Vines and Climbing Plants of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands

Vines and Climbing Plants of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands 37
2a. Rhizomes 0.5-2 mm wide; blades chartaceous, with deeply crenate margins ... 1. M. heterophylla
2b. Rhizomes 2-4 mm wide; blades coriaceous, with entire or slightly crenate margins..............................
.............................................................................................................................2. M. lycopodioides
1. Microgramma heterophylla (L.) Wherry,
South. Fern Guide 346. 1964.
Fig. 11. A-B
BASIONYM: Polypodium heterophyllum L.
SYNONYM: Polypodium serpens Sw.
Polypodium exiguum Heward
Epiphytic or less frequently epilithic fern.
Rhizomes scandent by minute aerial roots, 1-2 m
long, filiform, cylindrical, 0.5-2 mm wide, densely
covered with appressed, ferruginous, attenuate
scales, 5-7 mm long, peltate above the base.
Fronds dimorphic, 3-19 × 0.4-1.7 cm; stipes
slender, 4-20 mm long, yellowish to light brown,
glabrous; blades entire, chartaceous, elliptical,
oblong or lanceolate, glabrous, the midvein
prominent, the secondary venation conspicuous,
widely reticulate, the apex obtuse or acute, the
base long-attenuate, the margins crenate. Sori
rounded, ferruginous, forming a row on each side
of the midvein; paraphyses inconspicuous.
Phenology: Found in fertile condition
throughout the year.
Status: Native, quite common.
Distribution: In moist or dry forests, in the
coastal lowlands and in the zone of mogotes. Also
in Vieques, St. Croix, St. John, and Virgin Gorda;
the United States (Florida), the Bahamas, the
Greater Antilles, the Cayman Islands, and the
northern Lesser Antilles.
Public forests: El Yunque and Río Abajo.
2. Microgramma lycopodioides (L.) Copel., Gen.
Fil. 185. 1947.
Fig. 11. C-D
BASIONYM: Polypodium lycopodioides L.
Epiphytic or less frequently epilithic fern.
Rhizomes scandent by aerial roots, 1-2 m in
length, more or less cylindrical, 2-4 mm wide,
densely covered with appressed, ferruginous,
linear-attenuate scales, 6-10 mm long, peltate
above the base, caudate at the apex. Fronds 5-13
× 0.5-2 cm; stipes slender, up to 5 mm long,
yellowish to light brown, glabrous; blades entire,
coriaceous, lanceolate or elliptical, glabrous, the
midvein prominent, the secondary venation
conspicuous, loosely reticulate, the apex obtuse
or acute, the base long-attenuate, the margins
entire or slightly crenate. Sori rounded,
ferruginous, forming a row on each side of the
midvein; paraphyses inconspicuous.
Phenology: Found in fertile condition
throughout the year.
Status: Native, quite common.
Distribution: In moist forests, along the
cordilleras and in the zone of mogotes. Also in
St. John and Tortola. Pantropical.
Public forests: Carite, El Yunque, Maricao,
and Río Abajo.
3. Microgramma piloselloides (L.) Copel., Gen.
Fil. 185. 1947.
Fig. 11. E-F
BASIONYM: Polypodium piloselloides L.
Epiphytic or less frequently terrestrial fern.
Rhizomes scandent by aerial roots, up to 4 m long,
more or less cylindrical, 0.5-1 mm wide, more or
less covered with divaricate, ferruginous,
attenuate scales that are 3-4 mm long and caudate
at the apex. Fronds dimorphic, the sterile ones
elliptical or elliptical-lanceolate, 1.5-8 × 1-1.8 cm.
Fertile fronds 3.5-10 × 0.3-1.1 cm; stipes slender,
1.5-4 cm long, light brown, glabrous; blades
entire, chartaceous, oblong or linear-lanceolate,
sparsely covered with minute, ferruginous,
subulate scales, the midvein prominent on the
lower surface, the secondary venation
conspicuous, loosely reticulate, the apex obtuse,
the base long-attenuate, the margins entire or
slightly crenate. Sori rounded, ferruginous,
forming a row on each side of the midvein;
paraphyses longer than the sporangia.
Phenology: Found in fertile condition
throughout the year.
Status: Native, quite common.
Distribution: In moist forests, along the
cordilleras, in the zone of mogotes, or less
frequently in the coastal lowlands. Also in St.
Thomas and Tortola; the Greater and Lesser
Antilles and South America.
Public forests: El Yunque, Maricao, Río Abajo,
and Toro Negro.