Thelypteris interrupta |
Thelypteris kunthii |
|
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Hottentot fern, spready tri-vein fern, Willdenow's fern, Willdenow's maiden fern |
Kunth's maiden fern, southern shield fern, widespread maiden fern |
|
Stems | long-creeping, cordlike, 3–6 mm diam. |
short- to long-creeping, 4–8 mm diam. |
Leaves | monomorphic, evergreen, 3–6 cm apart, 50–150(–250) cm. |
monomorphic, evergreen, up to 2(–3) cm apart, (15–)50–160 cm. |
Petiole | straw-colored to tan, 20–125 cm × 3–6 mm, scaleless. |
straw-colored, (5–)20–80 × (1–)3–6 mm, at base with brown, linear-lanceolate, hairy scales. |
Blade | 30–125 cm, broadest at base, gradually narrowed distally to pinnatifid apex. |
(9–)30–80 cm, broadest at base, gradually tapered to pinnatifid apex. |
Pinnae | 7–30 × 1–2 cm, incised 1/3–1/2(–3/5) of width; segments deltate, rounded to acute; proximal pair of veins from adjacent segments united at acute or obtuse angle below sinus, with excurrent vein 2–4 mm. |
(2–)8–15(–20) × (0.6–)1–2.5 cm, incised 3/5–4/5 of width; segments oblong, rounded to acute at apex; proximal pair of veins from adjacent segments running to sinus, or nearly so. |
Sori | round, medial to supramedial; indusia tan, glabrous to hairy; sporangia with red- or orange-capped, stalked, globose glands arising from sporangial stalks. |
round, medial to supramedial; indusia tan, hairy, hairs 0.2–0.4 mm; sporangial glands obscure, yellowish, stalked, arising from sporangial stalks. |
Indument | abaxially of hairs 0.1–0.3 mm on costae and veins, or hairs often lacking, costae also with tan, ovate scales; veins, costules, and costae adaxially glabrous or sparsely pubescent; blade tissue without hairs on both sides, or hairy abaxially, usually with red to orange, shiny, sessile, hemispheric glands abaxially. |
abaxially of hairs mostly 0.3–1 mm on costae, veins, and blade tissue; veins adaxially with similar hairs but blade tissue usually without hairs, often with scattered yellowish, stalked glands 0.1 mm. |
2n | = 144. |
= 144. |
Thelypteris interrupta |
Thelypteris kunthii |
|
Habitat | Wet roadside ditches, riverbanks, marshes, and cypress swamps | Roadsides, ditches, riverbanks, woodlands, limestone sinks |
Elevation | 0–50 m (0–200 ft) | 0–100 m (0–300 ft) |
Distribution |
FL; LA; Mexico; Central America; West Indies in the Antilles; South America to Argentina; tropical and subtropical Asia; Africa |
AL; AR; FL; GA; LA; MS; SC; TX; e,s Mexico; West Indies; Bermuda; Central America to Costa Rica; South America from Colombia to n Brazil
|
Discussion | D. B. Lellinger (1985) applied the name Thelypteris interrupta to specimens from India, while using T. totta (type from South Africa) for North American and South American specimens. Diploid cytotypes are known from Africa and Asia, whereas all counts from the Neotropics are tetraploid. Until more counts are available and the morphologic variation (chiefly in glands, pubescence, and leaf size) in this species complex is better understood, I prefer to circumscribe the species broadly. R. E. Holttum (1982) circumscribed Cyclosorus (as a genus) to include this species and one or two others. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Thelypteris kunthii occasionally hybridizes with T. augescens and T. ovata in Florida; hybrids with T. hispidula may also occur. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 2. | FNA vol. 2. |
Parent taxa | Thelypteridaceae > Thelypteris > subg. Cyclosorus | Thelypteridaceae > Thelypteris > subg. Cyclosorus |
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | Pteris interrupta, Cyclosorus gongylodes, Cyclosorus interruptus, Cyclosorus tottus, Dryopteris gongylodes, T. gongylodes, T. totta | Nephrodium kunthii, Christella normalis, Dryopteris normalis, T. macrorhizoma, T. normalis, T. saxatilis, T. unca |
Name authority | (Willdenow) K. Iwatsuki: Jap. J. Bot. 38: 314. (1963) | (Desvaux) C. V. Morton: Contr. U.S. Natl. Herb. 38: 53. (1967) |
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