Pteris cretica var. albolineata
Bot. Mag. plate 5194. 1860.
Pinnae with white or pale green, longitudinal streak along middle; sterile pinnae to ca. 25 mm wide, fertile pinnae to ca. 15 mm wide; terminal pinna usually not decurrent on rachis.
Habitat: Terrestrial or on rock on wooded slopes or shaded limestone ledges and sink margins in circumneutral soil
Distribution
Introduced; Fla., natural range uncertain (see discussion of species)
Discussion
Two taxa are considered doubtful species and are therefore excluded. Pteris ensiformis Burman f. cv. victoriae Baker was reported for peninsular Florida by E. T. Wherry (1964), and as far as I can determine, this is the only report of the species for the flora. The source for the record is uncertain. Pteris grandifolia Linnaeus was reported from Dade County, Florida, by T. Darling Jr. (1961), the original find probably occurring in 1952 (E. T. Wherry 1964) and representing either an escape from cultivation or plants merely persistent from cultivation. Recent searches throughout the original location have failed to turn up extant populations; probably the plants have disappeared.
Selected References
None.