Sticherus brevitomentosus Østergaard & Øllgaard (2001: 132)

Lima, Lucas Vieira & Salino, Alexandre, 2018, The fern family Gleicheniaceae (Polypodiopsida) in Brazil, Phytotaxa 358 (3), pp. 199-234 : 215

3.2. Sticherus brevitomentosus Østergaard & Øllgaard (2001: 132) . Figs. 4F–I , 5B , 6B .

Type:— ECUADOR, Prov. Zamora-Chinchipe, Yangana-Valladolid , km 29, 2580 m, Østergaard Andersen 10728 (holotype QCA [QCA113182] photo!; isotypes AAU, QCNE) .

Plants terrestrial. Rhizomes 2–5 mm thick, with orange-brown, with scales triangular, soft, with apex attenuate, margins dentate. Fronds erect when young, becoming scrambling with age, 2–3-forked, petiole 2.33–3.0 mm thick, ultimate branches 21.4–29.3 × 1.5–4.2 cm, lanceolate, apex pinnatifid or caudate, base truncate, abaxial surface moderately scaly on the rachis, scales light-brown, triangular, apex attenuate, base slightly truncate, margins ciliate, adaxial surface glabrous, segments linear 2.0–3.0 × 0.34–0.38 cm, margins plane, abaxial surface tomentose, with arachnoid scales on laminar tissue and secondary veins, midrib with arachnoid scales and triangular ciliate scales. Buds with light-brown, triangular scales, with occasional central or basal darkening, with apex attenuate, base truncate, margins short-ciliate, pseudoestipule absent. Veins 1-forked. Sori inframedial, without paraphyses.

Distribution and habitat: — Brazil (Amazonas), Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela. In Brazil, this species is only known from the state of Amazonas, where it occurs along edge of the wet montane forest at 2000–2200 m.

Notes:— Sticherus brevitomentosus is morphologically related to S. bifidus and differs by having only the ultimate branches with segments (vs. segments present in all branches), prominent secondary veins (vs. veins at the same level of the laminar tissue), and segments abaxial surface with indument much less dense and usually restrict to the sorus area (vs. arachnoid scales spread through all abaxial surfaces of the segments).

Specimen examined: — Amazonas: Santa Isabel do Rio Negro, Parque Nacional do Pico da Neblina, Igarapé Cuiabixi, 0º47’18.0”N, 66º01’15.0W, 2060 m, 20 September 2012, Forzza et al. 7225 (BHCB).

Figures

FIGURE 4. A–E. Sticherus bifidus (Krieger s.n., CESJ 10201). A. Detail of the abaxial segment surface. B. Rhizome scale. C. Bud scale. D. Rachis scale. E.Arachnoid scale of the abaxial side of the laminae. F–I. S. brevitomentosus (Forzza et al. 7225, BHCB). F. Detail of the abaxial segment surface. G. Rhizome scale. H. Bud scale. I. Rachis scale. J–L. S. gracilis (Salino 3611, BHCB). J. Detail of the abaxial segment surface. K. Rhizome scale. L. Bud scale. M–R. S. holttumii (Almeida et al. 4174, BHCB). M. Detail of the abaxial segment surface. N. Detail of the abaxial segment surface. O. Bud scale. P–Q. Rhizome scales. R. Rachis scale.

FIGURE 5. Habit. A. Sticherus bifidus. B. S. brevitomentosus. C. S. gracilis. D. S. holttumii.

FIGURE 6. Distribution of five taxa of Sticherus in Brazil. A. Sticherus bifidus. B. S. brevitomentosus and S. holttumii. C. S. gracilis. D. S. lanuginosus.