Home › L › Lygodium (From lygodes flexible)
Lygodium (From lygodes flexible)
(from lygodes, flexible; referring to the flexible habit). ORD. Filices. A genus comprising about eighteen species of handsome, wide-scandent, twining, mostly stove ferns, widely diffused. Capsules solitary (or casually in pairs), in the axils of large, imbricated, clasping involucres, which form spikes either in separate pinnae or in lax rows along the edge of the leafy ones. The species are readily distinguishable from all others by their wide-scandent climbing stems; the fronds are permanent, and become interlaced with each other, sometimes forming, together with other plants, impervious thickets. As a rule, the species thrive in a compost of peat, loam, and sand, in equal parts. For general culture, see Ferns.
L. articulatum (jointed). primary petiole 1/4in. to 1/2in. long; secondary 1in. or more long; barren pinnules twice forked, each bearing four ligulate-oblong segments, which are 2in. to 3in. long, about 1/2in. broad, blunt at the point, very distinctly articulated at the base on a short petiole; fertile pinnules many times dichotomous, the short spike in dense clusters, which are often almost destitute of lamina. New Zealand, 1844. L. circinatum (circinate). A synonym of L. dichotomum. L. dichotomum (dichotomous).* primary petiole so much reduced that the fork seems almost to spring from the main rachis; secondary 1in. to 2in. long, firm, naked; pinnules digitate, with five or six lobes reaching nearly down to the base, or once or even twice forked; ultimate barren divisions 4in. to 8in., or even 12in. long, 1/2in. to 3/4in. broad, the fertile ones contracted. spikes one to two lines long, in close marginal rows. Chusan, Hong Kong, &c. SYNS: L. circinatum and L. pedatum.
L. Forsteri (Forster's). A synonym of L. reticulatum. L. hastatum (halbert-shaped). A synonym of L. volubile. L. heterodoxum (heterodox). primary petiole obsolete or very short; secondary 1 1/2in. long; pinnules with two or three bipartite segments, the ultimate divisions 4in. to 6in. long, 3/4in. broad, the petioles not articulated, the lowest often 1/2in. long. spikes one line long, in close rows along the edge of the leafy divisions. Mexico. SYNS. L. Lindeni (of gardens), Hydroglossum heterodoxum, Lygodictyon heterodoxum, and Lygodictyon Lindeni. L. japonicum (Japanese).* primary petiole very short; secondary 1/2in. to 1in. long; pinnules 4in. to 8in. long, nearly as broad, deltoid; the terminal segments pinnatifid or hastate; the lateral ones long-stalked, and pinnate in the lower part; the divisions entire or crenulate. spikes one to two lines long, the lamina of the fertile divisions often much reduced. Japan to Australia. Greenhouse. SYN. Ophioglossum japonicum.
L. Lindeni (Linden's). A garden synonym of L. heterodoxum. L. microphyllum (small-fronded). A form of L. scandens. L. palmatum (palmate).* primary petiole slender, 1/8in. to 1/4in. long, each fork in the lower part of the stem bearing a single cordate, palmate pinnule 1 1/2in. to 2in. broad, not so deep, bluntly four to six-lobed more than half-way down, the slender petiole 1/2in. to 3/4in. long; fertile pinnules sub-deltoid, three or four-pinnatifid, formed only of winged rachises and short spike-like fertile ultimate divisions, the latter linear, 1in. to 1 1/2in. long. Massachusetts to Florida.
L. pedatum (pedate). A synonym of L. dichotomum.
L. polymorphum (many-formed). A synonym of L. venustum. L. polystachyum (many-spiked). primary petiole short or obsolete; secondary 1/4in. to 1 1/2in. long; pinnules 8in. to 12in. long, 4in. to 6in. broad; segments uniform, nine to twelve on each side, 2in. to 3in. long, 3/4in. broad, articulated at base, pinnatifid more than half-way down to the rachis into close, entire, blunt lobes, 1/8in. broad; upper segments sessile, lower ones short-stalked. Malay Peninsula.
L. reticulatum (reticulated).* primary petiole 1/8in. to 1/4in. long; secondary 1/4in. to 1/2in. long; pinnules 6in. to 9in. long, 4in. to 6in. broad, with a terminal segment, and four to six nearly uniform ones on each side, which are cordate-hastate or ligulate-oblong, rounded or cordate at the base, 2in. to 3in. long, 1/2in. to 3/4in. broad, all articulated at the base, the lowest short-stalked. spikes one to three lines long, in close rows along the edge of the segments. Polynesian Isles, &c. SYNS. L. Forsteri, L. Schkuhri, Hydroglossum reticulatum, and Lygodictyon Forsteri. L. scandens (climbing).* primary petiole very short; secondary 1/4in. to 1/2in. long; pinnules 4in. to 8in. long, 2in. to 4in. broad, with a terminal segment and four or five on each side, which are very variable in shape, usually simple, ovate or ligulate-oblong, with a rounded or cordate base, sometimes hastate or even slightly pinnate below, always articulated on a short petiole, spreading from the rachis at right angles. spikes one to three lines long, in close rows along the edge of the segments. South China to Ceylon, &c. SYN. Ophioglossum scandens. L. microphyllum is a common form, with short broad segments.
L. scandens (climbing), of Schkuhr. A synonym of L. volubile. L. Schkuhri (Schkuhr's). A synonym of L. reticulatum. L. venustum (pleasing).* primary petiole very short; secondary 1/4in. to 1/2in. long; pinnules 6in. to 12in. long, 4in. to 6in. broad, with a terminal segment, and four to twelve on each side, which are simple, ligulate-oblong, the lower ones usually hastate or pinnate below, all articulated at the base, bluntly lobed at the edge when barren, the upper ones sessile, the lower ones on a spreading petiole, 1/8in. to 1/4in. long. spikes one to four lines long, in close rows. West Indies to Peru, 1845. SYN. L. polymorphum. L. volubile (twining).* primary petiole nearly or quite obsolete; secondary about 1in. long; pinnules 8in. to 12in. long, 6in. to 10in. broad, with a simple broad, ligulate-oblong, terminal segment, 3in. to 6in. long, 1in. to 1 1/4in. long, and three to five like it on each side, truncate or sub-cuneate, articulated at the base, and all distinctly stalked. spikes one to three lines long, in close rows along the edge of the leafy segments. West Indies and Mexico to Brazil and Peru, 1810. SYNS. L. hastatum, L. scandens.