Pteridium aquilinum var. latiusculum

(Desvaux) L. Underwood ex A. Heller

Cat. N. Amer. Pl. ed. 3 17. 1909.

Common names: Eastern bracken
Illustrated
Basionym: Pteris latiuscula (Desvaux) Hieronymus ex Fries Mém. Soc. Linn. Paris 6. 2: 303. 1827
Synonyms: Pteridium latiusculum
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 2.

Petiole 15–100 cm. Blade broadly triangular to sometimes ovate, 3-pinnate or 3-pinnate-pinnatifid at base, 20–80 × 25–50 cm; blade margins and abaxial surface shaggy, rachises and costae glabrous or sparsely pilose abaxially. Pinnae (proximal) broadly triangular, distal pinnae narrowly triangular or oblong; terminal segment of each pinna ca. 2–4 times longer than wide, longer ultimate segments less than their width apart, ca. 3–6 mm wide. Pinnules at 45°–60° angle to costa; fertile ultimate segments adnate or equally decurrent and surcurrent. Outer indusia entire or somewhat erose, glabrous. 2n = 104.


Habitat: In barrens, pastures, open woodlands in moderately to strong acid soil, abundant, forming large colonies
Elevation: 0–1500 m

Distribution

V2 371-distribution-map.gif

St. Pierre and Miquelon, Alta., B.C., Man., N.B., Nfld. and Labr. (Nfld.), N.S., P.E.I., Ont., Que., Ala., Ark., Conn., Del., D.C., Fla., Ga., Ill., Ind., Iowa, Ky., La., Maine, Md., Mass., Mich., Minn., Miss., Mo., N.H., N.J., N.Y., N.C., N.Dak., Ohio, Pa., R.I., S.C., S.Dak., Tenn., Vt., Va., W.Va., Wis., Mexico in Nuevo León, Europe, Asia

Discussion

Colonies are more frequent in the northern part of the range. Fertile colonies, however, are more frequent in the southern and eastern portion of the range. Outliers in British Columbia and Alberta, which we have not seen, are documented in W. J. Cody and D. M. Britton (1989).

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.
60 +  and 45 +
Carol A. Jacobs +  and James H. Peck +
(Desvaux) L. Underwood ex A. Heller +
distinct +
Pteris latiuscula +
1-pinnate;decompound +
20 cm200 mm <br />0.2 m <br /> (80 cm800 mm <br />0.8 m <br />) +
glabrous +  and hairy +
3-pinnate-pinnatifid;3-pinnate;ovate;triangular +
papery;leathery +
25 cm250 mm <br />0.25 m <br /> (50 cm500 mm <br />0.5 m <br />) +
Eastern bracken +
pilose +  and glabrous +
oblong +  and triangular +
St. Pierre and Miquelon +, Alta. +, B.C. +, Man. +, N.B. +, Nfld. and Labr. (Nfld.) +, N.S. +, P.E.I. +, Ont. +, Que. +, Ala. +, Ark. +, Conn. +, Del. +, D.C. +, Fla. +, Ga. +, Ill. +, Ind. +, Iowa +, Ky. +, La. +, Maine +, Md. +, Mass. +, Mich. +, Minn. +, Miss. +, Mo. +, N.H. +, N.J. +, N.Y. +, N.C. +, N.Dak. +, Ohio +, Pa. +, R.I. +, S.C. +, S.Dak. +, Tenn. +, Vt. +, Va. +, W.Va. +, Wis. +, Mexico in Nuevo León +, Europe +  and Asia +
0–1500 m +
In barrens, pastures, open woodlands in moderately to strong acid soil, abundant, forming large colonies +
pale +  and dark +
fused +  and free +
monomorphic +
deltate +
50 cm500 mm <br />0.5 m <br /> (450 cm4,500 mm <br />4.5 m <br />) +
0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br /> (0.6 cm6 mm <br />0.006 m <br />) +
glabrous +  and short-hairy +
15 cm150 mm <br />0.15 m <br /> (100 cm1,000 mm <br />1 m <br />) +
Cat. N. Amer. Pl. ed. 3 +
pilose +  and glabrous +
Illustrated +
tetrahedral-globose +
granulate +
branching +  and solenostelic +
subterranean +
slender +
Pteridium latiusculum +
Pteridium aquilinum var. latiusculum +
Pteridium aquilinum +
variety +
o--shaped +  and u +
forking +  and pinnate +
joined +  and free +
2-3-forked +