Sticherus, Presl, 1836

Lima, Lucas Vieira & Salino, Alexandre, 2018, The fern family Gleicheniaceae (Polypodiopsida) in Brazil, Phytotaxa 358 (3), pp. 199-234 : 212

Key to Brazilian species of Sticherus

1. Segments glabrous..............................................................................................................................................................................2

- Segments with scales at least on the midribs......................................................................................................................................4

2. Rachises reddish-brown; ultimate branches with segments reduced to auricles at the base; segments strongly ascending (northeast Brazil).................................................................................................................................................................................... S. salinoi

- Rachises brown to stramineous; ultimate branch bases conform or nearly so; segments patent to slightly ascending (southeast Brazil).................................................................................................................................................................................................3

3. Fronds 1–3-forked; rachises glabrous or sparsely scaly; segments linear........................................................................... S. gracilis

- Fronds 2–5-forked; rachises densely to moderately scaly; segments deltoid, occasionally triangular ............................ S. pruinosus

4. Bud scales completely nigrescent............................................................................................................................ S. nigropaleaceus

- Bud scales with strictly apical, central, or basal darkening, but never fully dark, or without darkening..........................................5

5. Segments deltoid to narrowly triangular .......................................................................................................................... S. pruinosus

- Segments linear..................................................................................................................................................................................6

6. Segment midribs or rachises with stellate scales with ciliate margins; segments remote, separated by at least once or twice their width.................................................................................................................................................................................... S. remotus

- Segment midribs or rachises with triangular scales with ciliate, dentate, fimbriate, or hastate margins; segments contiguous......................................................................................................................................................................................................................7

7. Rachises and segment midribs with hastate, anchor-shaped scales with setose margins........................................... S. longipinnatus

- Rachises and segment midribs with triangular scales with ciliate or fimbriate margins....................................................................8

8. Secondary veins strongly prominent; segments present only on the ultimate branches ........................................ S. brevitomentosus

- Secondary veins at the same level of the laminar surface; segments present on all branches...........................................................9

9. Abaxial segment surfaces glabrescent with only tiny, sparse scales on the rachises, segment midribs, and secondary veins ............ ........................................................................................................................................................................................... S. holttumii

- Abaxial segment surfaces pubescent, densely to moderately covered by scales.............................................................................10

10. Rachises usually sulcate with abaxial surfaces sparsely to moderately covered by reddish scales .............................. S. paulistanus

- Rachises always terete, with abaxial surfaces densely covered by stramineous or hyaline scales..................................................11

11. Rhizomes densely covered by dentate scales; petioles with scales; bud scales short-ciliate ......................................... S. squamosus

- Rhizomes sparsely covered by ciliate scales at least on the apex; petioles without scales; bud scales fimbriate............................12

12. Rhizome scales only ciliate in the apical portion; bud scales without any type of darkening; adaxial surfaces of rachises and segments densely to moderately covered by hyaline scales; segments strongly revolute and convolute ......................... S. lanuginosus

- Rhizome scales completely ciliate; bud scales usually with basal or apical darkening; adaxial surfaces of rachises and segments glabrous or slightly covered by stramineous scales; segments slightly revolute, never convolute....................................... S. bifidus