Tropical Plant Systematics Prep Course

1
Tropical Plant SystematicsPrep Course

• Vascular Plant Families IPteridophytes and
  Gymnosperms

2
Families to ID or Study

• Basal pteridophytes
• Lycopodiaceae
• Selaginellaceae
• Eusporangiate ferns
• Psilotaceae
• Leptosporangiate ferns
• Hymenophyllaceae
• Gleicheniaceae
• Lygodiaceae
• Cyatheaceae

• Dennstaedtiaceae Pteridaceae
• Aspleniaceae
• Thelypteridaceae
• Woodsiaceae
• Dryopteridaceae
• Polypodiaceae
• Gymnosperms
• Zamiaceae

3
Basal Relationships of Extant Pteridophytes from
DNA

• Lycophytes (Lycopodiaceae clubmosses,
  Isoetaceae quillworts, Selaginellaceae
  spikemosses) are most primitive extant groups
• Monilophytes true ferns Equisetaceae
  horsetails
• Spermatophytes gymnosperms angiosperms

Monilophytes
Spermatophytes
Lycophytes
4
Relationships of True Fernsfrom DNA

• Most primitive pteridophytes are eusporangiate
  ferns (e.g., Psilotaceae whisk ferns,
  Osmundaceae royal or cinnamon ferns) with
  embedded sporangia
• More advanced and diverse are leptosporangiate
  with free sporangia, usually with an indusium
  (flap of tissue)

5
Lycopodiaceae Clubmosses
Huperzia talamancana

• Sporangia borne in leaf axils or in terminal
  strobili homosporous
• 2 genera in BdT
• Huperzia
• Lycopodiella (will see along roadside)
• Terrestrial or epiphytic herbs

Lycopodiella cernua
Photos Huperzia, Plantsystematics.org
Lycopodiella, USDA Plants Database
6
Selaginellaceae Spikemosses

• Sporangia borne in terminal strobili on branch
  tips heterosporous branches flattened, leaves
  tiny and distichous, ligule present
• 1 genusSelaginella
• Terrestrial herbs

Selaginella bombycina
Photo Robbin Moran, DiversityOfLife.org
7
Psilotaceae Whisk Ferns

• Trilobed sporangia (synangium) homosporous
  dichotomously branched axes, minute flaps for
  leaves
• 1 genus speciesPsilotum nudum
• Usually epiphytic herb

Psilotum nudum
Photo Eric Guinther, Wikipedia
8
Hymenophyllaceae Filmy Ferns
Trichomanes diversifrons

• Sporangia borne in cup-like involucre in sinus
  of leaf lobes or on frond margin fronds few
  cells thick, translucent
• Two genera
• Hymenophyllum
• Trichomanes
• Usually epiphytic herbs

Hymenophyllum fucoides
Photos Robbin Moran, Plantsystematics.org
9
Gleicheniaceae Forking Ferns
Both are Sticherus bifidus

• Sporangia lacking an indusium stems extensive
  and clambering leaves pinnately lobed and
  pseudodichotomously forking
• One genus in regionSticherus (S. bifidus common)
• Common on road cuts and banks terrestrial herbs

Photos Robbin Moran, Plantsystematics.org
10
Lygodiaceae Climbing Ferns

• No sori or indusia, sporangial clusters in many
  parallel rows on frond underside fronds
  pinnately divided stems twining
• One genus (Lygodium) with few spp.
• Along roadsides and climbing vegetation in open
  forests terrestrial herbs

Both are L. venustum
Photos Robbin Moran, Plantsystematics.org
11
Cyatheaceae Tree Ferns

• Tree ferns with erect stems sori present,
  indusium lateral or false, orbicular, on veins
  of frond underside fronds pinnate to bipinnate,
  densely scaly
• Two genera in region
• Cnemidaria
• Cyathea
• Terrestrial trees

Both are Cyathea bicrenata
Photos habit, absoluteastronomy.com frond,
Robbin Moran, Plantsystematics.org
12
Dennstaedtiaceae Dennstaedtioid Ferns

• Sori round with lateral indusium on margin or
  false by reflexed frond margin
• Four genera w/1-2 spp. each in region
• Dennstaedtia
• Lindsaea
• Lonchitis
• Saccoloma
• Terrestrial herbs

Both are Lonchitis hirsuta
Photos Robbin Moran, Plantsystematics.org
13
Pteridaceae Pteridoid Ferns
Adiantum macrophyllum

• Sori elongate along veins near margin on frond
  underside, lacking indusium or false by
  reflexed frond margin frond pinnatifid or
  pinnate/bipinnate
• Six genera w/1-3 spp. each in region
• Adiantum
• Ceratopteris
• Eriosorus
• Jamesonia
• Neurocallis
• Pteris
• Terrestrial herbs except aquatic Ceratopteris

Pteris altissima
Photos Adiantum, M. Sundue Pteris, Robbin
Moran, Plantsystematics.org
14
Aspleniaceae Spleenwort Ferns
Asplenium auriculatum

• Sori elongate along lateral veins with lateral
  indusium, on frond underside frond entire to
  pinnatifid, pinnate or bipinnate
• 1 genus (Asplenium), 10 spp. in region
• Terrestrial or epiphytic herbs

Asplenium pteropus
Photos Robbin Moran, Plantsystematics.org
15
Thelypteridaceae Thelypteroid Ferns

• Sori round with reniform central indusium, in
  parallel rows on veins of frond underside frond
  entire to (commonly) pinnate-pinnatifid
• 1 genus (Thelypteris) with 12 spp. in region
• Terrestrial herbs

Thelypteris gigantea
Thelypteris nicaraguensis
Photos Robbin Moran, Plantsystematics.org
16
Woodsiaceae Lady Ferns

• Sori round to elongate, crowded in rows along
  veins, indusium round to elongate or lacking
  frond pinnate to pinnate-pinnatifid
• 1 genus (Diplazium) with 13 spp. in region
• Terrestrial herbs

Diplazium macrophyllum
Diplazium prominulum
Photos Robbin Moran, Plantsystematics.org
17
Dryopteridaceae Dryopteroid Ferns
Didymochlaena truncatula

• Sori round, separate along veins, indusia
  reniform to peltate fronds pinnatifid to
  pinnate-pinnatifid
• Six genera with 1-3 spp. in region
• Bolbitis
• Didymochlaena
• Elaphoglossum
• Olfersia
• Polybotrya
• Stigmatopteris
• Terrestrial or hemiepiphytic herbs

Polybotrya caudata
Photos Didymochlaena, Shrubland Park
Nurseries Polybotrya, Robbin Moran,
Plantsystematics.org
18
Polypodiaceae Polypody Ferns
Campyloneurum angustifolium

• Sori round to oblong on frond underside along
  veins, lacking indusia frond unlobed to
  pinnatifid or pinnate
• Seven genera with 1-2 spp. in region
• Campyloneurum
• Dicranoglossum
• Melpomene
• Microgramma
• Micropolypodium
• Niphridium
• Polypodium
• Most epiphytic herbs, few terrestrial

Dicranoglossum panamense
Photos Robbin Moran, Plantsystematics.org
19
Zamiaceae Cycads

• Micro- and megasporangia borne in separate
  strobili leaves pinnate
• One genus (Zamia) with 3 spp. in region
• Terrestrial herbs or appearing shrubby

Both are Zamia neurophyllidia
Photos Robbin Moran, Plantsystematics.org