Pteris vittata

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Distribution Map: Based on vouchered plant specimens only. View county names by placing the mouse cursor over a particular county.

Species Distribution Map
Family:PTERIDACEAE
Species:Pteris vittata L.
Common Name:Ladder Brake; Chinese Brake
Habitat:**
Associated Ecological Communities:**
Growth Habit:Herb
Duration:Perennial
Category:Vascular
USDA Symbol:PTVI
Plant Notes:Ladder Brake is an introduced evergreen perennial in the Maidenhair Fern family (Pteridaceae). It is native to Asia. In Alabama, it can be found in the southern half of the state. Ladder Brake most often grows on the old masonry of brick walls in cities, but can also be found on masonry in cemeteries, under bridges and in ditches, and on exposed limestone. It is a perennial from a stout, short-creeping, scaly rhizome. The fronds (leaves) are clustered near the apex of the rhizome. Fronds vary in length from 3 inches to 3 feet. The petiole is scaly. The blade is oblanceolate in outline and once pinnate. The pinna are linear to linear-lanceolate in outline. The rachis is not winged. The margins of the pinna are serrate. Ladder Brake reproduces by spores that are produced in sporangia. The sporangia are located along the margins of the pinna. The margin of the pinna folds under, partly covering the sporangia with a false indusium. Ladder Brake is a popular ornamental species, and is readily available from nurseries. It prefers an alkaline soil and can tolerate more sun and drier conditions than many ferns.--A. Diamond
Taxonomic Notes:**
Status:Not Native
References:**
Specimen: View specimen details in the Alabama Herbarium Consortium Specimen Database

** Not applicable or data not available.

Classification

FamilyPTERIDACEAE - Maidenhair Fern family
Genus Pteris
Species Pteris vittata L. - Ladder Brake; Chinese Brake

Citation

Citation Pteris vittata Linnaeus, Sp. Pl. 2: 1074. 1753.
Basionym: **
Type: CHINA: Without data, Osbeck s.n. (lectotype: LINN 1246.3). Lectotypified by R. M. Tryon, Contr. Gray Herb. 194: 191. 1964.

** Not applicable or data not available.

Synonyms

SynonymFull CitationBasionymType
Polypodium trapezoides Polypodium trapezoides Burman f., Fl. Indica 233, t. 66(2). 1768. INDONESIA: Java:
Pteris acuminatissima Pteris acuminatissima Blume, Enum. Pl. Javae 2: 208. 1828. INDONESIA: Java:
Pteris aequalis Pteris aequalis C. Presl, Reliq. Haenk. 1: 54. 1827. MEXICO (but probably from the Philippines):
Pteris alpinii Pteris alpinii Desvaux, Mém. Soc. Linn. Paris 6: 295. 1827.  
Pteris costata Pteris costata Bory ex Willdenow, Sp. Pl. 5(1): 367. 1810. MAURITIUS
Pteris diversifolia Pteris diversifolia Swartz, Syn. Fil. 96, 288. 1806, nom. illegit.Polypodium trapezoides Burman f. 1768. 
Pteris ensifolia Pteris ensifolia Poiret, in Lamarck, Encycl. 5: 711. 1804, nom. illegit.Pteris lanceolata Desfontaines 1800. 
Pteris guichenotiana Pteris guichenotiana Gaudichaud-Beaupré, Voy. Uranie 387. 1829. MOLUCCA ISLANDS:
Pteris inaequilateralis Pteris inaequilateralis Poiret, in Lamarck, Encycl. Suppl. 4: 601. 1816. REUNION ISLAND: Without data, Bory de Saint-Vincent s.n. (holotype: FI?).
Pteris lanceolata Pteris lanceolata Desfontaines, Fl. Atlant. 2: 401. 1800. ALGERIA
Pteris longifolia var. brevipinna Pteris longifolia Linnaeus, var. brevipinna Domin, Biblioth. Bot. 20(85): 154. 1913. AUSTRALIA: New South Wales: Blue Mountains, 1910, Domin s.n. (holotype: PR?).
Pteris microdonta Pteris microdonta Gaudichaud-Beaupré, Voy. Uranie 387. 1829. TIMOR
Pteris obliqua Pteris obliqua Forsskål, Fl. Aegypt-Arab. 185. 1775. YEMEN
Pteris tenuifolia Pteris tenuifolia Brackenridge, U.S. Explor. Exped., Filic. 112. 1854. TONGA ISLAND
Pteris vulcanica Pteris vulcanica Bertoloni, Misc. Bot. 18: 21. 1858. ITALY
Pycnodoria vittata Pycnodoria vittata (Linnaeus) Small, Ferns Florida 89. 1932 ("1931").Pteris vittata Linnaeus 1753. 

Specimens and Distribution

This species has been reported in the following counties by the herbaria listed. An overview of the individual specimens are provided in the table that follows. Click on the accession number to view details; click on column headers to sort; choose a county or herbaria to filter the specimen data.

Counties included on distribution map: Dale, Dallas, Escambia, Lee, Mobile, Pike

Counties represented by specimen data listed below:

Herbaria represented by specimen data listed below: ALNHS, AMAL, AUA, TROY, UNA, USAM, UWAL, UWFP

Range of years during which specimens were collected: -

Barcode / Accession No. County Coll. Date Collector &
Collection No.		 Herbarium &
Herbarium Name Used		 Image
AUA_ACC_63770 Dallas 23 May 2004 Diamond, Alvin R.
14406		 AUA
Pteris Vittata L.
UWAL0013828 Pike 02 Aug 2013 Diamond, Alvin R.
24409		 UWAL
Pteris vittata Linnaeus
UWAL0001379 Dallas 26 Jan 2009 Keener, Brian R.
5024		 UWAL
Pteris vittata L.
TROY000000429 Dallas 23 May 2004 Diamond, Alvin R.
14406		 TROY
Pteris vittata Linnaeus
UWAL0001380 Mobile 04 Mar 2007 Keener, Brian R.
3334		 UWAL
Pteris vittata L.
UNA00060442 Mobile 09 Dec 2002 Zebryk, Tad M.
8118		 UNA
Pteris vittata L.
UNA00051845 Mobile 29 Jun 1960 Harper, Roland M.
4456		 UNA
Pteris vittata L.
UWFP000831 Escambia 15 Sep 2012 James R. Burkhalter
23651		 UWFP
Pteris vittata Linnaeus
TROY000013271 Mobile 04 Mar 2007 Keener, Brian R.
3334		 TROY
Pteris vittata Linnaeus
USAM000000262 Mobile 29 Oct 1980 LeLong, Michel G.
11797		 USAM
Pteris vittata Linnaeus
USAM000000263 Mobile 10 Jul 1976 LeLong, Michel G.
9288		 USAM
Pteris vittata Linnaeus
AUA_ACC_70785 Escambia 15 Sep 2012 Burkhalter, James R.
23651		 AUA
Pteris Vittata L.
AUA000037452 Mobile 16 Nov 2016 Barger, T. Wayne
SP2684		 AUA
Pteris Vittata L.
TROY000037236 Pike 02 Aug 2013 Diamond, Alvin R.
24409		 TROY
Pteris vittata Linnaeus
UWAL0036293 Mobile 07 Mar 2015 Horne, Howard E.
2785		 UWAL
Pteris vittata Linnaeus
USAM000000638 Mobile 29 Oct 1980 LeLong, Michel G.
111797		 USAM
Pteris vittata Linnaeus
UNA00066977 Mobile 04 Mar 2007 Keener, Brian R.
3334		 UNA
Pteris vittata L.
AMAL00011397 Mobile 14 Jul 2009 Barger, T. Wayne
SP136		 AMAL
Pteris vittata L.
AUA_ACC_71904 Dallas 26 Jan 2009 Keener, Brian R.
5024		 AUA
Pteris Vittata L.
AMAL00013382 Mobile 04 Mar 2007 Keener, Brian R.
3334		 AMAL
Pteris vittata L.
ALNHS00004201 Mobile 16 Nov 2016 Barger, T. Wayne
SP#2684		 ALNHS
Pteris vittata L.
ALNHS00008011 Lee 25 Jul 2021 Yawn, Noah D.
NDY#233		 ALNHS
Pteris vittata L.
TROY000021209 Dallas 26 Jan 2009 Keener, Brian R.
5024		 TROY
Pteris vittata Linnaeus
UWFP000827 Escambia 17 Apr 2013 James R. Burkhalter
24021		 UWFP
Pteris vittata Linnaeus
USAM000000261 Mobile 6 Mar 1976 LeLong, Michel G.
8983		 USAM
Pteris vittata Linnaeus
ALNHS00002248 Dallas 17 Jun 2013 Barger, T. Wayne
SP#1183		 ALNHS
Pteris vittata L.
TROY000000428 Dale 06 Jun 2000 Pennington, Tiffany
759		 TROY
Pteris vittata Linnaeus
AMAL00018992 Dallas 26 Jan 2009 Keener, Brian R.
5024		 AMAL
Pteris vittata L.
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