Botrychium schaffneri Underw.

  • Authority

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

  • Family

    Ophioglossaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Botrychium schaffneri Underw.

  • Description

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    Species Description - Stem erect; fronds (4-) 10-40 cm long, common stalk 2-5.5 cm long, stalk of sterile blade 2-12 cm long; sterile blade 8-12 cm long, 12-16 cm wide, debate, temately compound, to tripinnate-pinnatifid; ultimate segments ovate, oblong or roundish, small (to 6 mm long, 5 mm wide), margin serrulate to entire, all segments roughly the same size, terminal segment not distinctly larger; leaf tissue fleshy, thick-herbaceous, glabrous or with a few hairs; sporophore stalk 13-26 cm long, inserted at or just below the ground surface.

    Distribution and Ecology - Distribution. Terrestrial, rare in pine-oak woods in central and eastern parts of the state; Centro, Mixe, Tlaxiaco; 1000-3050 m. Mexico (Chih, Dgo, Jal, Mex, SLP, Hgo, Ver, Oax); Guat to CR; Col to Arg.

  • Discussion

    Sceptridium schaffneri (Underwood) Lyon, Bot. Gaz. (Crawfordsville) 40: 458. 1905. Type. Mexico. San Luis Potosí: In mountains nr. San Luis Potosí, Oct 1879 [& 1881], Schaffner s.n. (NY!; isotype, K!). Botrychium pusillum Underwood, Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 30: 50. 1903. Sceptridium pusillum (Underwood) Lyon, Bot. Gaz. (Crawfordsville) 40: 458. 1905. Botrychium schaffneri Underwood var. pusillum (Underwood) Clausen, Mem. Torrey Bot. Club 19(2): 42. 1938. Type. Mexico. México: Sierra de las Cruces, 10,000' [3050 m], Pringle 5192 (NY!). Botrychium schaffneri is distinguishable from B. decompositum in having smaller, ovate to ob-lanceolate segments of relatively uniform size and shape. According to W. H. Wagner (pers. comm.), there is an undescribed taxon (Hgo?, Ver, Mex, Pue, Gro, Oax, Chis, Guat, CR) that is intermediate in cutting between B. decompositum and B. schaffneri and may be a hybrid between them. The pinnae and pinnules are ovate-lanceolate to lanceolate, or almost linear, much more narrow than in B. decompositum; the apices resemble those of B. decompositum in being long and relatively undivided. The margin is conspicuously toothed to slightly lacerate. Most of the specimens are from Chiapas. Oaxaca collections (NY) are from the districts of Mixe (.Hallberg 1804 p.p.), Pochutla (1332), and Tlaxiaco (3944). Highland pastures and grassy road shoulders should be searched for more populations of this unusual plant. For studies of variation, all fronds should be taken, leaving the underground stems unharmed to produce new fronds the following season.