''Telmatoblechnum serrulatum'', the toothed midsorus fern, is a species of

fern The ferns (Polypodiopsida or Polypodiophyta) are a group of vascular plants (plants with xylem and phloem) that reproduce via spores and have neither seeds nor flowers. They differ from mosses by being vascular, i.e., having specialized tissue ...

in the family

Blechnaceae Blechnaceae is a family of ferns in the order Polypodiales, with a cosmopolitan distribution. Its status as a family and the number of genera included have both varied considerably. In the Pteridophyte Phylogeny Group classification of 2016 (PP ...

, native to Florida, southeastern Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean, northern and western South America, Brazil, Paraguay, and northeastern Argentina.

Ecology and habitat

The species is commonly found in freshwater marsh and swamp conditions in tropical or subtropical locations. It can also be found wet prairies, moist pine woods, and sometimes in forests[ Rolleri, C. H., Prada, C., Gabriel y Galán, J. M., Passarelli, L. M., & Ciciarelli, M. M. (2010). Morphology of the sporophyte and gametophyte of the swamp fern, Blechnum serrulatum (Blechnaceae, Pteridophyta). Australian Journal of Botany, 58(6), 508. https://doi.org/10.1071/bt09238] Specifically, in Florida the recorded habitat for this fern is moist and shady places.Florida Native Plant Society
/ref> The range for this fern species is from Florida to South America and has been recorded in

Malaysia Malaysia is a country in Southeast Asia. Featuring the Tanjung Piai, southernmost point of continental Eurasia, it is a federation, federal constitutional monarchy consisting of States and federal territories of Malaysia, 13 states and thre ...

and Australia. It has shown good resistance to lead contamination when growing on coal mine tailings.

Description

This

is comparable to other ferns that consist of a stipe growing from the rhizomes and pinnae growing from the rachis. The entire above-ground specimen is called the frond. The fronds for this species are monomorphic and typically are about 30-50 cm in length and 7-16 cm wide. This means that this fern can grow a bit more than four feet tall. At the base, the stipe is usually light brown, sometimes darker at the base, typically 10-70 cm long, and appears cylindrical. The

rhizomes In botany and dendrology, a rhizome ( ) is a modified subterranean plant stem that sends out roots and shoots from its nodes. Rhizomes are also called creeping rootstalks or just rootstalks. Rhizomes develop from axillary buds and grow hori ...

form horizontally, even sometimes climbing tree trunks, and are covered in dark brown scales. There is the presence of spores which are located on the underside of the pinnae, usually tan to brown in color. Additionally, there is a central costa that runs the length of the pinnae.

Conservation

This fern species has not been evaluated for conservation measures.Cambridge Botantic Garden
/ref> However, this species has been utilized for wetland restoration projects.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q80350809 Blechnaceae Flora of Florida Flora of Veracruz Flora of Southeastern Mexico Flora of Central America Flora of the Caribbean Flora of northern South America Flora of western South America Flora of Brazil Flora of Paraguay Flora of Northeast Argentina Plants described in 2014