flatfork fern
Psilotum complanatum Sw.
Psilotum complanatum, the flatfork fern, is a herbaceous epiphytic fern ally in the genus Psilotum. It is characterized by the absence of leaves and roots, with dichotomously branching stems that have a triangular-shaped protostele. The plant has brownish rhizoids and produces bean-shaped, monolete spores. The gametophyte is non-photosynthetic and relies on a fungal association for nutrition. It grows from a subterranean rhizome and reaches lengths of 10 to 75 cm.
Description
Psilotum complanatum is found in various regions including the Bismarck Archipelago, Caroline Is., Colombia, Cook Is., Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Fiji, Hawaii, Honduras, Jamaica, Malaya, Maluku, Marianas, and parts of Mexico. The plant has flat, triangular stems with scales in two rows and dichotomous branching. Sporangia develop from the axils of small, bifid sporophylls. Spores germinate best in the dark with ammonium present. It is part of the Psilotaceae family and was first described in 1867.
Other common names
flatfork fern
Distribution
Desconocido · Bismarck Archipelago · Caroline Is. · Colombia · Cook Is. · Costa Rica · Cuba · Dominican Republic · El Salvador · Fiji · Hawaii · Honduras · Jamaica · Malaya · Maluku · Marianas · Mexico Central · Mexico Gulf · Mexico Northeast · Mexico Northwest · Mexico Southeast · Mexico Southwest · New Guinea · New South Wales · Nicaragua · Nicobar Is. · Peru · Philippines · Queensland · Samoa
Synonyms
Bernhardia complanataPsilotum intermediumPsilotum complanatum var. mexicanumPsilotum triquetrum var. complanatum
