Asplenium commutatum Mett.

  • Authority

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

  • Family

    Aspleniaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Asplenium commutatum Mett.

  • Description

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    Species Description - Rhizome erect; rhizome scales brown to tan, concolorous, weakly clathrate, 5-15 mm long, 1-2.5 mm wide, occasional teeth; fronds clumped; stipe 8-22 cm long, 1/3 the frond length; brownish-green to gray-brown, dull, densely clothed with small clathrate scales; blade 15-65 cm long, 627 cm wide, pinnate-bipinnatifid or bipinnate-pinnatifid, ovate-lanceolate, pinnae slightly to greatly reduced at base, to 1 cm long, apex pinnatifid, subterminal bud present or lacking; rachis broadly grooved, somewhat flattened, yellow to gray-brown, chaffy with scattered clathrate scales 0.8-1 mm long, not alate; pinnae 15-20 pairs, 3-11 cm long, 2-3 cm wide, sessile, truncate base, chartaceous, scales extending onto pinnules, especially below; veins with wing 0.1 mm long on upper surface, not reaching margin; costae alate, 0.5-0.8 mm wide; sori 2-3 pairs per pinnule; indusia 2-3 mm long, 0.8-1 mm wide, large, conspicuous, margin scarious, entire or suberose.

  • Discussion

    Syntypes. Mexico. Schaffner s.n. (B!; isotype K, photo BM); Oaxaca, Galeotti 6555 (isotypes K!, US!); Veracruz: Orizaba, Müller s.n. (B!; isotypes BM, NY! [“Müller 1487”]; Guatemala. Salvin & Godman 67, 93; Skinner s.n. (all presumably B). Athyrium macrocarpon Fée, Mém. foug. 5: 188. 1852. Asplenium macrocarpon (Fée) Moore, Index fil. 143. 1859, nom. illeg., non Desvaux, 1827. Type. Mexico. Oaxaca: Llano Verde, Galeotti 6555 (P; isotypes K, US!). Asplenium cicutarium Swartz var. paleaceum Davenport, Bot. Gaz. (Crawfordsville) 19: 390. 1894. Asplenium eatonii Davenport, Bot. Gaz. (Crawfordsville) 21: 258. 1896. Type. Mexico. [Jalisco:] Colima Mts., Pringle 5531 (GH). Asplenium commutatum is variable in Oaxaca in regard to the presence of subterminal buds and the degree of reduction of the basal pinnae. All the specimens with buds (3810b, 4129, 4692, 4916) have basal pinnae that are not reduced. Of the specimens without buds, one group has basal pinnae much reduced and corresponds to what has been called Asplenium eatonii (5526, 5553, 7069, Hellwig 357, Pringle 6072 and Smith 2035). The other group without buds has fronds identical to the A. commutatum with buds. More work is necessary to determine the relationship and status of these variations. Asplenium subvestitum Copeland (Univ. Calif. Publ. Bot. 19: 289. 1941. Type. Mexico. Guerrero: Mexia 9065 (isotypes K!, NY!, US!) resembles typical A. commutatum except for somewhat reduced basal pinnae, black rhizome scales, no vegetative buds, and most of the sori at the base of the pinnules, just at the vein fork of the midvein of the pinnae (instead of out on the pinnules).

  • Distribution

    Terrestrial at higher elevations; Centro, Ixtlán, Mixe, Teotitlán; 1850-2900 m. Mexico (Sin, Nay, Jal, Col, Mich, Mex, SLP, DF?, Ver, Pue, Oax, Chis); Guat to Pan; Hisp.

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