Acrostichum aureum

Content

Altitude

0–30 mA

A. Mickel, J. T. & Smith, A. R. 2004: The Pteridophytes of Mexico Vol. 88

Description

Rhizomes short-creeping, branched, massive; rhizome scaleslinear to ovate, dark brown, to 1.5 cm long; fronds 1.5–3 m long; stipes ca. 1⁄3 of the frond length, terete to decidedly grooved distally, short spines (aborted pinna midribs) frequent on distal stipe; pinnae 10–14(–30) pairs, obtuse to acute at apices, coriaceous, overlapping, margins recurved; proximal pinnae with stalks to 3 cm long; costal areoles narrow, 3 times longer than wide, extracostal areoles divergent from costae at 45–60°; fertile pinnae 1–5 pairs in distal portion of blades, similar in size and shape to the sterile pinnae; paraphyses each with isodiametric, multilobed tip; 2n=60 (Jam).B

B. Mickel, J. T. & Smith, A. R. 2004: The Pteridophytes of Mexico Vol. 88

Discussion

Acrostichum aureum is restricted to coastal saline mangrove communities. It is distinguished from A. danaeifolium by the former being fertile only in the distal 1⁄4–1⁄3 of the blades (rather than nearly the entire length).C

C. Mickel, J. T. & Smith, A. R. 2004: The Pteridophytes of Mexico Vol. 88

Distribution

Belize presentD, Caribe presentD: Antillas Mayores presentD; Antillas Menores presentD, Costa Rica presentD, Guatemala presentD, Honduras presentD, México (Country) native and not endemicD, Nicaragua presentD, North America presentD, Panama presentD, South America presentD

D. Mickel, J. T. & Smith, A. R. 2004: The Pteridophytes of Mexico Vol. 88

Specimen

Camp (Flores G. 318, ENCB, MEXU; Wendt & Chiang 292, XAL). Chis (Matuda 2672, K, MEXU, NY, UC, US). Gro (Lorea 4621, IEB, FCME). Nay (Ferris 5435, DS, US). Oax (Elorsa C. 1160, NY). Tab (Cowan 3193, CAS, ENCB, MEXU, NY). QR (Torres 13, UAMIZ). Ver (Rzedowski 17171, ENCB, NY). Yuc (Rico-Gray 74, UC, XAL).E

E. Mickel, J. T. & Smith, A. R. 2004: The Pteridophytes of Mexico Vol. 88

Synonymy

Acrostichum aureum L., Sp. Pl., ed. 2: 1069. 1753