Elaphoglossum muscosum (Sw.) T.Moore

Vasco, A., 2011, Taxonomic revision of Elaphoglossum subsection Muscosa (Dryopteridaceae), Blumea 56 (2), pp. 165-202 : 186-189

9. Elaphoglossum muscosum (Sw.) T.Moore — Fig. 1i , 10 ; Map 10

Elaphoglossum muscosum (Sw.) T. Moore (1857c) 362.— Acrostichum muscosum Sw.(1788) 128. — Type: Swartz s.n. (lecto S, designated by Proctor (1985) 503; second-step sheet P12230, designated here; iso B (barcode W-19514,frond mounted on the right), BM (barcode 000585005), S (sheet R-65)), Jamaica.

Acrostichum muscosum var. latifolium Hook.(1864) 231. — Syntypes: Macfayden s.n. (K n.v.), Bancroft s.n. (K n.v.), Jamaica.

Elaphoglossum hookerianum Underw. ex Maxon (1909) 6. — Type: Von Tuerckheim II 1862 (lecto US, designated here; iso F, NY), Guatemala, Alta Verapaz, Cobán, 1350 m, Aug. 1907 .

Plants epiphytic or epipetric. Rhizome 2 – 6 mm wide, short-creeping to erect; rhizome scales 10 –15 mm long, linear, reddish orange, entire or occasionally with small teeth (less than 0.1 mm), base truncate, apex filiform, oftentimes broken. Sterile leaves (7–)10 –35(– 40) cm long, approximate; phyllopodia present, obscured by the petiole-base scales; petiole 3 –15.5 cm long, 1/3 – 2/5 the length of the sterile leaves; larger petiole scales 2– 6 mm long, scattered to dense, spreading, linear-lanceolate, light brown, erose, base cordate (sometimes appearing peltate because of the large auricles), apex acute; smaller petiole scales 0.5 – 2 mm long, scattered to dense, appressed, oftentimes hidden by the larger ones, oblanceolate, light brown, erose to ciliate, base cordate (sometimes appearing peltate because of the large auricles), apex acute; lamina 7–25 by (1.5–)2 – 5(–5.5) cm, oblanceolate, coriaceous, base broadly cuneate to rounded, apex obtuse to acute; veins 1– 2 mm apart, at an angle of 75° with respect to the costa; adaxial laminar scales 1–3 mm long, scattered to dense, lanceolate, white to light brown, ciliate, base cordate, apex acute; abaxial laminar scales (0.5 –) 1.5– 3 mm long, dense, imbricate, more dense towards the costa, slightly elevated above the surface of the lamina, lanceolate, light brown to brown, ciliate, base cordate (sometimes appearing peltate because of the large auricles), very short-stalked (c. 0.1 mm), apex acute; abaxial costal scales same as the laminar ones, pointing at right angles to apex, slightly elevated; marginal scales same as the laminar ones. Fertile leaves longer than the sterile leaves; petiole 1/2 –4/5 the length of the fertile leaves; petiole scales same as the ones of the sterile leaves but the larger ones more spreading; lamina (14.5–)18– 42(– 52) by 0.8 –2(–2.5) cm, narrowly elliptic, coriaceous, base broadly cuneate, apex obtuse; adaxial laminar scales 0.5– 2 mm long, dense, imbricate, lanceolate to round, light brown to brown, slightly darker at the point of attachment, ciliate, base cordate, apex acute; abaxial costal scales 0.5– 2 mm long, dense, pointing at right angles to apex, slightly elevated, lanceolate to round, reddish brown, ciliate, base truncate, apex acute; intersporangial scales 0.5 – 2 mm long, scattered but abundant, not obscuring the sporangia, lanceolate, brown, ciliate, base truncate, apex acute. Spores papillate, without ridges.

Distribution — Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Cuba, Jamaica, Haiti, Dominican Republic, Brazil; 1300– 3200 m. Epiphytic or epipetric, in montane and cloud forests.

Selection of other specimens examined. MEXICO, Chiapas, near residences at Yerba Buena Mission, near Pueblo Nuevo Solistahuacan ,along route 195, [17°06'N, 92°53" W] , 1524–1829 m, 18 Dec. 1972, Somers et al. 199 ( NY) . Oaxaca, Dto.of Villa Alta, 2.3 miles S of Villa Alta on trail toward Betaza , [17°21'N, 96°09'W], 1520 m, 5 Aug.1962, Mickel 1126 ( NY) . Veracruz, Cerro del San Martín , 28 Sept. 1971, Calzada 572 ( F, MEXU) . – GUATEMALA, Alta Verapaz, Cobán , Chicu’sha’b 8 km al SW de Cobán, 15°26'N, 90°27'W, 22 July 1988, Tenorio et al. 14731 ( MO, NY) ; Cobán , [15°28'N, 90°22'W], 1310 m, July 1886, Von Tuerckheim II 1001 ( US) . Baja Verapaz, Chilasco, in forest on Concepción Road, [15°07'N, 90°06'W], 28 July 1971, Contreras 10916 ( MO, US). Chimaltenango, Cerro de Tecpám ,region of Sta.Elena , [14°47'N, 91°01'W] , 2700 m, 4 Dec. 1938, Standley 58696 ( F, US). Huehuetenango, above San Juan Ixcoy, Sierra de los Cuchumatanes , [15°31'N, 91°32'W] , 2400 m, 4 Aug. 1942, Steyermark 50016 ( F, US). Quezaltenango, El Pocito S of San Martín Chile Verde, on road to Colomba ,[14°49'N, 91°39'W], 2200 m, 27 Jan.1941, Standley 84988 ( F) . Quiché, Nebaj,c. 13 km on Sacopulas Road , [15°24'N, 91°08'W], 2440 m, 13 June 1964, Contreras 4978 ( US) . Totonicapán, Pacajá, region of Desconsuelo, mountains above Totonicapán , [14°50'N, 91°32'W], 3100–3200 m, 23 Jan. 1940, Standley 84561 ( F) . Zacapa, summit of Sierra de las Minas,vic. of Finca Planados , 2500 m, 14 Oct. 1939, Steyermark 29999 ( F) . – HONDURAS, Francisco Morazán, on Cerro La Tigra near Tegucigalpa , [14°12'N, 87°07'W], 11 Apr. 1972, Clewell s.n. ( NY) ; Cerro de Uyuca , [14°01'N, 87°05'W], 1650–2000 m, 10–20 Mar. 1951, Morton 7170 ( US) . Intibucá, cut over cloud forest of Sierra Opalaca above El Duraznillo , [14°30'N, 88°22'W], 1800 m, 8 Aug.1971, Molina 26084 ( F, NY) . Lempira, Celaque National Park, trail from camp 1 to Río Naranjal , 14°33'N, 88°40'W, 2000 m, 14 Nov. 1991, Moran 5540 ( MO) . Ocotepeque, cloud forest of El Portillo on Cordillera Meredó, 20 km from Nueva Ocotepeque , [14°28'N, 89°04'W], 1800 m, 28 Aug. 1968, Molina 22327 ( F) . Santa Bárbara, 7 km N of El Mochito,on the E slopes of Mt Santa Bárbara , 14°55'N ,

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88°07'W, 2200–2500 m, 23 Nov. 1991, Moran 5710 ( MO). – EL SALVADOR, Chalatenango , El Pital, [14°20'N, 89°05'W] , 2600 m, 16 Nov. 1978, Seiler 740 ( NY). Santa Ana, Bosque Montecristo , [14°23'N, 89°22'W] , 2200 m, 10 Oct. 1978, Seiler 653 ( F, NY, UC). – CUBA, Oriente, Sierra Maestra, Pico de La Bayanesa , N slope , 1530 m, 16–19 July 1955, Schultes et al. 560 ( GH). Santiago de Cuba, crest of Sierra Maestra between Pico Turquino and La Bayanesa ,[19°59'22"N, 76°50'09"W], 1350 m, 27–29 Oct.1941, Morton 3792 ( US). – JAMAICA, Portland, vic.of Portland Gap ,[18°03'N, 76°36'W] , 1650 m, 16 Mar. 1920, Maxon 1094 ( US). St. Andrew, vic. of Cinchona, summit Sir John Peak , [18°06'N, 76°38'W], 2–10 Sept. 1906, Underwood 3212 ( NY, US). – HAITI, Guimbi Galata, Morres des Commissaires , 1800 m, 24 Oct. 1943, Holdridge 1796 ( US). – DOMINICAN REPUBLIC, Ázua, Sierra de Ocoa, San José de Ocoa , Loma Sucia ,[18°38'N, 70°30'W] , 2300 m, 21 Mar. 1929, Ekman 11998 ( S). Elias Piña, Sierra de Neiba, 31–34 km by road NNW of La Descubierta , 11–14 km N of El Angel Felix , [18°38'N, 71°46'W], 1850–1900 m, 21 Feb. 1983, Mickel et al. 8773 ( NY). Independencia, Sierra de Neiba , entre cerros de Plan Ciquen and Loma El Hoyazo, 34 km de la Descubierta en la carretera de la frontera a Aniseto Martínez y Valle Hondo , 18°41'N, 71°47'W, 1800 m, 15 Dec. 1982, Zanoni et al. 24902 ( JBSD, NY). La Vega, Loma de Mono Mojao y arroyo Las Piedras , 36 km S de Constanza , 18°43'N, 70°47'W, 2150 m, 10 June 1982, Zanoni 20879 ( JBSD). Pedernales, Sierra de Baoruco , 45 km S of Jimaní-Duverge Hwy (cruce del escondido) , 8 km S of El Aguacate , 7.2 km N of the ridge top, [18°17'N, 71°43'W] , 1700 m, 22 Feb. 1983, Mickel et al. 8870 ( NY). Peravia, Río La Nevera, arriba del Vivero La Nevera de la Dirección Nacional Forestal , 41 km N de San José de Ocoa , 18°41'N, 70°35'W, 2200 m, 7 Feb. 1984, Zanoni et al. 29051 ( NY, US). San Juan, trail between Lagunita ( Lagüita ) and Pico Duarte , [19°01'N, 70°59'W] , 2250 m, 20 July 1967, Gastony et al. 376 ( GH, NY). – BRAZIL, Rio de Janeiro, Serra dos Órgãos , Picada do Rancho Frio , [21°52'S, 42°38'W] , 1400 m, 24 July 1940, Brade 16466 ( RB) .

Notes — Elaphoglossum muscosum is characterized by compact rhizomes, rhizome scales linear with long-filiform apex, erose petiole scales, and papillate spores. The density of the laminar scales is variable. Specimens from Jamaica (where the type was collected), Cuba, Dominican Republic, and Brazil have laminae completely covered by scales, whereas specimens from Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras tend to have smaller and more dissected abaxial laminar scales that do not always obscure the surface of the lamina.

Elaphoglossum muscosum has been the name previously applied to specimens from Costa Rica, Panama, and northern South America that I recognize here as E. lehmannianum . The two species are subtly different morphologically, and their differences are further supported by molecular phylogenetic analysis ( Vasco & Moran in prep.). See notes under E. lehmannianum for a comparison of these two species. Also, see E. bellermannianum for a comparison with that species.

The application of the name E. muscosum has been confusing because, in the protologue, Swartz (1788) provided a Latin description of plants he had collected in Jamaica, but cited an illustration from Plumier (1705) t. 139. The specimens annotated by Swartz and the Latin description agree with the present use of the name, whereas the illustration probably corresponds to E. eggersii (Baker) Christ.

The isotype of E. muscosum at B (B-W-19514) is the frond mounted on the right side of the sheet. The frond on the left is the fertile lamina of another species of Elaphoglossum . Apparently, the frond of E. muscosum was mounted on this sheet by mistake, instead of on sheet B-W-19523. The B-W-19523 sheet has information about E. muscosum , but it has a sterile frond that presumably should have been mounted with the fertile frond of sheet B-W-19514.

Figures

Map 10 Distribution of Elaphoglossum muscosum (Sw.) T.Moore.

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. 10 Elaphoglossum muscosum (Sw.) T.Moore. a. Habit; b. rhizome scale; c. larger petiole scale; d. smaller petiole scale; e. abaxial laminar surface; f. abaxial laminar scale; g. adaxial laminar surface; h. adaxial laminar scale; i. fertile lamina; j. fertile adaxial laminar scale (all: Maxon 657, NY).