Hemionitis palmata L.

  • Authority

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

  • Family

    Pteridaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Hemionitis palmata L.

  • Description

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    Species Description - Rhizomes erect, 2–3 mm diam.; rhizome scales linear, concolorous, light brown, 4–5 x 0.8 mm; fronds 7–27 cm long, clumped, dimorphic, the sterile much shorter and spreading with rounder lobes, the fertile fronds about twice as tall as the sterile ones; stipes 1/2–5/6 the frond length, to 1.8 mm diam., castaneous, grooved to flattened adaxially, with narrow, light brown scales, those at base grading into multicellular, acicular or capitate hairs and short glandular hairs 0.1 mm; blades palmate with 3–5 acute lobes, 4.5–10 cm wide; margins crenulate, not recurved, with buds in the larger sinuses, but usually only one developing into a new plant (under exceptionally high humidity buds sometimes also developing in many of the minor notches); veins netted without included veinlets, the five major veins dark; adaxial and abaxial surfaces pilose with jointed, somewhat curved, multicellular, acicular hairs 1–1.5 mm long; sori along all veins; spores light yellow-orange; 2n=60 (Oax, CR, Jam).

  • Discussion

    Type. Several citations, incl. Plumier, Descr. Pl. Ame´r., pl. 33. 1693.

    This species crosses with H. pinnatifida in Oaxaca (Mickel, 1974) forming a triploid hybrid with malformed spores. Apparently, the genome of H. pinnatifida includes a genome from H. palmata, since the hybrid has 30II and 30I at meiosis (Smith & Mickel, 1977). Specimens of H. palmata x pinnatifida from Oaxaca are in woods and among exposed rocks, 750–1050 m, in the districts of Juquila (Mickel 6133b, NY) and Villa Alta (Mickel 1113, NY). Hybrids are distinguished from H. palmata by the malformed spores, spottily bicolorous scales, (5–)7 pinnately arranged dark major veins, the dark portion of major veins extending into minor veins, and small buds in smaller sinuses in addition to larger bud in a major sinus. Hemionitis palmata also crosses with H. rufa in Jamaica. The hybrid should be sought where these two occur together.

  • Distribution

    Terrestrial, in soil on moist rocky slopes in mesic forests; 60-1000 m. Mexico; Guat, Bel, Hond, Salv, Nic, CR, Pan; Cuba; Col, Ven, Trin, Guy, Sur, Fr Gui, Ec, Peru, Braz, Bol.

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