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