Pteris vittata -another subspecies ?

[Deepak Deshpande]

Date/Time-15 Jan 2022

Location- South-western Maharashtra. Western ghat hills.

Habitat-  Wild-

Plant Habit-  Herb. in colonies.

Height--60cm. This variety has thicker,leathery,tough leaves as compared to P. vittata subsp vittata.

[J.M. Garg]

Thanks, Deepak ji

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With regards,
J. M. Garg

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[J.M. Garg]

Thanks, Deepak ji

---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Deepak Deshpande <drdeepakde...@gmail.com>

Date: Mon, 17 Jan 2022 at 08:40
Subject: Re: [efloraofindia:412566] Pteris vittata -another subspecies ?
To: J.M. Garg <jmg...@gmail.com>

Also this plant was growing in colonies in open, sunny rocky region outside the forest (as compared to P vittata subsp vittata which I found growing in crevices on limestone walls of houses in Satara city (Maharashtra) and in sugarcane field near Nipani (in plains of north-west Karnataka)  )

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With regards,
J.M.Garg

[J.M. Garg]

Thanks a lot, Chris ji

---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Chris Fraser-Jenkins 
Date: Mon, 17 Jan 2022 at 14:19
Subject: Re: [efloraofindia:412566] Pteris vittata -another subspecies ?
To: J.M. Garg <jmg...@gmail.com>

I don't think so.  This narrower-pinna'd plant  of subsp. vittata (when large - not like the little one you posted before) appears quite commonly in both north and south India, but with intermediates also occurring commonly.  Nevertheless it still has quite typical (perhaps even more extreme) subsp. vittata characters, the abrupt and long drooping apical segment, pinnae rather apart and drooping, frond arching.

I have mentioned this narrow-pinna'd variation in my new forthxoming paper on P. vittata in the next Indian Fern J. and my conclusion is that it is not discretely separated from vittata s.s. and I couldn't make sense of it as any kind of separate taxon - it seems to be what vittata s.s. can do and such plants occur widely in Asia, usually gtowing among plants with slightly wider pinnae.

But I point out in the paper that it has not been specifically cytologically checked - which is much needed from Upper Kothayar Lake, T.N., where Dr. Sankari Amal thought she got a diploid (but the squash was completely overlying and uncountable in reality) and collected both wider-pinna's vittata s.s. and narrower like this (but not as good a specimen).

It would merit cytological investigation, though just to eliminate anything else.

To me its just P. vittata sensu stricto (syn. subsp. vittata).

Best wishes,

       Chris.

 .

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With regards,
J.M.Garg

[J.M. Garg]

Thanks a lot, Chris ji

---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Chris Fraser-Jenkins 
Date: Mon, 17 Jan 2022 at 14:32
Subject: Re: [efloraofindia:412566] Pteris vittata -another subspecies ?
To: J.M. Garg <jmg...@gmail.com>

Subsp. vittata often establishes colonies on old walls, but is common in natural situations on the ground as well.  The narrow pinnae can also occur frequently in wall populations - there is no ecological distinction and no morphological line between the wider and narrower pinna'd plants, either.

This becomes clear on seeing more populations - but of course in peninsular India populations of P. vittata are rather few and far between - when you see more, the intemediate forms mount up!

Best,

    Chris.

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With regards,
J.M.Garg

[Deepak Deshpande]

Thank you sir for taking time for the clarification.