Cheiroglossa palmata

(Linnaeus) C. Presl

Suppl. Tent. Pterid. 57. 1845.

Common names: Hand fern
Illustrated
Basionym: Ophioglossum palmatum Linnaeus Sp. Pl. 2: 1063. 1753
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 2.

Roots tan, to 15 per plant, 1–1.5 mm diam., proliferating in humus or underneath palm leaf-bases. Stems 0.5–1.5 cm, covered near apex with dense tuft of white to light-brown, multicellular hairs to 7 mm. Trophophore blades green, shiny, to 45 × 30 cm, proximal margins diverging 90°–150° from stalk, with up to 7 rounded to mostly linear, acute lobes; venation complex-reticulate, very coarse, veinlets included in (usually elongate) very large major areoles to 35 × 8 mm, veinlets free or sometimes forming individual secondary areoles; blades firm, herbaceous. Trophophore stalk well defined, 1–2.5 times as long as trophophore blade. Sporophores single and central only on youngest or smallest leaves, normally to 10 per leaf, arising closely spaced from both sides of base of trophophore blade and top of stalk, sporangial clusters 1–7cm × 2.5–3 mm, apiculum absent.


Habitat: Evergreen. Among leaf bases on palmetto trunks [Sabal palmetto (Walter) Loddiges ex Schultes & Schultes f.], mainly in hammocks and swamps
Elevation: 0–50 m

Distribution

V2 460-distribution-map.gif

Fla., Mexico, West Indies, Central America, South America, disjunct in Asia in s Vietnam, Africa in Madagascar, Seychelles, and Réunion

Discussion

This very remarkable plant is becoming extremely rare in Florida.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.
... more about "Cheiroglossa palmata"
rounded +  and acute +
0 cm0 mm <br />0 m <br /> (3.5 cm35 mm <br />0.035 m <br />) +
large +  and major +
0 cm0 mm <br />0 m <br /> (0.8 cm8 mm <br />0.008 m <br />) +
Warren H. Wagner Jr. +  and Florence S. Wagner +
(Linnaeus) C. Presl +
Ophioglossum palmatum +
0 cm0 mm <br />0 m <br /> (45 cm450 mm <br />0.45 m <br />) +
fan--shaped +  and lobed +
0 cm0 mm <br />0 m <br /> (30 cm300 mm <br />0.3 m <br />) +
2 +  and 20 +
0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br /> (0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br />) +
Hand fern +
Fla. +, Mexico +, West Indies +, Central America +, South America +, disjunct in Asia in s Vietnam +, Africa in Madagascar +, Seychelles +  and and Réunion +
0–50 m +
brown +  and white +
Evergreen. Among leaf bases on palmetto trunks [Sabal palmetto (Walter) Loddiges ex Schultes & Schultes f.], mainly in hammocks and swamps +
multicellular +
white;light-brown +
major +  and large +
of widely scattered , long , uniseriate hairs +
acute +, rounded +  and mostly linear +
epiphytic +  and terrestrial +
spore-bearing +  and laminate +
photosynthetic +
with long , uniseriate hairs +  and glabrous +
Suppl. Tent. Pterid. +
with a few narrow lateral branches +  and unbranched +
0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br /> (0.15 cm1.5 mm <br />0.0015 m <br />) +
proliferating +
proliferous +
divided +
major +  and large +
Illustrated +
0.05 cm0.5 mm <br />5.0e-4 m <br /> (0.15 cm1.5 mm <br />0.0015 m <br />) +
thick-walled +  and trilete +
simple +  and branched +
cluster +  and spaced +
1cm +  and 7cm +
0.25 cm2.5 mm <br />0.0025 m <br /> (0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br />) +
divided +
unbranched +  and simple +
0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br /> (1.5 cm15 mm <br />0.015 m <br />) +
0 cm0 mm <br />0 m <br /> (0.15 cm1.5 mm <br />0.0015 m <br />) +
thicker +
tuberculate +  and rugate +
Cheiroglossa palmata +
Cheiroglossa +
species +
0 cm0 mm <br />0 m <br /> (45 cm450 mm <br />0.45 m <br />) +
0cm +  and 30cm +
pendent +  and arching +
1-2.5 times as long as trophophore blade +
0 cm0 mm <br />0 m <br /> (0.7 cm7 mm <br />0.007 m <br />) +
anastomosing +
like +, arranged +  and pinnate +
major +  and large +