Physematium pallidum ( Copel.) Ponce & Arana, 2025

Ponce, M. Mónica, Gorrer, Daniel A. & Arana, Marcelo D., 2025, Hidden and neglected taxa inside a collective taxon: taxonomic revision of Woodsiaceae in the Southern Cone of South America, Willdenowia 55 (1), pp. 29-49 : 45-46

4. Physematium pallidum ( Copel.) Ponce & Arana , comb. nov. ≡ Woodsia pallida Copel. in Univ. Calif. Publ. Bot. 19: 297. 1941. – Holotype: Argentina, Jujuy, 20 km west of Humahuaca , rock crevices in half-shade, alt. 3600 m, fern 10–30 cm high, 13 Mar 1936, J. West 6339 (UC [UC 600270!]; isotype: MICH [1191108!]).

Morphological description — Plants saxicolous, 5–15 (–20) cm tall, caespitose. Rhizomes suberect, compact, scaly, covered by persistent stipe bases; rhizomatic scales 0.5–1 mm long, strongly bicolorous, linear-lanceolate, dark brown to shiny black, sclerotic, with a thin, pale margin, entire, papillose or hairy, apex hairy. Fronds compactly fasciculate. Stipes 1/4–1/3 of length of frond, less than 1 mm in diam., brittle, light straw-coloured to stramineous, with paucicellular, uniseriate, glandular hairs, somewhat scabrous, base and along stipe with tiny, linear-lanceolate, black, membranous scales. Blades elliptic or subelliptic, 2–3(–4) cm wide, light-green or yellowish, pinnate to pinnate-pinnatifid. Rachises light straw-coloured, hairy-glandular, with abundant, uniseriate, glandular hairs, 2-pluricellular, articulate. Pinnae subremote, triangular, patent, opposite, basal pinnae strongly reduced. Last segments opposite to subopposite, oblong, rounded, with an undulate, sometimes recurved margin, glandular, lateral veins visible, furcate, tips enlarged to form hydathodes ; adaxial and abaxial lamina surfaces with abundant, hyaline, uniseriate, glandular Distribution — Northwestern Argentina (Catamarca, Jujuy, La Rioja, San Juan, Salta and Tucumán), Bolivia (Chuquisaca and Potosí), and recorded here for the first time in Chile (Antofagasta, Arica y Parinacota and Tarapacá). This species is endemic to the South American Transition Zone, in the biogeographic provinces of Monte (Prepuna district), Puna and the Cuyan High Andean. – Fig. 9.

Habitat — Physematium pallidum is a xerophytic species that grows in crevices of cliffs or between rocks, close to meadows above 3600 m.

Additional specimens examined — ARGENTINA: CATAMARCA: La Tranca, 4 Feb 1930, Castellanos 30/316 (LIL); Andalgalá, El Globo, 4015 m, 17 Feb 2010, F. Zuloaga & al. 11950 (SI); Belén, Laguna Blanca, 4200 m, 16 Mar 1989, A. Reca & D. E. Ramadori 139 (SI). — JUJUY: Maimará, Laguna Colorada, 4000 m, 20 Jan 1906, Budin 18 (LIL); ídem, M. Lillo 4946 (SI); Rinconada, Reserva Provincial Altoandina La Chinchilla, Pie del Cerro Negro, frente laguna Villamas. 24 Feb 2022, J. M. Acosta, P. Moroni & C. Zanotti 1171 (SI); Santa Catalina, Río Santa Catalina, 3780 m, 16 Feb 1998, O. Morrone & al. 2692 (SI); Humahuaca, Mina Aguilares , cerca del molino, 4100 m, 28 Mar 1952, E. Petersen & P. Hyinting 105, 133 (LIL); Valle Grande, Faldeo oeste Cerro Hermoso, 3380 m, 21 Jan 1995, H. Ayarde 480 (LIL); Yavi, Cerro Negro, 4000 m, 27 Feb 1940, T. Meyer s.n. (LIL 96216); Yavi, Ruta Provincial 5, de La Quiaca a Santa Victoria, 4020 m, 20 Feb 1997, F. O. Zuloaga & al. 6097 (SI); Dr. Manuel Belgrano, Cerro Chañi, Refugio Militar, 4610 m, 27 Jan 2012, C. Zanotti & M. Suescún 277 (SI); Susques, Coranzulí, 4703 m, 31 Mar 2019, V. L. López & al. 176 (SI); idem, Ruta Nacional 40, base del Cerro Tuzgle, 4500 m, 8 Feb 2016, Zanotti & al. 710 (SI). Santa Catalina, 3650 m, 9 Jan 1901, F. Claren (Herb. Kurtz) 11402 (SI); Tumbaya, Abra de Lipán, 4000 m, 24 Mar 1979, A. L. Cabrera & al. 30570 (SI). — LA RIOJA: Sierra de Famatina, Cerro Nevado, Vega del Real Viejo, 4200 m, 5/ 6 Mar 1907, Herb. F. Kurtz 14774 (SI); La Mesada, 3500 m, 29 Apr 1951, Sparre 8886 (LIL). — SALTA: Alrededores del Nevado del Castillo, 23 Mar 1873, P. Lorentz & G. Hieronymus 52-54 (CORD); Los Andes, Chorrillos, Mar 1930, Budín 20 (LIL). — SAN JUAN: Angaco, Sierra de Pie de Palo, Mogote de los Corralitos, 3100 m, 18 Feb 1986, R. Kiesling & al. 6301 (SI). — TUCUMÁN: Tafí, cumbres Calchaquíes, entre rocas, 4200 m, 30 Jan 1907, M. Lillo 55426 (LIL); Calchaquíes, Cerro Negrito, 4300 m, 7 Mar 1952, R. Sparre 9658 (LIL), idem, 4000 m, 25 Feb 1949, R. Sparre 6042 (LIL). — BOLIVIA: CHUQUISACA: Oropeza, camino de Herradura prehispánico que va a Chaunaco y a pinturas rupestres, 3600 m, 9 Dec 2006, N. Muruaga & H Huaylla s.n. (LIL 608391). — POTOSÍ: entre rocas, en el borde de la Laguna San Sebastián, 4000 m, May 1932, M. Cárdenas 159 (LIL); 4000 m, ídem, Apr 1933, M. Cárdenas 487 (LIL). — CHILE: ANTOFAGASTA: El Loa, Queb. Amincha, 1 Jan 2010, Pfanzelt & Garcia 445 (CONC). — ARICA Y PARINACOTA: camino Zapahuira a Putre, km 25, en quebrada a orilla de riachuelo, 3450 m, 1 May 1972, Ricardi, Weldt & Quezada 195 (CONC); Murmuntani, 1 May 1989, Hoffman 8948 (CONC); Putre, 4800 m, Feb 1952, U. Levi 44880 (CONC). —TARA- PACÁ: Parinacota, Laguna de Parinacota, 4300 m, 1 Jan 1970, O. Zöllner 3882 (CONC); Parinacota, wuchs an der Südseite unter grossen Felsblöcken, 30 Jan 1970, O. Zöllner 3901 (L).

Dubious species

Physematium cumingianum Kunze, Analecta Pteridogr. : 43. 1837 ≡ Woodsia cumingiana (Kunze) Hook., Sp. Fil. 1: 61. 1844. – Holotype: “Habitat probabiliter in Chile, misit H. Cuming ” (LZ [herb. Kunze, destroyed]).

Kunze (1837) mentioned in the protologue: “Unicum vidi specimen filicis” and “Herb. prop.” This is a rare case of evidence that an author used only a single specimen, so it was the holotype ( Turland & al. 2018: Art. 9.1). As Arana & al. (2016) stated, there is no isotype or even an illustration of the species. According to Hooker (1844), who had the opportunity to revise the collections immediately after Cuming returned to Europe from Chile or Peru, most probably the type locality was mistaken and was in Peru instead of Chile.