Compilation
Acrostichum thalictroides

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Name

Identification
Acrostichum thalictroides L. [family PTERIDACEAE ] (stored under name); Ceratopteris thalictroides (L.) Brongn. [family PTERIDACEAE ] Verified by Henry Trimen,
Related name
  • Pteris indet.
  • Acrostichum thalictroides
  • Ceratopteris thalictroides

Flora

Entry for Ceratopteris thalictroides (Linnaeus) Brongniart [family PARKERIACEAE]
Herbarium
Flora of North America (FNA)
Collection
Flora of North America
Resource Type
Reference Sources
Entry From
Flora of North America, Vol 2,
Names
Ceratopteris thalictroides (Linnaeus) Brongniart [family PARKERIACEAE], Bull. Sci. Soc. Philom. Paris, sér. 3, 8: 186. 1821
Acrostichum thalictroides Linnaeus [family PTERIDACEAE], Sp. Pl., 2: 1070. 1753
Information
Plants usually rooted in soil. Sterile leaves lanceolate to lance-ovate to ovate to deltate or cordate. Petiole of sterile leaf 1--31 cm, not inflated. Blade of sterile leaf 1--3-pinnate, 2--41 × 2--20 cm; segments lobed or incised, elliptic to lanceolate to ovate or deltate, to 12.5 cm; proximal pinnae ± alternate. Fertile leaves lanceolate to ovate to deltate or cordate, 2--117 × 2--48 cm. Petiole of fertile leaf 1--46 cm. Blade of fertile leaf 3--4-pinnate proximally, 2-pinnate distally; terminal segments linear. Sporangia usually crowded between segment midvein and revolute margin, with 13--71 indurate annulus cells. Spores 32 per sporangium, 96--124 µm diam. 2 n = 154, 156.
Altitude range
0--200 m
Distribution
worldwide in tropical areas except Africa.USA Calif.USA Fla.USA La.USA Tex.
Discussion
Ceratopteris thalictroides is common in Florida but rare elsewhere. It is tetraploid ( n = 77, 78), the two cytotypes reproductively isolated. It can be distinguished from the diploid C . richardii on the basis of spore number per sporangium. The single population in southern California may have been a recent introduction and apparently has not persisted. Several populations are of hybrid origin, with reduced spore viability and irregular meiotic pairing. These include some in southern Florida and Texas.

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