Pecluma ptilodon (Kunze) M.G. Price var. bourgeauana (E. Fournier) A.R. Smith. Downy-ear Polypody, Comb Polypody, Swamp Plume Polypody. Phen: Jan-Dec. Hab: Terrestrial or on logs or tree bases in hammocks and swamps. Dist: Ne. FL (Duval County) south to s. FL; West Indies; Mexico and Central America.

Origin/Endemic status: Native

Taxonomy Comments: See Assis & Zimmer (2014) and Smith et al. (2018) for discussions of the correct spelling of the epithet. "Assis & Zimmer (2014) attempted to alter the spelling of the species epithet to Pecluma ptilota. They maintained that Kunze’s original Polypodium ptiloton was corrected erroneously to ptilodon by Hieronymus (1909), who altered the spelling from ptiloton to ptilodon as “mendo typographico” (p. 257). Hieronymus was clearly not speculating, or innovating, but rather making a definitive statement bolstered by a considerable amount of relevant literature, specimens, and other information. His correction was accepted by Christensen (1913: p. 257). Price (1983) accepted the Hieronymus correction in transferring the name to Pecluma, thus treating the epithet as a noun in apposition, and indeclinable. Assis and Zimmer (2014) contended that Kunze’s ptiloton was properly adjectival (“meaning winged or feathery”) and declinable, becoming ptilota under the feminine Pecluma. The matter appears still to be contentious and unresolved, as the spelling of the epithet has been further altered to “ptilotos” in IPNI (accessed 2 Feb 2017). We concur with Price (1983) that ptilodon is properly a noun in apposition, as treated by Hieronymus (1909), "who knew Latin and Greek etymology well." (Smith et al. (2018)

Synonymy: = WH3, Mickel & Smith (2004), Smith et al (2018); = Pecluma ptilodon (Kunze) M.G.Price ssp. caespitosum (Jenman) Windham – K1; = Pecluma ptilodon (Kunze) M.G.Price var. caespitosa (Jenman) Lellinger – Fl1, FNA2, Meso1; = Pecluma ptilota var. bourgeauana – K4; = Polypodium pectinatum L. – S13, Sf; = Polypodium ptilodon Kunze var. caespitosum (Jenman) A.M.Evans – SFla

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Wetland Indicator Status:

• Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plain: FAC (name change)

Heliophily ?: 2