Aspidotis | |
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Aspidotis densa | |
Scientific classification
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Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Division: | Polypodiophyta |
Class: | Polypodiopsida |
Order: | Polypodiales |
Family: | Pteridaceae |
Subfamily: | Cheilanthoideae |
Genus: |
Aspidotis ( Nutt. ex Hook.) Copel. |
Species | |
Aspidotis is a small genus of leptosporangiate ferns known commonly as laceferns. Most species are native to slopes, ridges, and rocky outcroppings, primarily in California and Mexico, [1] although one species included in the genus by some authorities is widely distributed in eastern Africa. [2]
Members of Aspidotis are small ferns, with shiny, tufted fronds generally less than 35 centimeters long (although A. schimperi may be larger [2]). Fertile leaves have false indusia formed by the leaves' inrolled margins, which partially conceal the spore-bearing sori. [1] [3]
The taxonomy of laceferns has been considerably refined since they were first described in the late 1800s. Species currently placed in Aspidotis were originally assigned to a section of Hypolepis, then to Cheilanthes. David Lellinger established Aspidotis as a distinct genus based on characteristic features of its false indusia and its leaves, including their shiny surface, [4] although as late as the 1990 publication of the Kubitzki system, these ferns were sometimes still included in Cheilanthes. [5]
As of January 2020 [update], the Checklist of Ferns and Lycophytes of the World recognized five species, [6] including one identified as a fertile interspecific hybrid. [7]
Other species of plants commonly known as laceferns are not part of Aspidotis and are often not closely related. Microlepia strigosa is from a different order of ferns, and Asparagus setaceus is not a fern at all.
Ferns in this genus grow in a variety of conditions, from low woodland slopes, [2] to chaparral, to higher-elevation ridges, to marginal habitats like rocky crevices and the bases of boulders. [1] [3]
Some laceferns show an affinity for serpentine soil. In particular, disjunct populations of A. densa in eastern North America are edaphic endemics. [8] A. carlotta-halliae and the West Coast populations of A. densa are commonly associated with these ultramafic soils but are not restricted to them. [9] [10]
Not all authorities agree on the exact etymology of Aspidotis. In all cases, the name is derived from Greek, and refers to the distinctive shield-like false indusium found especially in A. californica. Some authors suggest ασπιδοτες (shield-bearer) [1] as the intended origin, while others claim ασπιδος-ωτος (shield-eared). [11]
Aspidotis | |
---|---|
![]() | |
Aspidotis densa | |
Scientific classification
![]() | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Division: | Polypodiophyta |
Class: | Polypodiopsida |
Order: | Polypodiales |
Family: | Pteridaceae |
Subfamily: | Cheilanthoideae |
Genus: |
Aspidotis ( Nutt. ex Hook.) Copel. |
Species | |
Aspidotis is a small genus of leptosporangiate ferns known commonly as laceferns. Most species are native to slopes, ridges, and rocky outcroppings, primarily in California and Mexico, [1] although one species included in the genus by some authorities is widely distributed in eastern Africa. [2]
Members of Aspidotis are small ferns, with shiny, tufted fronds generally less than 35 centimeters long (although A. schimperi may be larger [2]). Fertile leaves have false indusia formed by the leaves' inrolled margins, which partially conceal the spore-bearing sori. [1] [3]
The taxonomy of laceferns has been considerably refined since they were first described in the late 1800s. Species currently placed in Aspidotis were originally assigned to a section of Hypolepis, then to Cheilanthes. David Lellinger established Aspidotis as a distinct genus based on characteristic features of its false indusia and its leaves, including their shiny surface, [4] although as late as the 1990 publication of the Kubitzki system, these ferns were sometimes still included in Cheilanthes. [5]
As of January 2020 [update], the Checklist of Ferns and Lycophytes of the World recognized five species, [6] including one identified as a fertile interspecific hybrid. [7]
Other species of plants commonly known as laceferns are not part of Aspidotis and are often not closely related. Microlepia strigosa is from a different order of ferns, and Asparagus setaceus is not a fern at all.
Ferns in this genus grow in a variety of conditions, from low woodland slopes, [2] to chaparral, to higher-elevation ridges, to marginal habitats like rocky crevices and the bases of boulders. [1] [3]
Some laceferns show an affinity for serpentine soil. In particular, disjunct populations of A. densa in eastern North America are edaphic endemics. [8] A. carlotta-halliae and the West Coast populations of A. densa are commonly associated with these ultramafic soils but are not restricted to them. [9] [10]
Not all authorities agree on the exact etymology of Aspidotis. In all cases, the name is derived from Greek, and refers to the distinctive shield-like false indusium found especially in A. californica. Some authors suggest ασπιδοτες (shield-bearer) [1] as the intended origin, while others claim ασπιδος-ωτος (shield-eared). [11]