Asplenium serratum

Kessler, Michael & Smith, Alan R., 2018, Prodromus of a fern flora for Bolivia. XXIX. Aspleniaceae, Phytotaxa 344 (3), pp. 259-280 : 259-280

Asplenium serratum L., Sp. Pl. 2: 1079. 1753.

Range:— Florida; Antilles; southern Mexico to Bolivia (BE, CO, LP, PA, SC), Paraguay, and northern Argentina.

Ecology:— Common; epiphytic, often on tree trunks, rarely saxicolous, in evergreen lowland forests; forming large, basket-like rosettes that collect leaf litter, used as a source of nutrients and to store water; to 1150(2050) m. A study in Costa Rica found a preference for tree fern trunks as hosts for this species ( Moran et al. 2003). In other areas, this is one of the few epiphytes to commonly colonize smooth palm trunks ( Zotz & Vollrath 2003). Panamanian Indians use this species to treat burns ( Caballero-George & Gupta 2011), and birds use it as nesting sites ( Van Houtan & Alvarez-Loayza 2006).

Notes:— Narrow-leaved specimens can be confused with A. angustum . Asplenium brasiliense Sw. and A. douglasii Hook. & Grev. , from southeastern Brazil, Paraguay, and northeastern Argentina, may occur in southeastern Bolivia. They resemble A. serratum and allies but have anastomosing (areolate) veins and are usually terrestrial.

Asplenium sessilifolium Desv., Ges. Naturf. Freunde Berlin Mag. Neuesten Entdeck. Gesammten Naturk. 5: 322. 1811.

Range:— Greater Antilles; southern Mexico to Costa Rica; Ecuador to Bolivia (CO, LP).

Ecology:— Uncommon; terrestrial and epiphytic in cloud forests; 2100–3100 m, to 3600 m elsewhere.

Notes:— Over its range, this is a very variable taxon that probably constitutes a species complex; the Bolivian specimens are fairly homogenous, however.