herb. Boissier, se´r. 2, 7: 270. 1907. Lectotype (chosen by Maxon, Contr. U.S. Natl. Herb. 10: 488. 1908). Jamaica. Maxon 1558 (P!; isolectotype US!). Additional synonymy given in Morton & Lellinger (1966).

    The atropurpureous lustrous stipes and rachises, 3-pinnate blades, proliferous and flagelliform blade apices, and slightly gibbous sorus-bearing segments distinguish this species from the similarly dissected A. cristatum and A. myriophyllum, which are probably not closely related.

  • Distribution

    Terrestrial, or occasionally epipetric or epiphytic in wet montane forests; 600-1800 m. Mexico; Guat, Nic, CR, Pan; Jam, Hisp, PR; Col, Ven, Guy, Sur, Ec, Peru, Bol.

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