Pteridium aquilinum var. caudatum
Jahrb. Hamburg. Wiss. Anst. Beih. 3: 5. 1897.
Petiole 20–75 cm. Blade broadly ovate to deltate, 2–3-pinnate-pinnatifid, 30–100 × 20–80 cm; blades, rachises, and costae usually densely covered abaxially with abundant, straight, stiff, subappressed to spreading hairs. Pinnae all narrowly to broadly triangular; terminal segment of each pinna ca. 10 times longer than wide, longer ultimate segments several times their width apart, ca. 1–2.5 mm wide. Pinnules at nearly 90° angle to costa; fertile ultimate segments only decurrent, or more decurrent than surcurrent. Outer indusia entire, glabrous.
Habitat: In barrens, pine woodlands, and edges of deciduous woods in strongly acid to circumneutral soil, forming large colonies in exposed sites
Elevation: 0 m
Distribution
Fla., Mexico, West Indies, Bermuda, Central America, South America from Colombia to Peru.
Discussion
In Florida and West Indies material, the abaxial surfaces are quite hairy; in Central American material they are often much less hairy.
Selected References
None.