Dennstaedtia dissecta (Sw.) T.Moore, Index Fil.

Schwartsburd, Pedro B., Navarrete, Hugo, Smith, Alan R. & Kessler, Michael, 2017, Prodromus of a fern flora for Bolivia. XXVI. Dennstaedtiaceae, Phytotaxa 332 (3), pp. 251-268 : 254

Dennstaedtia dissecta (Sw.) T.Moore, Index Fil. 305. 1861.

Range:— Greater Antilles; Mexico to western side of the Andes to Ecuador; southeastern Brazil. In Bolivia, known from BE and LP.

Ecology:— Terrestrial in humid lowland forest and montane forest; 400–1700 m.

Notes:— The identity and delimitation of this species has long been problematic (see Tryon 1960, Tryon & Tryon 1982, Proctor 1985, Navarrete & Øllgaard 2000). It has sometimes been included under the name D. obtusifolia , but at other times it has been combined with D. cornuta . As defined here, D. dissecta can be recognized by the repent or subterranean rhizomes, blade texture, indusial shape, and ecology. Dennstaedtia dissecta has an herbaceous blade texture and is found at lower elevations than D. obtusifolia , which also in general is a larger and more robust plant. The shape of the indusia (rounded) clearly separates D. dissecta from D. cornuta (purse-shaped indusia).