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Pecluma ptilodon caespitosum

(Palmleaf Rockcap Fern)

Common Names

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Common Names in English:

Palmleaf Rockcap Fern

Description

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Family Polypodiaceae

Plants perennial , terrestrial , on rock, or often epiphytic, erect , arching , or occasionally pendent. Stems long- to short-creeping, branched or not, bearing scales and few to numerous roots , usually dictyostelic. Leaves monomorphic to dimorphic , circinate in bud. Petiole usually articulate at base [rarely nonarticulate , as in Loxogramme ], lacking scales or sometimes scaly , with usually 3 vascular bundles . Blade simple to often pinnatifid , pinnatisect , or pinnate, infrequently more divided ; rachis grooved or not adaxially. Veins free (and simple to several times forked ) to often anastomosing in complex systems, areoles with or without included veinlets . Indument on blade absent, or petiole, rachis, costae, and sometimes blade tissue usually bearing hairs (these often septate and with reddish crosswalls) and/or scales. Sori borne abaxially on veins, round to oblong , occasionally elongate , rarely marginal , rarely covering surface; paraphyses present or absent; sporangia with stalk of 2 or 3 rows of cells ; indusia absent. Spores usually transparent or yellowish (rarely greenish), all 1 kind, bilateral , monolete [rarely trilete, as in some Loxogramme], surface most often smooth , tuberculate , verrucose , or granulate , occasionally spiny , 64 per sporangium (spores globose and 32 per sporangium in apogamous spp. ) . Gametophytes green, aboveground, cordate or elliptic , glabrous or sometimes glandular ; archegonia and antheridia borne on lower surface, antheridia 3-celled.

Genera ca. 40, species perhaps 500 (7 genera, 25 species in the flora ) : worldwide, especially tropics and subtropics.

Genera in this family are variously circumscribed, and the New World species historically were placed in the single genus Polypodium . Many of the segregates recognized here are still placed in Polypodium in recent floristic accounts. Limits of genera in both Old World and New World are controversial and are currently under study by several workers.[1]

Genus Pecluma

Plants terrestrial , on rock, or epiphytic. Stems short-creeping, unbranched, 4--8 mm diam., not whitish pruinose ; scales concolored, ovate to linear-lanceolate, not clathrate, glabrous or pubescent , margins entire . Leaves monomorphic , crowded, narrowed toward tip , to 90 cm. Petiole dark brown to black, round in cross section except for narrow lateral ridge decurrent from base of blade . Blade narrowly oblong to linear , usually pectinate , with more than (20--) 25 pairs of segments, not glaucous, pubescent, scales absent or on midrib only; rachis scaly and/or pubescent or glabrous abaxially, pubescent adaxially, scales basally attached and linear to cordate. Segments usually linear, 1.5--5(--8) mm wide, adnate to costa, closely spaced, margins entire, apex acute. Veins 1--2-forked [simple ], occasionally anastomosing. Sori terminal on veins, round; indument of branched glandular hairs . Spores tuberculate . x = 37.

Species ca. 30: North America, Mexico, West Indies, Central America, South America.

Within Polypodiaceae, Pecluma is distinctive in its short-creeping stems, pectinate blades (usually with more than 30 pairs of segments), and ungrooved, adaxially pubescent rachises.

Many species of Pecluma are well adapted to dry seasons . As the leaves dry out, the segments curl inwardly, presumably retarding moisture loss. After rains, the segments uncurl, apparently undamaged by the period of dryness.[2]

Physical Description

Habit: Forb/herb

Biology

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Reproduction

Duration: Perennial

Taxonomy

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Similar Species

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Members of the genus Pecluma

There are approximately 65 species in this genus:

P. absidata · P. alfredii · P. atra · P. bermudiana · P. boliviana · P. bolivianum · P. camptophyllaria (Colombian Rockcap Fern) · P. camptophyllaria abbreviata (Colombian Rockcap Fern) · P. camptophyllaria camptophyllaria (Colombian Rockcap Fern) · P. camptophyllaria subsp. abbreviata (Colombian Rockcap Fern) · P. camptophyllaria var. abbreviata · P. camptophyllaria var. lachnifera · P. camptophyllaria var. macedoi · P. chiapensis · P. choquetanensis · P. choquetangense · P. choquetangensis · P. consimile · P. consimilis (Montane Rockcap Fern) · P. cupreolepis · P. curvans · P. dispersa (Widespread Rockcap Fern) · P. divaricata · P. eurybasis · P. eurybasis var. glabrescens · P. eurybasis var. villosa · P. eurybasis var. villosum · P. ferruginea · P. filicula · P. funicula · P. hoehnei · P. hoehnii · P. hygometrica · P. hygrometrica · P. hygrometricum · P. imbeana · P. insularis · P. macedoi · P. oranense · P. oranensis · P. paradieae · P. paradiseae · P. pastazensis · P. pectinata (Combleaf Rockcap Fern) · P. pectinatiforme · P. pectinatiformis · P. perpinnata · P. pilosa · P. plumula (Plumed Rockcap Fern) · P. ptilodon (Palmleaf Rockcap Fern) · P. ptilodon caespitosum (Palmleaf Rockcap Fern) · P. ptilodon ptilodon (Palmleaf Rockcap Fern) · P. ptilodon var. caespitosa · P. ptilodon var. pilosa · P. ptilodon var. robusta · P. ptilodon var. robustum · P. recurvata · P. reducida · P. robusta · P. schkuhrii · P. sicca · P. singeri · P. sursumcurrens · P. truncorum · P. venturii

More Info

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Further Reading

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Notes

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Contributors

Identifiers

Footnotes

  1. Alan R. Smith "Polypodiaceae". in Flora of North America Vol. 2. Oxford University Press. Online at EFloras.org. [back]
  2. A. Murray Evans "Pecluma". in Flora of North America Vol. 2. Oxford University Press. Online at EFloras.org. [back]
Last Revised: 2009-04-24