Asplenium harpeodes Kunze, Linnaea

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

Asplenium harpeodes Kunze, Linnaea 18: 329. 1844.

Range:— Greater Antilles; southern Mexico to Bolivia ( CH, CO, LP, SC) and southern Brazil.

Ecology:— Very common; terrestrial, epiphytic, and less commonly saxicolous, in humid to semideciduous forests; (900) 1500–3600 m.

Notes:— Very variable, probably constituting a complex of closely related species. In Bolivia, three distinct entities may be distinguished. Typical A. harpeodes has pinnae> 4 cm long with acute, often elongate apices, basal pinnae>1/2 the length of the longest pinna, acroscopic veins all simple or forked only on the basal lobes, acroscopic pinna lobes not overlapping the rachises, rhizome scales 0.4–0.7 mm wide, dark and lustrous petioles 1–2 mm thick, and epiphytic habit. A second form, perhaps referable to Brazilian A. jucundum Fée , has petioles 2–3 mm thick, acroscopic veins often forked well beyond the basal lobe, acroscopic pinna lobes often overlapping the rachises, and rhizome scales 0.8–1 mm wide. A third, probably undescribed form differs from typical A. harpeodes by pinnae <4 cm long with rounded to acuminate apices, basal pinnae often <1/2 the length of the longest pinnae, dull grayish to red-brown petioles, and usually terrestrial habit. However, numerous intermediate specimens occur and we therefore refrain from recognizing the three forms taxonomically, pending further research.