Pteris quadriaurita Retz., Observ. Bot.

Kessler, Michael, Smith, Alan R. & Prado, Jefferson, 2017, Prodromus of a fern flora for Bolivia. XXVII. Pteridaceae, Phytotaxa 332 (3), pp. 201-250 : 229

Pteris quadriaurita Retz., Observ. Bot. 6: 38(–39). 1791.

Range: — Mexico, Mesoamerica, Greater and Lesser Antilles, Colombia, Venezuela, Trinidad, Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia ( CH, CO, LP, SC, TA), northern Argentina, and Brazil.

Ecology: —Common; in semideciduous and evergreen forests; 350–2200 m.

Notes: — Pteris plumula Desv. , with type from the Antilles, has been segregated by some (e.g., Proctor 1985, 1989) from P. quadriaurita , type from Sri Lanka. The earliest name for the neotropical element would be P. plumula , if the two species are considered distinct. Proctor was influenced by Trevor Walker, who published on the cytology and hybridization of this complex in India / Sri Lanka ( Walker 1960), nearly 50 years ago, but Walker never studied the systematics of the neotropical element in this group. Proctor (1989: 160) has a short discussion giving his reason (cytological; P. plumula , with limited sampling, appears to be triploid and apogamous; P. quadriaurita in Sri Lanka appears to be diploid, and sexual), and the species was also recognized by Lellinger (1989), for Costa Rica, Panama, and elsewhere in the Neotropics, but we are skeptical that the matter is sufficiently studied in the New World to support solid conclusions. Most systematists working with neotropical ferns have continued to use the name P. quadriaurita for New World specimens (e.g., Tryon 1964, Tryon & Stolze 1989, Moran 1995); however, Prado & Windisch (2000) adopted P. plumula for Brazil. Based on morphology, we are unable to distinguish adequately specimens from southeastern Asian (Indian) material and neotropical areas. That the group is an apogamous complex adds complexity. For now, we favor maintaining a broad species concept in this group, until the matter is better studied and the reasons better documented.

Walker (1958) reported hybridization between this species and several related species in Sri Lanka.