Elaphoglossum

  • Authority

    Proctor, George R. 1989. Ferns of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 53: 1-389.

  • Family

    Dryopteridaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Elaphoglossum Schott ex J.Sm.

  • Description

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    Species Description - Small to medium-sized fems, mostly epiphytic but also sometimes growing on rocks or on the ground, occurring in moist to wet montane forests at medium to high elevations. Rhizomes creeping and elongate to short and decumbent or erect, slender to rather thick, usually bearing scales at apex. Fronds dimorphic, stipitate to nearly without stipe, attached near the rhizome to a discolored phyllopodium but not evidently articulate, usually with at least a few scales at least on stipe, these conspicuous or minute, rarely absent entirely; minute hairs sometimes present; sterile blades simple, linear to nearly round, with entire margins; veins mostly parallel and free or joined only at or near margins, rarely reticulate but if so the areoles without included free veinlets. Fertile fronds similar to the sterile ones or more often differing slightly to strongly in length of stipe and size or shape of blade; sporangia covering entire abaxial surface of blade except for the costa and narrow margin; indusium lacking; paraphyses present or absent; sporangia with annulus of about 12 cells; spores ellipsoid, monolete, with low, saccate, or winglike folds, the surface minutely echinate to reticulate, the folds sometimes perforate or fenestrate, or sometimes folds absent and the surface variously echinate, reticulate, or vermcose.

  • Discussion

    Type Species. Elaphoglossum conforme (Swartz) Schott ex J. Smith, based on Acrostichum conforme Swartz, of Africa.

    A pantropical genus of more than 500 species, the majority in tropical America, apparently a considerable number still undescnbed. Eighteen species are now known to occur in Puerto Rico, one of them endemic. The generic name is derived from the Greek elaphos, stag + glossa, tongue, from the fancied resemblance of the fronds to a deer s tongue.

    Special Literature. Christ, H. 1899. Monographie des genus Elaphoglossum. Neue Denkschr. Schweiz Naturf. Ges. 36: 1-159, t. 1-4; Morton, C. V. 1939. Notes on Elaphoglossum, I, Amer. Fem J. 29: 10-14; Morton,CV. 1948. II, Op. cit. 38:202-214; Anderson, W. R. 1965. Proposal for the conservation ofthe generic name Elaphoglossum, etc. Regnum Veg. 40: 18-19; Tryon, RM. & A. F. Tryon. 1982. Ferns and allied plants, pp. 617-627, 34 figs.