Diplopterygium bancroftii (Hook.) A.R.Sm.

  • Authority

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

  • Family

    Gleicheniaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Diplopterygium bancroftii (Hook.) A.R.Sm.

  • Description

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    Species Description - Rhizomes long-creeping, 2–5 mm diam.; rhizome scales appressed, castaneous, linear-lanceolate, 3–4(–8) x 0.3–0.5 mm, margins entire or with minute bumps, deciduous leaving a smooth surface; fronds to more than 5 m long, erect to scandent; stipes stout, 1.5–2.5 m long, 3–5 mm diam., stramineous to light brown, glabrescent, smooth to slightly rough from fallen scales; blades with apex dormant, with only two large, bipinnate pinnae or rachis continuing and producing additional pairs of opposite pinnate; dormant buds large with abundant, entire, white to yellowish or tan, ovate to lanceolate, entire scales with cordate base, 6–10 x 1.5–2.5 mm; pinnae 100–250 x 15–30 cm, with lateral wings connecting the ultimate branches (pinnules); pinnules 5– 15 x 1.5–3(–4) cm; segments linear, distant, 7–20 x 2–3 mm, decurrent, chartaceous to subcoriaceous, revolute, scaly when young, glabrescent with rare, short, clavate hairs 0.1 mm long; sori inframedial between segment margins and midveins, sporangia 3–5 per sorus, mixed with a few golden hairs 0.5 mm long; 2n=112 (Oax, Jam).

  • Discussion

    Gleichenia bancroftii Hook., Sp. Fil. 1: 5, t. 4A. 1844. Mertensia bancroftii (Hook.) Kunze, Linnaea 18: 307. 1844. Dicranopteris bancroftii (Hook.) Underw., Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 34: 252. 1907. Hicriopteris bancroftii (Hook.) Ching, Sunyatsenia 5: 278. 1940. Lectotype (chosen here). Jamaica. Bancroft s.n. (K!; isolectotype BM!).

    Mertensia bancroftii (Hook.) Kunze var. vitellina Kunze, Linnaea 18: 308. 1844. Syntypes. Mexico, Leibold 108; Venezuela, Caracas, Moritz 11 (LZ destroyed; isosyntype of Moritz 11 at B). The type was incorrectly stated by Lellinger (1989: 231) to be Moritz 11.

    Nakai (1950) applied the name Diplopterygium farinosum (Kaulf.) Nakai to this species and treated Gleichenia bancroftii Hook. as a synonym, but the basionym of the former, Mertensia farinosa Kaulf. (1827), has been more recently applied to a species now regarded as belonging to the genus Sticherus, S. farinosus (Kaulf.) Ching (see Proctor, 1977), endemic to the Lesser Antilles. Neither the collector nor locality were specified in the protologue of Mertensia farinosa according to Proctor. Østergaard Andersen and Øllgaard (2001) noted that in Ecuador, the dormant rachis buds seem to break dormancy at least annually in favorable habitats, adding a new pinna pair and dormant bud each year. This allows the species to persist in regenerating vegetation, many years after disturbance, and to re-orient the new pinnae so as to assume optimum exposure and support for the scandent fronds.

  • Distribution

    Open lands or light woods at middle to upper elevations, pine-fir forests, alder and oak forests; 1050–2200 (–2600) m. Mexico; Guat, Hond, Salv, CR; Jam, Hisp, L Ant; Col, Ven, Ec, Peru, Bol.

    Mexico North America| Bolivia South America| Peru South America| Amazonas Ecuador South America| Venezuela South America| West Indies| West Indies| Jamaica South America| Puntarenas Costa Rica Central America| El Salvador Central America| Honduras Central America| Guatemala Central America|