Meniscium arborescens Humb. & Bonpl. ex Willd.,

Castro-Aguiar, Pedro Henrique, Fernandes, Rozijane Santos & Zappi, Daniela Cristina, 2025, Ferns of the Parque Nacional das Nascentes do Rio Parnaíba Brazilian Cerrado, Rodriguesia (e 00612024) 76, pp. 1-24 : 19-20

16.1. Meniscium arborescens Humb. & Bonpl. ex Willd., Sp. Pl., ed. 4 [Willdenow] 5: 133 (1810).

Fig. 5 e-f

Plants terrestrial. Stem short-creeping, glabrous. Fronds 131.5 – 244.5 cm long, monomorphic, pinnate; petiole 76.5–127 cm long, paleaceous to pale brown, angular, glabrescent; rachis paleaceous to pale brown, sulcate adaxially, with sparse acicular hairs on both sides; laminae 53– 117.5 × 16.5–64 cm, linear to oblong-lanceolate, with 1–2 pairs of distal pinnae abruptly reduced; pinnae median 10.5–32.5 × 1.5–4.3 cm, 14–21 pairs, linear to oblong-lanceolate, chartaceous, abaxially with sparse twisted hairs on the costae and veins, rarely on the laminar tissue between the veins, adaxial side rarely with hairs on the costae and veins, margins undulate to rarely crenate, base cuneate, apex acute to acuminate; veins anastomosed, 9–13 areoles between the costae and the margin of the pinnae. Sori oblong-arcuate; indusia absent.

Examined material: Alto ParnaÍba, PNNRP, povoado Curupá, 09°53’05’’S, 45°53’20’’W, 380 m, 19.IV.2022, P. H. C. Aguiar et al. 6 ( CCAA); P. H. C. Aguiar et al. 10 ( CCAA); Fazenda do Merval , próxima a casa de serraria, 09°49’22’’S, 46°16’14’’W, 373 m, 19.VII.2023, P. H. Castro-Aguiar et al. 315 ( CCAA, UB); P. H. Castro-Aguiar et al. 316 ( CCAA, UB); P. H. Castro-Aguiar et al. 317 ( CCAA, UB).

Meniscium arborescens has Neotropical distribution, occurring from México to South America, and in the Caribbean region ( Fernandes & Salino 2020). In Brazil, it occurs in the Amazon Rainforest, Cerrado, and Atlantic Rainforest biomes ( Salino et al. 2023). In the study area it was recorded growing in shady areas in flooded areas of the vereda, on the margins, in sunny areas, and in humid rock faces inside the gallery forest.

This species is characterized by chartaceous, ascendant pinnae, with twisted hairs principally on the costae and veins, and sparse on the abaxial laminar tissue between the veins. The specimens from the study area generally present between 1–2 distal abruptly reduced pinnae.

Figures

Figure 5 – a. Cheilanthes pohliana – habit. b. Pityrogramma calomelanos – habit. c-d. Christella hispidula – c. habit; d. sori on the abaxial surface. e-f. Meniscium arborescens – e. habit; f. sori on the abaxial surface. g. Meniscium delicatum – habit. h-i. Meniscium maxonianum – h. habit; i. sori on the abaxial surface. (a. P.H. Castro-Aguiar et al. 283; b. P.H. Castro-Aguiar et al. 244; c-d. P.H.C. Aguiar et al. 12; e-f. P.H.C. Aguiar et al. 6; g. P.H. Castro-Aguiar et al. 97; h-i. P.H. Castro-Aguiar et al. 166).