Adiantum princeps T.Moore

  • Authority

    Mickel, John T. & Beitel, Joseph M. 1988. Pteridophyte Flora of Oaxaca, Mexico. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 46: 1-580.

  • Family

    Pteridaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Adiantum princeps T.Moore

  • Description

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    Species Description - Rhizome horizontal, compact, stout, 3-5 mm diam.; rhizome scales concolorous, bright golden brown, linear-lanceolate, margin ciliate-denticulate, 6-10 mm long, 0.8-1.0 mm wide; fronds 45-80+ cm long, clumped; stipe 1/3-½ the frond length, atropurpureous, glabrous, with minute tubercles, often scaly at base, lustrous; blade 34 times pinnate, broadly ovate; pinnae 4-7 compound pairs, alternate, stalked; segments mostly rhombic or obovate-flabellate, 7-15 mm long, base broadly cuneate, stalked (2-6 mm), articulate, stalk color stopping abruptly at base of segment; upper and lower surfaces glabrous; sterile margin incised-lobate, with veins to the teeth, fertile margin only shallowly so; sori many per lobe, oblong to lunate, 1-3 mm long; indusium glabrous, slight yellow wax in sorus; spores not seen (see discussion).

  • Discussion

    Type. Described from cultivated material originally received from Colombia, Hort. Veitch, 1875, no. 16, Thomas Moore’s Fern Herbarium (K! -2 sheets). The rhomboid segments and long, concolorous rhizome scales will serve to distinguish this taxon from the one other small-segmented, articulate species, A. tenerum. Although many of its sori were old enough to have mature sporangia, no sporangia or spores were observed.

  • Distribution

    Terrestrial, in moist forests, often along streams, on Pacific lowlands; Jamiltepec, Juchitán, Juquila, Pochutla, Putla; 50-850 m. Mexico (Sin, Nay, Jal, Col, Mich, Gro, Oax, Chis); Guat to Pan; Col.

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