Some Notes on Hawaiian Asplenieae

Author:

Morton, C.V.

Title:

Some Notes on Hawaiian Asplenieae

Periodical:

American Fern Journal

Year:

1947

Volume:

37

Pages:

114-119

Subject:

Ferns

Summary:

The Hawaiian representatives of the genera Asplenium, Athyrium, Diplazium, and Sadleria are known as a difficult and complex group. Characteristics that are ordinarily distinguishable in the Asplenium species apparently do not hold in the Hawaiian species. As a result, it seems that either that there are either a great many species existing in the islands or that there are only very new and highly polymorphic ones. The latter appears to be true, for although individual specimens of various forms may look completely dissimilar, abundant material often shows them to be connected by a maze of intermediate forms. Most of the modern work that was done on the Hawaiian species is based on Hillebrand's treatment as detailed in his book entitled, "Flora of the Hawaiian Islands" that was written in 1888 where 30 species and 30 varieties of true Asplenium were recognized. However, the most important contribution to the detailed knowledge of the species may be found in Dr. C. Skottsberg's study entitled, "Vascular Plants from the Hawaiian Islands III: Pteridophytes collected during the Hawaiian Bog Survey 1938." Based primarily on the structure of the scales and spores, Skottsberg's studies have made clear some of the most difficult problems, particularly in the group containing Asplenium contiguum, A. caudatum, A. falcatum, and A. horridum. However, it is unfortunate that he did not deal with all of the Hawaiian species. As a result, the following notes included in this document are supplementary to Skottsberg's treatment, and are based primarily on an examination of the types of Brackenridge's species that may be found in the U. S. National Herbarium.

Label:

Botany

URL:

http://cletus.uhh.hawaii.edu:2075/stable/1545312

Collection:

Periodicals