Pteridophyte | Literature for Pteris vittata
Palmer, 2003. |
Pteridaceae | Bibliography |
Pteris vittata | |
Common name(s): Chinese brake, cliff brake, ladder brake |
General Information | ||
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Distribution | Native to Africa, Asia, and Australia and is now naturalized in scattered warm areas of the world. In the Hawaiian Islands, naturalized on Kaua`i, O`ahu, Moloka`i, Lana`i, Maui, Hawai`i. | |
Habitat | Urban areas, often on rock walls and dry cliffs | |
Elevation | 0-1310 m |
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Habit |
Terrestrial or epipetric, small to medium-sized; rhizomes decumbent, covered with light tan scales. |
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Leaves |
Fronds 14-50(-80) cm long; stipe 1/10 or less frond length, straw-colored, scaly near base, scales light tan; blade 1-pinnate, oblanceolate, widest distally, gradually narrowing toward base, light green, chartaceous; rachises and costae straw-colored, fine scaly; pinnae 8-21 pairs, usually subopposite, short-stalked to slightly adnate, gradually diminishing in size toward base, basal pinnae very short and cordate, margins entire, terminal pinnae similar to lateral pinnae but much longer. |
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Sori |
Coenosori marginal, light-colored flaps. |
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Notes |
Latin vittatus, longitudinally striped, probably in reference to the marginal coenosori. |
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Contributor |
Sally Eichhorn |