Psomiocarpa
Content
Distribution
Asia-Tropical: Philippines (Philippines present)
Malesia: One species, widely distributed in the Philippines.
Taxonomy
John Smith published the name Polybotrya apiifolia for Cuming 26, but no description; Kunze published the first description under the same name. Presl proposed the new generic name Psomiocarpa, including also three other species now generally retained in Polybotrya, and stated that they differed from Polybotrya in bearing sporangia all over the upper surface of fertile leaflets or lobes, though Kunze had stated that an upper surface free from sporangia was visible. The species P. apiifolia was transferred to Acrostichum by Hooker and the genus was ignored by other authors until Copeland, who, however, repeated the erroneous statement that sporangia are borne on both surfaces. In 1947 Copeland regarded Psomiocarpa as ‘in every respect except its dimorphism. a typical Ctenitis' but Zamora and Chandra noted resemblances to free-veined Tectaria species and anatomical differences from Ctenitis (but no species of the latter mentioned). The close relationship to Tectaria ramosii is confirmed by the existence of hybrids. Tectaria ramosii also hybridizes with T. aurita (Sw.) Chandra (type species of Stenosemia). The retention of Psomiocarpa as a genus distinct from Tectaria is based on the very specialized structure of its fertile leaflets, a structure which still needs a detailed study.