Dicranopteris flexuosa

(Schrader) L. Underwood

Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 34: 254. 1907.

Common names: Forked fern net fern
Illustrated
Basionym: Mertensia flexuosa Schrader Gött. Gel. Anz. 1824: 863. 1824
Synonyms: Gleichenia flexuosa (Schrader) Mettenius
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 2.

Stems 2–5 mm diam.; hairs reddish-brown to chestnut-brown, falling off early. Leaves to more than 1 m, axes straw-colored, glabrous except at petiole base. Penultimate segments sessile, divergent to ascending, in ± equal pairs, deeply pinnatisect, lanceolate to oblanceolate, to 30 × 6 cm wide, leathery, glabrous, whitish waxy or glaucous abaxially. Ultimate segments linear, slightly dilated proximally, margins strongly revolute, apex retuse. Sori nearer midrib than margin; sporangia usually 6–12 per sorus.


Habitat: Terrestrial and climbing on open slopes in drainage ditches, widespread, tropical
Elevation: 0 m

Distribution

V2 634-distribution-map.gif

Ala., Fla., Mexico, Central America, South America

Discussion

Plants in Florida tend to be depauperate when compared to tropical populations; individual leaves are smaller and plants seldom form dense thickets. Dicranopteris flexuosa appears to be a natural element in the flora (J. R. Burkhalter 1985; R. Moyroud and C. E. Nauman 1989). Plants may not persist very long, however, as evidenced by Alabama and some Florida populations that are no longer extant.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.
... more about "Dicranopteris flexuosa"
stipule-like +
Clifton E. Nauman +
(Schrader) L. Underwood +
straw-colored +
Mertensia flexuosa +
Forked fern +  and net fern +
Ala. +, Fla. +, Mexico +, Central America +  and South America +
obcordate;elongate +
indeterminate +
Terrestrial and climbing on open slopes in drainage ditches, widespread, tropical +
reddish-brown;chestnut-brown +
monomorphic +
glaucous +  and glabrous +
lanceolate +  and oblanceolate +
ceraceous +  and leathery +
0 cm0 mm <br />0 m <br /> (6 cm60 mm <br />0.06 m <br />) +
not articulate +
Bull. Torrey Bot. Club +
Illustrated +
sessile;subsessile +
whitish;yellowish +
globose +
0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br /> (0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br />) +
ornamented +
Gleichenia flexuosa +
Dicranopteris flexuosa +
Dicranopteris +
species +
2-4-forked +