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Kunth's maiden fern, southern shield fern, widespread maiden fern

hairy maiden fern, roughhairy maiden fern

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

Thelypteris hispidula

Habitat Roadsides, ditches, riverbanks, woodlands, limestone sinks
Elevation 0–100 m (0–300 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
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
[WildflowerSearch map]
from FNA
AL; FL; GA; LA; MS; SC; TX; North America; Mexico; Central America; South America; tropical and subtropical; West Indies in the Antilles; Asia; Africa
[WildflowerSearch map]
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.)

Varieties 4 (1 in the flora).

This species and the next are included in Christella subg. Christella by R. E. Holttum (1982).

The relationship between Old World and New World varieties is unstudied.

(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
T. augescens, T. dentata, T. grandis, T. hispidula, T. interrupta, T. nevadensis, T. noveboracensis, T. ovata, T. palustris, T. patens, T. pilosa, T. puberula, T. quelpaertensis, T. reptans, T. resinifera, T. reticulata, T. sclerophylla, T. serrata, T. simulata, T. tetragona
T. augescens, T. dentata, T. grandis, T. interrupta, T. kunthii, T. nevadensis, T. noveboracensis, T. ovata, T. palustris, T. patens, T. pilosa, T. puberula, T. quelpaertensis, T. reptans, T. resinifera, T. reticulata, T. sclerophylla, T. serrata, T. simulata, T. tetragona
Subordinate taxa
T. hispidula var. versicolor
Synonyms Nephrodium kunthii, Christella normalis, Dryopteris normalis, T. macrorhizoma, T. normalis, T. saxatilis, T. unca Aspidium hispidulum, Christella hispidula, Cyclosorus quadrangularis, Dryopteris hispidula, Dryopteris quadrangularis, T. quadrangularis
Name authority (Desvaux) C. V. Morton: Contr. U.S. Natl. Herb. 38: 53. (1967) (Decaisne) C. F. Reed: Phytologia 17: 283. (1968)
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