A conspectus of the native and naturalized species of Nephrolepis (Nephrolepidaceae) in the world Hovenkamp PH Miyamoto F Blumea 2005 50 279 322 4722Q (L.) Schott Schott L. Polypodiopsida Nephrolepidaceae Nephrolepis Plantae Polypodiales 21 300 Tracheophyta species exaltata  Habit, rhizome morphology. Plants epiphytic or terrestrial (less often epilithic), forming tufts of 4 or 5 fronds. Runners 0.2-1.5 mmthick. Scales on runners sparse, spreading. Tubers absent. Fronds 40-150 by  5-12 cm,stipe 2-39 cmlong. Lamina base strongly reduced, tapering over  20-25 cm,basal pinnae 0.6-3 cmlong, 2-2.5 cmdistant, middle pinnae slightly to distinctly falcate. Sterile pinnae 2.3-7.4 by  0.6-1.8 cm,herbaceous, thick, base slightly to strongly unequal, basiscopic base truncate, rounded to cordate, acroscopic base truncate, distinctly auricled, margin in basal part entire or crenate, towards apex more deeply serrate or dentate, apex obtuse or acute. Fertile pinnae 2.3-5.9 by  0.6-1.5 cm,otherwise similar to sterile ones. Indument. Basal scales peltate, spreading, 2-9 by  0.4-1.3 mm,central part light brown or dark brown, dull, margin not hyaline, in basal part entire, denticulate or dentate, in acumen entire or denticulate, marginal glands absent. Rachis scales with a well-developed protracted acumen. Scales on lamina sometimes present. Hairs on lamina absent, on costae absent. Sorisubmarginal or medial, 9-16 pairs on fully fertile pinnae, round or elongated, not impressed. Indusium reniform, with open sinus, attached at sinus or at broad base.  Distribution - Florida, the Bahamas, Turks & Caicos, Cuba, Hispaniola, Puerto Rico, Jamaica, Mexico (Veracruz only), Bermuda, Panama, French Guyana (one specimen seen), Hawaii. The occurrence on Henderson and Rapareported by Brown & Brown (1931) is so far not confrmed.  Habitat & Ecology - Occurs in a variety of habitats, at low to middle elevations (sea level to  1170 m).   Map 6. Distribution of Nephrolepis exaltata  (  L.) Schott(continuous line), N. pendula      (   Raddi) J.Sm.(broken line) and   N. rivularis    (   Vahl) Mett. ex Krug(dotted line).   Notes- Nephrolepis exaltatais supposed to be the source for N. 'bostoniensis'and all cultivars derived from it, which are widely cultivated. The name has been widely, and mistakenly, applied to specimens from all over the world. Introductions: contrary to what might be expected,  N. exaltatadoes not seem to naturalize often outside its native range. Most of the naturalized occurrences concern islands in the Atlantic, and may be diffcult to distinguish from native occurrences. On the  CanaryIslands,it is considered as an introduction by Hohenester& Wells (1993), but on Bermudaas native by Britton (1918). One collection was seen from  St Helena( Packer HL10,  Jamestown),where it is possibly introduced. Some specimens are apparently collected in the wild in Africa and are regarded as naturalized escapes by Verdcourt(2001). Specimens were collected on the  HawaiianIslandsas early as 1788 ( David Nelson s.n., BM) 1825 (  Macraes.n., BM)and 1837 on  Oahu(  Barclay1227, BM),and  N. exaltatashould be regarded as native there. Wagner et al. (1999) distinguished the Hawaiianpopulation as subsp. hawaiiensison basis of a comparison with the Caribbean population, but most of their distinguishing characteristics fall within the range of  N. exaltataif the Floridaspecimens are taken into account. 923901110 2005-01-01 2005-12-31 2005-01-01 BM Sloane s. n. Jamaica Jamaica 22 301 Type 923901114 2005-01-01 2005-12-31 2005-01-01 PRC Meyen 1835 Mexico Ouwahu 22 301 Type 923901104 2005-01-01 2005-12-31 2005-01-01 BM Schiede 766 a Mexico Mexico 22 301 Type 923901125 2005-01-01 2005-12-31 2005-01-01 Meyen s. n. Mexico Hawaii 22 301 Hawaii Type 923901115 2005-01-01 2005-12-31 2005-01-01 MICH Wagner et al. 9621 Mexico Hawaii 22 301 Hawaii Type 923901129 2005-01-01 2005-12-31 2005-01-01 Packer HL 10 Bermuda Jamestown 23 302 St Helena 923901131 2005-01-01 2005-12-31 2005-01-01 BM David Nelson s. n Bermuda 23 302 St Helena 923901109 2005-01-01 2005-12-31 2005-01-01 BM Macrae s. n Bermuda 23 302 St Helena 923901128 2005-01-01 2005-12-31 2005-01-01 BM Barclay 1227 Bermuda Oahu Oahu 23 302 St Helena