Nephrolepis cordifolia (L.) C.Presl

Authority

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

Family

Nephrolepidaceae

Scientific Name

Nephrolepis cordifolia (L.) C.Presl

Description

Species Description - Rhizomes erect, stoloniferous, often with tubers; rhizome scales spreading, concolorous, linear, orange to tan, 1–3 mm long, margins entire; stipes 9–18 cm long, ca. 1/6 the frond length, light brown, grooved, often persistently fibrillose-scaly; blades firm, herbaceous, linear-elliptic, 30–80 x 5–7 cm; rachises light brown, fibrillose-scaly, scales bicolorous (pale with dark point of attachment); pinnae narrowly deltate, apices acute, bases unequal, lobed with basiscopic lobe rounded to cordate, not overlapping rachises, acroscopic lobe larger, auriculate, slightly overlapping the rachis, margins crenate; veins indistinct, glabrous; hydathodes often lime-dotted on adaxial blade surfaces; indusia tan, reniform to lunate, 1–1.3 mm in longest dimension, mostly opening toward pinna apices, attached along broad, shallow sinuses, opening toward pinna apices; 2n=82 (India).

Discussion

Polypodium cordifolium L., Sp. Pl. 2: 1089. 1753. Type. Petiver, Pter. Amer., t.1, f. 11, 1712, which is a transposed copy of Plumier, Traite´ Foug. Ame´r., pl. 71, 1705, illustrating a plant from Hispaniola.

Unverified, Doubtful, or Mistaken Reports. Tab (reported by Magan˜a, 1992, probably based on a misidentification). This species is probably not native in Mexico (or Central America either), but is relatively recently introduced and naturalized in a few localities. The two Chiapas collections cited are from cultivated plants in gardens in and around San Cristo´bal Las Casas, and the two specimens from Distrito Federal are also from cultivated plants in or near Mexico City. Arse`ne 6690 (MEXU), cited by Di´az-Barriga and Palacios-Rios (1992) from Michoaca´n, has not been found, but is apparently of garden origin (Palacios-Rios, pers. comm.); they cited this same collection, from the same herbarium, as N. pectinata. Rzedowski 29996 is from very disturbed oak forests. Most of the specimens in herbaria that have been identified as N. cordifolia have proven to be other species, particularly N. pectinata and N. pendula. See N. pendula, N. exaltata, and key for differences and discussion. Mexia 9274 has been determined as this species in some herbaria (e.g., NY), by Nauman, 1979, but apparently he later changed either his mind or species concepts, as other specimens of the same gathering (e.g., in UC, 1984) are determined by him as N. pectinata. All specimens of this number appear to be the same taxon, and we concur with this more recent determination. Nephrolepis cordifolia ‘Duffii’, a form with small orbicular pinnae, is sometimes cultivated in Mexico, but it is always vegetative and not likely escaped. However, a specimen has been seen from Tabasco, Acosta 42 (UAMIZ), “de abundancia regular en selva alta perennifolia en el cerro del madrigal.” This taxon was cited and illustrated from Tabasco by Magan˜a (1992) as Jamesonia alstonii!

Distribution

Terrestrial on montane cloud forest; 750-1500 (-2200) m. USA (Fla); Mexico; Guat, Hond, Pan; Gr & L Ant; Peru, Braz; Old World tropics. Often attributed a much broader range in South America, by virtue of inclusion of N. pendula.

Mexico North America| Brazil South America| Peru South America| West Indies| Panama Central America| Honduras Central America| Guatemala Central America|