Kalpana Kalpana (Editor)

Thelypteris inabonensis

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Kingdom
  
Plantae

Class
  
Polypodiopsida

Family
  
Thelypteridaceae

Rank
  
Species

Division
  
Polypodiophyta

Order
  
Blechnales

Genus
  
Thelypteris

Similar
  
Thelypteris nevadensis, Thelypteris pilosa, Thelypteris puberula, Thelypteris dentata

Thelypteris inabonensis is a rare species of fern known by the common name cordillera maiden fern. It is endemic to Puerto Rico, where it is known from only two localities: at the headwaters of Río Inabón and at the Toro Negro State Forest. It is a federally listed endangered species of the United States.

This fern was first described in 1985. It was placed on the endangered species list in 1993. At that time it was known to exist at two locations in the mountain forests of Puerto Rico, one near the Río Inabón in the Toro Negro Commonwealth Forest and one on Cerro Rosa in Ciales (Cerro Rosa is also located in the Toro Negro State Forest). In total there were about 46 individual plants counted.

This terrestrial fern has fronds up to 60 centimeters long divided into 25 or 30 pairs of lightly hairy segments. The sori are arranged around the veins on the undersides. They are covered with hairy indusia.

References

Thelypteris inabonensis Wikipedia