Pteris biaurita 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

    Pteris biaurita L.

  • Description

    Deprecated: mb_convert_encoding(): Handling HTML entities via mbstring is deprecated; use htmlspecialchars, htmlentities, or mb_encode_numericentity/mb_decode_numericentity instead in /home/emu/nybgweb/www-dev/htdocs/science-dev/wp-content/themes/nybgscience/lib/VHMonographsDetails.php on line 179

    Species Description - Rhizomes suberect, moderately stout; rhizome scales 2–2.5 x 1–1.2 mm, bicolorous, centers black, heavily sclerified, margins wide, brown, fringed; fronds 60–100 cm long; stipes 1/3–1/2 the frond length, stramineous, glabrous with occasional trichomidia; blades pinnate-pinnatifid, with one exaggerated basiscopic pinnule per basal pinna; pinnae sessile; segments to 17–20 x 5 cm, ultimate ones entire, obtuse, adaxial surfaces glabrous, abaxial surfaces glabrous except for occasional trichomidia 0.1 mm long; pinna awns lanceolate 0.1–0.3 mm; veins generally free except for single costal areoles between adjacent costules; indusia 0.5– 0.8 mm wide, entire; sporangia mixed with paraphyses 0.3–0.5 mm long; spores reddish brown; n=2n=58 (Jam), 87 (several Old World).

  • Discussion

    Lectotype (chosen by Proctor, 1977: 145). Plumier, Descr. Pl. Ame´r., pl. 14, 1693 (Traite´ Foug. Ame´r., pl. 15. 1705), illustrating a plant from Martinique or Hispaniola. LINN 1246.19 was added after 1755, according to Jackson (1912).

    Pteris biaurita closely resembles P. quadriaurita in blade form, but is distinguished by the costal areoles.

  • Distribution

    Along river banks in wet lowland forests, lower montane rain forests, tropical deciduous forests, montane cloud forests, in ravines; 350–800 m. Mexico; Guat, Bel, Hond, Salv, Nic, CR, Pan; Gr & L Ant; Col, Ven, Trin, Guy, Sur, Fr Gui, Ec, Peru, s Braz, Bol; Old World tropics.

    Bolivia South America| Brazil South America| Peru South America| Ecuador South America| French Guiana South America| Suriname South America| Guyana South America| Trinidad and Tobago South America| Venezuela South America| West Indies| Panama Central America| Costa Rica South America| Nicaragua Central America| El Salvador Central America| Honduras Central America| Belize Central America| Guatemala Central America| México Mexico North America|