Blechnum auriculatum Cav.

Yañez, A., Marquez, G. J., Berrueta, P. C. & García, R. A., 2021, An urban fern refugium: Municipal Ecological Reserve of Avellaneda (Eco Área) (Buenos Aires, Argentina), Blumea 66 (3), pp. 227-235 : 230

Blechnum auriculatum Cav.

Origin — Native. Distributed in Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay. In Argentina, it is registered for the northwest, northeast and centre of the country, and it would represent evidence of the floristic connection between southern Brazil and the low mountains of Buenos Aires ( Arana et al. 2013).

Habitat & Ecology — Terrestrial. Grows in a wide variety of habitats, from mountainous, dry environments with stony soils to subtropical forests or riparian forests with humid and shady soils.

Location within the reserve — This species grows in the el- evated understory of mixed forests, which never floods, together with Rumohra adiantiformis and Adiantum raddianum . These substrate conditions were not observed in any other part of the reserve. Likewise, the soil remains covered all year round by the dry leaves of a Magnolia grandiflora L. individual. Remains of old buildings were observed in that sector.

Observations — Although it is located in a single area within the reserve, it forms a dense population.

Illustration and morphological description reference — Ramos Giacosa (2016).

Studied specimens. ARGENTINA, Buenos Aires,Mun.Avellaneda, Reserva Ecológica Municipal de Avellaneda (Eco Área), Yañez et al. 486 (BA), 18- IX-2018 ; Yañez et al. 491 (BA), 31-V-2019 .