Thelypteris kunthii |
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Kunth's maiden fern, southern shield fern, widespread maiden fern |
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Stems | short- to long-creeping, 4–8 mm diam. |
Leaves | monomorphic, evergreen, up to 2(–3) cm apart, (15–)50–160 cm. |
Petiole | straw-colored, (5–)20–80 × (1–)3–6 mm, at base with brown, linear-lanceolate, hairy scales. |
Blade | (9–)30–80 cm, broadest at base, gradually tapered to pinnatifid apex. |
Pinnae | (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, hairy, hairs 0.2–0.4 mm; sporangial glands obscure, yellowish, stalked, arising from sporangial stalks. |
Indument | 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. |
Thelypteris kunthii |
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Habitat | Roadsides, ditches, riverbanks, woodlands, limestone sinks |
Elevation | 0–100 m (0–300 ft) |
Distribution |
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
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Discussion | 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. |
Parent taxa | Thelypteridaceae > Thelypteris > subg. Cyclosorus |
Sibling taxa | |
Synonyms | Nephrodium kunthii, Christella normalis, Dryopteris normalis, T. macrorhizoma, T. normalis, T. saxatilis, T. unca |
Name authority | (Desvaux) C. V. Morton: Contr. U.S. Natl. Herb. 38: 53. (1967) |
Web links |