Ceratopteris pteridoides (Hook.) Hieron., Bot. Jahrb. Syst.

Kessler, Michael, Smith, Alan R. & Prado, Jefferson, 2017, Prodromus of a fern flora for Bolivia. XXVII. Pteridaceae, Phytotaxa 332 (3), pp. 201-250 : 218

Ceratopteris pteridoides (Hook.) Hieron., Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 34: 561. 1905.

Range: —Southeastern U.S.A.; Greater Antilles; southern Mexico to Bolivia (BE, CO, PA, SC); northern Argentina and Brazil.

Ecology: —Locally common; on stagnant or slow-flowing rivers, lakes, and ponds, among floating grass, often associated with Pistia stratiotes L. ( Araceae ); 50– 300 m.

Notes: —Sterile leaves 3–20 cm long, with broad, fleshy, usually inflated petioles; fertile leaves are more or less erect, 5–50 cm long, with inflated petioles and mostly linear segments. The species may be overlooked because it is so unlike other ferns.

Pteridaceae subfam. Pteridoideae (Pteridoid ferns)

= Taenitidaceae Pic.Serm.

This subfamily comprises 13 genera and an estimated 400 species (PPG I 2016) and is characterized by having spores each with an equatorial flange. Pteris , which has marginal sporangia covered by the recurved segment margins (pseudoindusia), is less closely related to the other four genera, which have sporangia along the veins and lack pseudoindusia. Monophyletic.