17. Lomariopsis Fée, 2: 10, 66. 1845.
Climbing holly fern [ Lomaria, a subgenus of Blechnum (Blechnaceae), plus Greek - opsis, like]
Robbin C. Moran
Plants terrestrial [hemiepiphytic]. Stems long-creeping or climbing, stolons absent. Leaves strongly dimorphic, sterile ones longer and with wider pinnae than fertile ones, evergreen. Petiole ca. 1/2 length of blade, base not swollen; vascular bundles more than 3, arranged in an arc, ± round in cross section. Blade ovate-lanceolate, 1-pinnate, apex similar to lateral pinnae, papery. Pinnae articulate to rachis, sometimes deciduous, segment margins (pinnae) entire to serrate; proximal pinnae slightly reduced, sessile, equilateral; costae adaxially shallowly grooved, grooves not continuous from rachis to costae; indument of narrow scales abaxially, blades glabrous adaxially. Veins free, simple or forked, ± parallel perpendicular to costae. Sori covering abaxial surface of linear, entire pinnae; indusia absent. Spores brownish, with spiny or with prominent crested wings. x = 41.
Species ca. 45 (1 in the flora): mostly tropical.
SELECTED REFERENCES
Holttum, R. E. 1940. New species of Lomariopsis. Bull. Misc. Inform. Kew 1939: 613--628. Underwood, L. M. 1906. American ferns VII A. The American species of Stenochlaena. Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 33: 591--603.
