Polypodium lycopodioides L.

  • Authority

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

  • Family

    Polypodiaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Polypodium lycopodioides L.

  • Description

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    Species Description - Rhizome wide-creeping, densely clothed with lance- or linear-attenuate, hair-pointed scales 6-10 mm long, these reddish-brown at first, becoming bicolorous with age, peltately attached and with laxly ciliate margins. Fronds distant, subdimorphic, with stipes very short or lacking. Sterile blades linear-lanceolate to ligulate, 5-20 cm long, 1-2.5 cm broad, narrowed at both ends, the margins entire or slightly sinuate, narrowly cartilaginous and flat or minutely revolute; veins reticulate, forming a row of polygonal areoles mostly vrithout included free veinlets along either side of rhachis, then a series of much larger areoles of irregular shape, these mostly containing up to six included free veinlets, simple or branched and pointing in all directions, then a third uneven series of smaller polygonal areoles, a few with a single included free veinlet, and a few free vein tips outside the areoles not quite reaching the margins; tissue firmly herbaceous, semiopaque. Fertile blades often nanower than the sterile ones, elliptic to linear, 0.5-1 cm broad; sori medial or supramedial, terminal on several inwardly pointing tips of free veinlets in the largest series of areoles; paraphyses few, concealed, hairlike.

    Distribution and Ecology - General Distribution. Pantropical. Distribution in Puerto Rico. Of wide occurrence, probably in the majority of municipios; recorded from Arecibo, Cayey, Dorado, Gurabo, Jayuya, Luquillo, Manati, Maricao, Naguabo, Salinas, San German, Utuado, Yabucoa, and Yauco. Virgin Islands. St. John and Tortola. Habitat. On trees and shrubs, or sometimes on mossy ledges and boulders, at low to high elevations (sea-level-1200 m), frequent or common.

  • Discussion

    Type. LINN 1251.2, from an unknown locality. Linnaeus cited "Martinica, Domingo, Jamaica," probably all on the basis of collateral references.

    Syn. Pleopeltis lycopodioides (Linnaeus) K. Presl, Tent. pterid. 193. 1836.

    Phlebodium lycopodioides (Linnaeus) J. Smith ex Hooker, Companion Bot. Mag. 72: 12. 1846.

    Drynaria lycopodioides (Linnaeus) Fee, Mem. foug. 5: 270. 1852.

    Anapeltis lycopodioides (Linnaeus) J. Smith, Cat. Cult. Fems 6. 1857.

    Niphobolus lycopodioides (Linnaeus) Keyserling, Polyp, herb, bunge. 38. 1873.

    Phymatodes lycopodioides (Linnaeus) Millspaugh, Publ. Field Columbian Mus., Bot. Ser, 3: 12. 1903.

    Microgramma lycopodioides (Linnaeus) Copeland, Gen, fil, 185. 1947.

    (Many other synonyms exist.)