Identification: Unknown "bird nest fern" probably Asplenium

Although I collect a large number of rare philodendron and anthurium species, ferns are low on my list. This one was given to me and I've been trying to identify the species. If anyone out there is knowledgeable about bird nest species I'd appreciate the assist. It is likely Asplenium But there are hundreds and hundreds of them!

http://www.exoticrainforest.com/bird nest unknown.html

There is a photo of the fern as well as a photo of the spores (sori).

Thanks!

 

Sorry, don't know what it is, but it isn't an Asplenium, the sori (spore capsules) are in the wrong arrangement; Asplenium has linear sori, compare this pic of Asplenium nidus:
http://www.nparks.gov.sg/nursery/uploadfiles/asplenium nidus 02.jpg

 

That helps eliminate what species it isn't but still no idea what it is! The longest frond is 46cm (22 inches) and 5.5cm wide (2.25 inches). Any ideas? Thanks!

 

Family Polypodiaceae, maybe Campyloneuron sp. or another of the genera segregated from Polypodium.

 

Checked for the genus Campyloneuron on both IPNI and TROPICOS. Could not find it. Could you check the spelling?

Thanks!

 

Interesting! I found a fern on the web named Campyloneuron phyllitidis. The photos of the sori pattern appear to match. But that name is not recognized by either IPNI or TROPICOS! Anyone have any ideas why the databases would not recognize the genus or species name?

 

Thanks Tony! I found a perfect match on the New York Botancial Garden site cited as Campyloneuron phyllitidis for both the frond and the sori pattern. Interesting that IPNI and TROPICOS do not recognize the genus or species! But you were dead on with the genus. Thanks for the assist! Now all I have to do is figure out where it originates!

 

I don't think IPNI covers ferns, not sure about TROPICOS. Campyloneuron goes back to 1836, though in traditional fern classifications many of these genera were lumped under Polypodium.

If you are interested in tropical American ferns one of the few useful modern accounts is Mickel & Beitel, Pteridophyte Flora of Oaxaca, Mexico (1988). I bought it when I did a trip to Mexico 6 years ago. A quick flick through the excellent line drawings at the back turned up Campyloneuron as the most likely fit for your plant.

But I should warn that there may be Old World genera of Polypodiaceae showing similar features.

 

You are probably right about the species being C. phyllitidis. Mickel & Beitel give its distribution as central Mexico to north Argentina, "epiphytic or epipetric in wet montane forest." [love "epipetric" - shows a purist approach to word building, combining Greek with Greek]

 

Thanks again! That helps a bunch! I'll certainly do the research to fill in the holes!

 

Tony, does your book give a credit to the botanist who named the species Campyloneuron phyllitidis? I had suspected the species was epiphytic but epipetric (a plant that grows on stone) is an intereting twist!

 

Polypodium phyllitidis Linnaeus 1753
Campyloneuron phyllitidis (Linnaeus) Presl 1836 [Presl was also namer of the genus Campyloneuron]

Linnaeus based his name on a plate in an earlier publication, Plumier's Descr. Pl. Amer. of 1693. I imagine that's an abbreviation for something like Descriptiones Plantarum Americanum. The plant in the plate came from the "Antilles". Sorry I overlooked W Indies when I summarised the distribution for you above.

 

Mystery solved as to why TROPICOS and IPNI do not show the genus and species! I sent a note to George Yatskievych at MOBOT and received this response this morning:

Off-hand your photo appears to be correctly identified. The species is on Tropicos, in fact there is even an image of a specimen on our site. However, the spelling we use for the genus is Campyloneurum, not Campyloneuron. There was a longstanding discussion about the proper termination for this epithet and I believe that things have stabilized to the -um version.

Best Wishes,
George Yatskievych
Membership Secretary, American Fern Society

Apparently folks in the scientific world of ferns are now spelling the genus Campyloneurum.

I do appreciate the assist!

 

I sure wish databases were smart enough to recognize alternative spellings (be they misspellings, synonyms, etc.)

 

Me too Daniel! I often spend hours trying to track down plants when I have a bad spelling. TROPICOS is pretty descent at finding synonyms but if you have a single letter wrong you are on your own! I've found that if you are seriously trying to track things down there are great botanists all over the globe that will help you out! Your group has been of great value to me personally as have several botanists at Missouri Botanical Garden in St. Louis and Fairchild Tropical Garden in Miami. Thank goodness for good people who are willing to help. And that includes the serious folks who often respond to requests for informstion on UBC! I had been searching for several days on this one and Tony came to the rescue and put me on the right path! Thanks again!

 

I've got the photos posted along with the information I've been able to uncover. Thanks again to Tony for the assist.

http://www.exoticrainforest.com/Campyloneurum phyllitidis pc.html