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Cyrtomium laetevirens
(Hiyama) Nakaike
(no common name)
Dryopteridaceae
Cyrtomium laetevirens is a species of fern in the family Dryopteridaceae. It is native to South Korea and Japan, and is part of a species complex.
Description
Cyrtomium laetevirens grows up to 100 cm tall and has erect or spreading rhizomes; rhizomes are densely covered with ovate-lanceolate, shiny dark brown scales with serrate margins. Leaves are odd-pinnate, papery in texture. The blade is 35 to 60 cm long and 14 to 20 cm wide, on a 25 to 35 cm long, dark brown stipe. The stipe is 2 to 3 mm in diameter, covered with lanceolate scales. The base of the leaf is slightly narrowed and the tip is gradually pointed. Fronds usually have 18 to 25 pairs of alternate, lanceolate leaflets. Side leaflets are 6 to 10 cm long and 1.8 to 3 cm wide, shortly stalked, narrowing continuously from the base to the tip. The base is slightly auriculate, with a “bump” on the side closer to the tip of the frond. Margins are minutely serrated. The upper surface of the leaf blade is shiny. Sori are borne on the undersides of leaflets; the indusia are untoothed, uniformly grayish white, about 1.2 mm wide (Lee et al. 2013).
Cyrtomium laetevirens is part of the Cyrtomium fortunei complex of species, which are closely related apogamous taxa (they produce spores without sexual fertilization) that have wide, often overlapping ranges of morphology and are difficult to identify (Ootsuki et al. 2011). This particular species is sometimes treated as a form of Cyrtomium fortunei that differs in having shiny leaf blades, but chemical evidence suggests that it may be a different species (Choi et al. 2022; Wu et al. 2013).
Other taxa in this complex include: C. fortunei, which has non-shiny leaf blades and many (15 to 30) pairs of pinnae; C. clivicola, which has non-shiny, light green leaf blades and 5 to 20 pairs of pinnae; C. atropunctatum, which has indusia that are dark brown in the center, and C. yamamotoi, which has indusia that are dark brown in the center and less than 15 pairs of pinnae (Ootsuki et al. 2011; Lee et al. 2013; Wu et al. 2013). However, Cyrtomium yamamotoi is not genetically related to the rest of the complex (Choi et al. 2022).
Cyrtomium laetevirens is part of the Cyrtomium fortunei complex of species, which are closely related apogamous taxa (they produce spores without sexual fertilization) that have wide, often overlapping ranges of morphology and are difficult to identify (Ootsuki et al. 2011). This particular species is sometimes treated as a form of Cyrtomium fortunei that differs in having shiny leaf blades, but chemical evidence suggests that it may be a different species (Choi et al. 2022; Wu et al. 2013).
Other taxa in this complex include: C. fortunei, which has non-shiny leaf blades and many (15 to 30) pairs of pinnae; C. clivicola, which has non-shiny, light green leaf blades and 5 to 20 pairs of pinnae; C. atropunctatum, which has indusia that are dark brown in the center, and C. yamamotoi, which has indusia that are dark brown in the center and less than 15 pairs of pinnae (Ootsuki et al. 2011; Lee et al. 2013; Wu et al. 2013). However, Cyrtomium yamamotoi is not genetically related to the rest of the complex (Choi et al. 2022).
Uses
Note: Please see the disclaimer regarding any information about medical or edible uses.
Distribution
Cyrtomium laetevirens is found in forests and mountainous areas. It has been recorded from South Korea and Japan (Lee et al. 2013).
Status
References
Choi, T.-Y., Son, D. C., Oh, S.-H., Kim, D.-K., Lee, K.-H., and Lee, S.-R. 2022. Species delimitation and molecular diagnosis of Cyrtomium yamomotoi (Dryopteridaceae). Plant Systematics and Evolution, 308: 18.
Lee, C. S., Lee, K., and Hwang, Y. 2013. First record of Cyrtomium laetevirens and Dryopteris simasakii var. paleacea (Dryopteridaceae) from Korea. Korean Journal of Plant Taxonomy, 43: 171–180.
Ootsuki, R., Shinohara, W., Suzuki, T., and Murakami, N. 2011. Genetic Variation in the Apogamous Fern Cyrtomium fortunei (Dryopteridaceae). Acta Phytotaxonomica et Geobotanica, 62: 1–14.
Wu, Z. Y., Raven, P. H., and Hong, D. Y., eds. 2013. Flora of China. Vol. 2-3 (Lycopodiaceae through Polypodiaceae). Beijing: Science Press, and St. Louis: Missouri Botanical Garden Press.
Lee, C. S., Lee, K., and Hwang, Y. 2013. First record of Cyrtomium laetevirens and Dryopteris simasakii var. paleacea (Dryopteridaceae) from Korea. Korean Journal of Plant Taxonomy, 43: 171–180.
Ootsuki, R., Shinohara, W., Suzuki, T., and Murakami, N. 2011. Genetic Variation in the Apogamous Fern Cyrtomium fortunei (Dryopteridaceae). Acta Phytotaxonomica et Geobotanica, 62: 1–14.
Wu, Z. Y., Raven, P. H., and Hong, D. Y., eds. 2013. Flora of China. Vol. 2-3 (Lycopodiaceae through Polypodiaceae). Beijing: Science Press, and St. Louis: Missouri Botanical Garden Press.
Description
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