Cheilanthes jamaicensis Maxon

  • Authority

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

  • Family

    Pteridaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Cheilanthes jamaicensis Maxon

  • Description

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    Species Description - Rhizomes short-creeping, horizontal, ca. 2 mm diam.; rhizome scales linear-lanceolate, bicolorous with black central stripe and tan margins, 2–3 mm long, entire; fronds to 35 cm long, clumped; stipes 1/3–2/3 the frond length, castaneous, terete, with appressed, whitish, linear scales, 2–3 mm long, rachises with similar scales; blades lanceolate, tripinnate-pinnatifid proximally, tripinnate distally; ultimate segments distant, constricted at bases, narrowly elliptic, mostly 1–2 x 1 mm (or less); costae and costules abaxially with numerous narrow scales like those of rachises and stipes; adaxial surfaces with scattered hairs; abaxial surfaces densely to sparsely villous, hairs white, usually not obscuring laminar tissue; laminar margins recurved, slightly differentiated, whitish; sporangia 32-spored; spores brown.

  • Discussion

    Type. Jamaica. Below Cinchona, Harris 12905 (US; isotypes GH!, NY!).

    Unverified, Doubtful, or Mistaken Reports. Ver (reported by Smith, 1981, but not verified).

    Cheilanthes jamaicensis has linear, white, appressed scales 4– 8 cells wide (and few if any hairs) on costae, whereas C. tomentosa has a mixture of twisted orange-tan hairs and only sparse scales mostly 2–4 cells wide.

    Cheilanthes jamaicensis has an unusual disjunct distribution, occurring in Jamaica and in both northern and southern Mexico.