Elaphoglossum glabrescens A.Vasco

Vasco, A., 2011, Taxonomic revision of Elaphoglossum subsection Muscosa (Dryopteridaceae), Blumea 56 (2), pp. 165-202 : 181-183

6. Elaphoglossum glabrescens A.Vasco , nom. & stat. nov. — Fig. 1f , 7 ; Map 7

Elaphoglossum engelii (H.Karst.) Christ var. subnudum Rosenst., Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. 11 (1912) 59, (‘ subnuda ’). — Type: Buchtien 2725 (lecto S, designated here; iso US), Bolivia, La Paz, Prov. North Yungas , Unduavi, [16°19'S, 57°54'W], 3300 m, Nov. 1910. Non Elaphoglossum subnudum C.Chr .

Plants epiphytic or terrestrial. Rhizome 4 – 8 mm wide, short-creeping to erect; rhizome scales 4 – 8 mm long, linear-lanceolate, dark red to dark brown, sometimes with paler margin, denticulate to ciliate (teeth up to 0.3 mm), base truncate to slightly cordate, apex filiform. Sterile leaves 17– 40(– 58) cm long, approximate to up to 1 cm apart; phyllopodia present, not obscured by the petiole-base scales; petiole 9 –16(– 30) cm long, 2/5– 3/5 the length of the sterile leaves; larger petiole scales 3 – 6 mm long, scattered to dense, spreading, lanceolate, light brown to dark brown, sometimes mottled, ciliate, base cordate (sometimes appearing peltate because of the large auricles), apex acute; smaller petiole scales 0.5 –3 mm long, scattered to dense, appressed, oftentimes hidden by the larger ones, oblanceolate to round, light to dark brown, sometimes mottled with lighter margin, ciliate, base cordate, apex acute; lamina 6 –17(–28) by 1.8– 3.8 cm, linear-oblong to oblong, chartaceous to coriaceous, glabrescent with age, base truncate to obtuse, apex obtuse; veins 1–1.5 mm apart, at an angle of 70° with respect to the costa; adaxial laminar scales 0.5 – 2 mm long, dense, lanceolate, white to light brown, ciliate, base cordate, apex acute; abaxial laminar scales 0.5–3 mm long, from absent to scattered, when present slightly elevated above the surface of the lamina and never imbricated, lanceolate to round, light to dark brown, sometimes mottled with lighter margin, ciliate, base cordate to short-stalked (up to 0.2 mm), apex acute; abaxial costal scales 0.5 –3.5 mm long, dense, pointing forward to the apex or at right angles, slightly elevated, lanceolate to round, orange to dark brown, sometimes mottled with lighter margin or darker at the point of attachment, ciliate, base cordate, apex acute; marginal scales 0.5 –1.5 mm long, dense, lanceolate to oblanceolate, orange, ciliate, base cordate to short-stalked (up to 0.1 mm), apex acute. Fertile leaves longer than the sterile leaves; petiole 2/5–3/4 the length of the fertile leaves; petiole scales same as the ones of the sterile leaves, but the small

181 ones tend to be darker, mottled to entirely black; lamina 8 –19 by 1– 2 cm, narrowly elliptic, chartaceous to coriaceous, glabrescent with age, base truncate, apex obtuse; adaxial laminar scales 0.5–1.2 mm long, dense, lanceolate, light brown to dark brown, sometimes mottled with lighter margin, darker along the costae, ciliate, base cordate, apex acute; abaxial costal scales 0.5 –2(–3) mm long, dense, pointing forward to the apex or at right angles, lanceolate to round, orange to black, ciliate, base cordate, apex acute; intersporangial scales absent. Spores papillate, without ridges.

Distribution — Bolivia, departments of Cochabamba, La Paz, Santa Cruz; 2000 –3800 m. Epiphytic or terrestrial in montane forests.

Selection of other specimens examined. BOLIVIA, Cochabamba, Prov. Carrasco, Siberia Oeste, Monte Hotel, 17°47'19"S, 64°47'18"W, 2700 m, 22 Sept. 2003, Fernández et al. 2528 ( BOLV, MO) ; Prov. Carrasco, Km 100 antigua carretera Cochabamba-Villa Tunari, 17°12'S, 65°42'W, 3300 m, 26 June 1996, Kessler et al. 6734 ( LPB, NY, UC) . La Paz, Prov. Nor Yungas, Estación Biológica, de Tunquini, senda nueva del camino de la mina (curva al lado W) al pantanón, 16°11'S, 67°53'W, 3000 m, 14 Sept.2000, Bach et al. 1042 ( LPB, UC) ; Prov. Nor Yungas, Coscapa,sobre el sendero prehispánico Sillutinkara, 16°12'S, 67°53'W, 3100 m, 27 Apr. 2004, Jiménez 2152 ( LPB, NY, UC) . Santa Cruz, Prov. Caballero, 28 km desde Comarapa camino a la Siberia, 17°50'S, 64°38'W, 2600 m, 15 Aug. 1991, Arroyo et al. 61 ( HUA, LPB, NY, UC) ; Prov. Caballero, 50 km al N de Mataral (en la carretera Santa Cruz-Comarapa) pasando por San Juan del Potrero y bajando a la cuenca del alto Río Ichilo , [17°53'S, 64°16'W], 2000 m, 25–26 May 1989, Smith 13319 ( MO, UC) .

Notes — Elaphoglossum glabrescens is characterized by short-creeping, ascending rhizomes, dark red to dark brown rhizome scales, and linear-oblong to oblong sterile lamina with obtuse apex and truncate to obtuse base. The type of E. glabrescens (Buchtien 2725) has the lower surface of the laminae completely glabrous, with scales present only on the costa and margin. Specimens with glabrous adaxial surfaces are easy to identify; however, some specimens of E. glabrescens are scaly abaxially. The scales range from scattered to dense, but they are small and never obscure the surface of the laminae. Specimens with scaly abaxial surfaces can be confused with E. laxisquama , a species endemic to Peru. However, E. laxisquama has long-creeping, usually branched rhizomes, linear-lanceolate, acuminate larger petiole scales, that when bicolorous have dark apex (including the cilia) and lighter base and point of attachment. In contrast, E. glabrescens has short-creeping, ascending rhizomes that typically do not branch, larger petiole scales that are lanceolate with acute apex, and when bicolorous, it is the centre of the scale, not the apex, that becomes darker (the cilia are never dark). Moreover the spores of E. laxisquama are ridged ( Fig. 1g ), whereas the spores of E. glabrescens are not ( Fig. 1f ).

Elaphoglossum glabrescens was originally described by Rosenstock as a variety of E. engelii , from which it differs by the dark red to black rhizome scales, oblong laminae, and papillate spores. Elaphoglossum engelii has typically light brown to brown rhizome scales, linear lanceolate to oblanceolate laminae, and spores with ridges and irregular deposits. I gave the variety a new status and a new name. I chose a different epithet because E. subnudum C.Chr. already exists. However, to acknowledge the fact that Rosenstock noticed the difference and described it, I chose a similar epithet that denotes the glabrous condition of the lower laminae surface of some individuals of this species.

See E. novogranatense for a comparison with that species.

Figures

Map 7 Distribution of Elaphoglossum glabrescens 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. 7 Elaphoglossum glabrescens A.Vasco. 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 (a: Nee 34051, NY; b–i: Arroyo 61, HUA).