Monograph of the neotropical species of Callipteris with anastomosing veins (Woodsiaceae)

Callipteris is a pantropical fern genus defined by two synapomorphies of it s rhizome scales: 1) dark-castaneous to black borders, and 2) bifid margina l teeth. This monograph treats 15 neotropical species of Callipteris that a re further defined by the synapomorphy of anastomosing veins (free-veined s pecies of the genus occur in the Neotropics and elsewhere). Three species a re newly described here; the remaining 12 were previously classified in Dip lazium. All the species of Callipteris grow on wet forest floors at 100-230 0 m. In the Neotropics the genus occurs from Guatemala to Bolivia, northern Brazil, and the Lesser Antilles. It has two centers of species richness. T he first is the Choco region on the western side of the Andes in Colombia a nd northwestern Ecuador. This region contains eight species, five of which are endemic. The second center is the mountains of Costa Rica and Panama, w here six species occur, three of which are endemic. Only one species, an en demic, occurs in the Lesser Antilles in Martinique, St. Vincent, and Grenad a. Four species occur only on the eastern side of the Andes, and these appa rently represent at least two separate dispersal events from the western si de of the Andes.