Elaphoglossum oreophilum A.Vasco, 2011

Vasco, A., 2011, Taxonomic revision of Elaphoglossum subsection Muscosa (Dryopteridaceae), Blumea 56 (2), pp. 165-202 : 192-194

12. Elaphoglossum oreophilum A.Vasco , sp. nov. — Fig. 1l , 13 ; Map 13

Haec species quoad habitum terrestrem, rhizoma longirepente, laminas foliares oblanceolatas usque oblongas apicibus obtusis basibus truncatis et sporas papillatas porcatas Elaphoglosso yatesii similis,sed ab eo rhizomatis crassioris (3–5 mm) squamis fuscis vel atrofuscis saepe bicoloribus marginibus pallidioribus, petiolo marginato sicut laminae squamis abaxialibus longiciliatis et squamis costalibus abaxialibus adpressis differt. — Typus: Øllgaard & Balslev 8149 (holo NY; iso AAU, GH), Ecuador, Napo, road Quito-Baeza, 7–8 km NW of Laguna de Papallacta, Páramo de Guamaní , 0°19'S, 78°08'W, 3800 m, 20 July 1976 .

Plants epiphytic or terrestrial. Rhizome 3–5 mm wide,long-creeping; rhizome scales 3 – 9 mm long, linear-lanceolate, light brown to dark brown, bicolorous with the margin lighter or mottled, denticulate, base cordate, apex filiform. Sterile leaves 20 –45 cm long, approximate to up to 1 cm apart; phyllopodia present, sometimes obscured by the petiole-base scales; petiole 9 –28 cm long, c. 1/2 the length of the sterile leaves; larger petiole scales 4– 8 mm long, dense, spreading, sometimes pointing forward to the petiole, linear-lanceolate to oblanceolate, light brown to dark brown, or mottled, darker at the point of attachment, margin lighter, laciniate to long-ciliate, base cordate, apex acute; smaller petiole scales 0.2–1(– 3) mm long, dense, appressed, oblanceolate to round, mottled to dark brown, always with lighter margin, long-ciliate, base cordate, apex acute; lamina 9 – 27 by 2– 6 cm, oblanceolate to oblong, coriaceous, glabrescent with age, base truncate to obtuse, apex obtuse; veins 0.7–1.5 mm apart, at an angle of 75– 80° with respect to the costa; adaxial laminar scales 0.5– 2 mm long, dense, imbricate or not, lanceolate to round, white to brown, sometimes darker along the costa, erose to long-ciliate, base cordate, apex acute; abaxial laminar scales 0.5–1 mm long, dense, imbricate, not elevated to slightly elevated above the surface of the lamina, oblanceolate to round, light brown to orange, ciliate to long-ciliate, base stalked (up to 0.2 mm), apex acute; abaxial costal scales 0.2– 3 mm long, dense, pointing forward to the apex, 193

f

becoming spreading towards the base, not elevated, oblanceolate to round, dark brown with lighter margin or mottled, ciliate to long-ciliate, base cordate to truncate, apex acute; marginal scales same as the laminar ones. Fertile leaves longer than the sterile leaves; petiole 3/5– 2/3 the length of the fertile leaves; petiole scales same as the ones of the sterile leaves; lamina 10– 24 by 1.5 –3.6 cm, narrowly elliptic to oblong, coriaceous, base truncate to obtuse, apex obtuse; adaxial laminar scales 0.4 –1 mm long, dense, imbricate, lanceolate to round, white to light brown sometimes mottled, ciliate, base cordate, apex acute; abaxial costal scales 0.5 –2 mm long, dense, pointing forward to the apex, slightly elevated, lanceolate to round, dark brown with lighter margin or mottled, erose to ciliate, base cordate to short-stalked, apex acute; intersporangial scales 0.2– 2 mm long, scattered, sometimes inconspicuous, lanceolate to round, light brown to mottled, ciliate, base cordate to truncate, apex acute. Spores papillate, with ridges.

Distribution — Colombia, Ecuador; 3000 –4200 m. Mainly terrestrial or growing in mats of bryophytes in páramos.

Selection of other specimens examined. COLOMBIA, Caldas, PNN los Nevados,Alto del Cisne, 4°57'44.8"N, 75°21'15.1"W, 4050 m, 8 Aug. 2006, Vasco 600 (HUA,MO,NY). Cauca, en el alto del Volcán Puracé, [2°15'N, 76°25'W], 3000 m, 7 Nov. 1948, Yepes-Agredo et al. 18 Ca. 123 (COL, MEDEL, US). Nariño, Mun. Pasto, Volcán Galeras, páramo al S de la cima, [1°13'N, 77°22'W], 3700 m, 24 Dec. 1972, Hagemann 1780 (COL, PSO). Quindío, Mun.Salento,vereda Cocora below Nevado del Quindío,4°40–45'N,75°20– 25'W, 3500 m, 20–22 May 1989, Luteyn et al. 13052 (COL,NY). Risaralda, Mun. Sta.Rosa, vertiente Occidental,hacienda La Sierra,[4°50'N, 75°32"W], 3700 m, 22 Jan.1980, Jaramillo-Mejía et al.5846 (COL). Valle, hoya del Río Bugalagrande, Bargaán, Páramo de Bavaya, [4°01'N, 75°52'W], 3600 m, 16 Mar. 1946, Cuatrecasas 20043 ( US). – ECUADOR, Azuay, Páramo de Soldados, at highest point of road W of Soldados, 2°57'S, 79°18'W, 3700–4000 m, 3 Mar. 1985, Øllgaard et al. 58524 (AAU). Carchi, Páramo El Angel, in the pass on road El Angel-Tulcán, very humid Espeletia-páramo, 0°41'N, 78°54'W, 3750–3850 m, 15 May 1973, Holm-Nielsen et al. 5482 (AAU, MO, NY). Chimborazo, Cerros Yuibug-Pailacajas, E side of the mountain ridge, 1°45'S, 78°27'W, 4100–4200 m, 30 July 1997, Sklenar 3077 (NY). Esmeraldas, between Río Blanco and Río Quinindé, near the town of Qunindé,[0°22'N, 79°44'W], 1980, De Vélez 4016 (COL). Imbabura, timber line vegetation on Hacienda Yura Cruz, 10 km N of Ibarra, 0°22'N, 78°05'W, 3700–3800 m, 25 May 1973, Holm-Nielsen et al. 6501 (AAU, UC). Napo, road Quito-Baeza, 5 km NW of Laguna de Papallacta,Páramo de Guamaní, 0°19'S, 78°07'W, 3700–3750 m, 18 July 1976, Øllgaard 8068 (AAU, NY). Pichincha, road Olmedo-Laguna San Marcos,W of the pass, 0°05'N, 78°01'W, 3600 m, 10 July 1980, Øllgaard et al. 34375 (AAU); along road Quito- Papallacta, in páramo near Papallacta, [0°25'S, 79°10'W], 2800–3900 m, 27 Feb. 1994, Van der Werff 13359 (MO, NY). Tungurahua, Santiago de Pillaro, Parque Nacional Llanganates, W of Cerro Hermoso, near saddle between headwaters of Río Topo, 1°11'40"S, 78°19'34"W, 3950 m, 12 Nov. 1999, Neill et al. 11995 (MO, UC).

Notes — Elaphoglossum oreophilum can be distinguished from all other species of subsect. Muscosa by its petiole scales and by its abaxial laminar scales. These scales have the cells of the body differentiated ( Fig. 13c, f, g, k ). The central portion is formed of irregular, usually darker isodiametric cells, and the broad border is formed of usually lighter, elongated cells. The latter cells have their long axes perpendicular to that of the scale. This characteristic is not easily detected with the naked eye and even with a dissecting microscope sometimes can be difficult to discern. Another peculiarity is that the laminar scales tend to be round instead of oblanceolate to lanceolate as in most species in the group. The species is further characterized by long-creeping rhizomes, abaxial costal scales not elevated, darker and differentiated from the laminar scales, and papillate, ridged spores. It is terrestrial and always occurs over 3000 m.

Elaphoglossum oreophilum is similar to E. yatesii . Both species occur only above 3000 m in Colombia and Ecuador. They share a mainly terrestrial habit, long-creeping rhizomes, oblanceolate to oblong laminae with obtuse apex and truncate base, and papillate, ridged spores. They can be distinguished by their rhizome diameter and scales of the rhizomes, petioles, and laminae. Elaphoglossum oreophilum has thicker rhizomes (3–5 mm), brown to dark-brown rhizome scales often bicolorous with lighter margin, laciniate to long-ciliate petiole and abaxial laminar scales, and abaxial costal scales not elevated. In contrast, E. yatesii has thinner rhizomes (1– 3 mm), typically dark-brown rhizome scales, erose to ciliate petiole and abaxial laminar scales, and abaxial costal scales elevated.

The specific epithet comes from the Greek oreo -, which means pertaining to mountains, and - philus meaning loving. It refers to the restricted occurrence of this species in mountains of Ecuador and Colombia.

Figures

Map 13 Distribution of Elaphoglossum oreophilum A.Vasco.

Fig. 1 Spores of Elaphoglossum subsect. Muscosa. a. E. aschersonii; b. E. bellermannianum; c. E. corderoanum; d. E. engelii; e. E. gardnerianum; f. E. glabrescens; g. E. laxisquama; h. E. lehmannianum; i. E. muscosum; j. E. novogranatense; k. E. oculatum; l. E. oreophilum; m. E. quisqueyanum; n. E. ruficomum; o. E. yatesii (a: Moran 7645, NY; b: Meier 302, NY; c: Holm-Nielsen 3260, AAU; d: Sánchez 465, US; e: Wacket 186, UC; f: Buchtien 2725, US; g: Vásquez 28162, NY;h: Ruíz-Terán 976, NY;i: Underwood 3212, NY;j: Vasco 746, NY; k: Hutchison 1629, UC;l: Holm-Nielsen 19071, AAU; m: Zanoni 20917, NY;n: Sagástegui 12091, NY; o: Navarrete 1402, NY). — Scale bars = 10 µm.

Fig. 13 Elaphoglossum oreophilum A.Vasco. a. Habit; b. rhizome scale; c. larger petiole scale; d. smaller petiole scale; e. abaxial laminar surface; f. abaxial costal scale; g. abaxial laminar scale; h. adaxial laminar surface; i. adaxial laminar scale; j. fertile lamina; k. intersporangial scale (all: Øllgaard 8149, NY).