Sticherus pruinosus (Mart.) Ching (1940: 284)

Lima, Lucas Vieira & Salino, Alexandre, 2018, The fern family Gleicheniaceae (Polypodiopsida) in Brazil, Phytotaxa 358 (3), pp. 199-234 : 225-226

3.9. Sticherus pruinosus (Mart.) Ching (1940: 284) . Figs. 9C , 10A–D , 11A .

Mertensia pruinosa Martius (1834: 109) . Gleichenia pruinosa (Mart.) Mettenius (1863: 49) . Dicranopteris pruinosa (Mart.) Maxon (1922: 29) . Type:— BRAZIL. Minas Gerais: s.d., Freyreiss s.n. (holotype M [M-0243583], photo!).

Mertensia pennigera Martius (1834: 59) . Gleichenia pennigera (Mart.) Moore (1862: 381) . Sticherus penniger (Mart.) Copeland (1947: 27) . Dicranopteris pennigera (Mart.) Maxon (1922: 48) . Type:— BRAZIL. Minas Gerais: Serra de São Geraldo, s.d., Martius s.n. (lectotype designated here, M [M-0243584], photo!, isolectotype M [M-0243585], photo!).

Mertensia angusta Klotzsch ex Sturm (1859: 225) . Gleichenia revoluta Kunth var. angusta (Klotzsch ex J.W.Sturm) Christ (1908:48) . Gleichenia angusta (Klotzsch ex J.W.Sturm) Sehnem (1959: 542) . Gleichenia angusta (Klotzsch ex J.W.Sturm) Lellinger (1984: 57) hom. illeg. Type:— BRAZIL. Sellow s.n. (holotype B [B 20 0139898] photo!, isotype K [K000589323]!).

Mertensia longipes Fée (1873: 87) . Gleichenia longipes (Fée) Christ in Schwacke (1900: 690). Sticherus longipes (Fée) Copeland (1947: 27) . Type:— BRAZIL. Serra do Pico, s.d., Glaziou 5235 (lectotype designated here, P [P00625755] photo!, isolectotypes B [B 20 0139885] photo!, P [P00625754, P0625753] photos!, S [S05-9154] photo!, UC [UC181415] photo!).

Plants terrestrial. Rhizomes 2.2–3.27 mm thick, with scales dark-brown, rigid, linear-lanceolate, with apex acuminate, base truncate, margins setose. Fronds erect when young, becoming scrambling with age, 3–5(6)-forked, petiole 1.35– 2.76 mm thick, ultimate branches 7.5–15.5 × 0.7–1.5 cm, linear to lanceolate, apex pinnatifid, base slightly reduced, abaxial surface moderately scaly on the rachis, scales light-brown, linear, apex acuminate, base slightly cordate, margins ciliate, adaxial surface sparse to densely covered by hyaline, filiform scales, segments deltoid 3.1–6.7 × 0.21–0.29 cm wide, margins slightly to strongly revolute, abaxial surface glabrescent, with hyaline, triangular scales, apex acuminate, base truncate, margins ciliate on the midrib, and hyaline hairs on secondary veins and laminar tissue, rarely glabrous. Buds with scales similar to those of the rachis, pseudoestipules present. Veins 1-forked. Sori medial to supramedial, without paraphyses.

Distribution and habitat: — Brazil (Minas Gerais, Paraná, Rio de Janeiro, Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina, São Paulo), Bolivia, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Panama, Peru, and Venezuela. In Brazil, this species occurs along roads, trails, and forest edge in the Atlantic Forest domain at 800–2000 m.

Notes:— Sticheus pruinosus is characterized by the small segments, linear ultimate branches, fronds up to 6- forked, and ciliate bud scales. It is morphologically related to S. maritimus (Hieron.) Nakai (1950: 23) but differs by having glabrescent abaxial surface, and less forked fronds, in addition to S. maritimus having a restricted distribution to a few areas of western Colombia and Ecuador. Sticherus pruinosus is also related to S. revolutus (Kunth) Ching (1940: 284) from which it differs by the absence of squamophores on the rhizomes, ultimate branch size, and the distribution of scales on the rachises.

In the original description of Mertensia penigera, Martius cited only the type locality “Prov. Minarum”. We found two original specimens of Martius in M among his collections from Brazil, and we chose the most complete one as lectotype.

In the original description Mertensia longipes, Fée cited one collection of Glaziou (# 5235) from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, as type material. We found six specimens of this collection, three at P, one at B, one at UC, and one at S. We chose the most complete specimen with Fée’s original label.

Selected specimens examined: — BRAZIL. Minas Gerais: Baependi, Parque Estadual da Serra do Papagaio, estrada de acesso à sede, 22º09’10”S, 44º44’04”W. 1710 m, 23 March 2015, Dittrich 2037 (BHCB); Catas Altas, Parque Natural do Caraça, Bocaina, 21 December 2002, Salino et al. 8233 (BHCB); Gonçalves, estrada de terra que chega a cidade, 22°40’25.9”S, 45°52’27.8”W, 1462 m, 28 October 2008, Almeida 1510 (BHCB); Lima Duarte, Parque Estadual do Ibitipoca, gruta do Pico do Pião, 21º42’20.2”S, 43º52’15,5”, 1664 m, 21 June 2007, Almeida et al. 1164 (BHCB); Ouro Preto, distrito de Lavras Novas, 21 January 1996, Salino 2421 (BHCB). Paraná: Campina Grande do Sul, Serra Ibitiraquiri, Pico Paraná, 1300 m, 22 July 1996, Poliquesi 527 (MBM); Castro, Volta grande, 15 August 1973, Hatschbach 32324 (MBM); Curitiba, Parque Municipal do Tingui, 900 m, 14 April 2007, Schwartsburd 1336 (MBM); Guaratuba, Serra de Araçatuba, 1300 m, 25 February 2000, Silva 3272 (MBM); Piraquará, Roça Nova, 21 May 1974, Hatschbach 34443 (MBM). Rio de Janeiro: Itatiaia, Parque Nacional de Itatiaia, planalto, 20 June 1930, Brade 10091 (RB); Teresópolis, Serra Carvalho, 12 February 1929, Brade 9995 (RB). Rio Grande do Sul: Cambará do Sul, Cabana do Itaimbezinho, 29°08’02.7”S, 50°07’58.2”W, 986 m, 05 December 2015, Gonzatti 2254 (HUCS); São Francisco de Paula, Parque Paraiso, 26 September 1999, Wasum 152 (MBM); Paulo Frontin, s.d., 07 November 2005, Wasum 3212 (UPCB). Santa Catarina: Timbé do Sul, Serra da Rocinha, 28°47’58.0”S, 49°56’58.0”W, 112 m, 13 June 2009, Verdi et al. 2328 (FURB); São Bento do Sul, Sertãozinho, Beira de estrada, após a igrejinha, 26°18’54.8”S 49°24’37.6”W, 924 m, 26 December 2015, Schwirkowski 1419 (FURB); Rio Fortuna, Canyon Espraiado, Campo dos Padres, 27°59’26”S, 49°19’14”W, 145 m, 09 March 2010, Verdi et al. 3838 (FURB); Urubici, Morro do Campestre, 27°58’35.0”S, 49°38’47.0”W, 984 m, 15 January 2013, Funez & Zermiani 1433 (FURB); Garuva, Alto Quiriri, 26°02’21”S, 48°57’16”W, 1200 m, 04 November 2014, Funez 3851 (FURB). São Paulo: Bananal, Estação Ecológica de Bananal, trilha para o Pico do Caracol, 22°46’47.0”S, 44°21’37.4”W, 1800 m, 13 September 2001, Salino et al. 7554 (BHCB); Campos do Jordão, Reserva Florestal, São José dos Alpes, 1900 m, 29 September 1976, Davis 3025 (UEC); Cunha, Parque estadual da Serra do Mar, 09 December 1996, Salino 3007 (UEC).

Figures

FIGURE 9. Distribution of five taxa of Sticherus in Brazil.A. Sticherus longipinnatus, S. paulistanus. B. S. nigropaleaceus and S. salinoi. C. S. pruinosus and S. remotus. D. S. squamosus.

FIGURE 10. A–E. Sticherus pruinosus (Salino 2421, BHCB). A. Detail of the abaxial surface. B. Rhizome scale. C. Bud scale. D. Rachis scale. E–H. S. remotus (Amorin et al. 1135, BHCB). E. Detail of segments, abaxial surface. F. Rhizome scale. G. Bud scale. H. Rachis scale. I–L. S. salinoi (Fernandes 771, BHCB). I. Detail of the abaxial surface. J. Rachis scale. K. Rhizome scale. L. Bud scale. M–P. S. squamosus (Dittrich 2030, CESJ). M. Detail of the abaxial surface. N. Rhizome scale. O. Bud scale. P. Rachis scale.

FIGURE 11. Habit. A. Sticherus pruinosus. B. S. remotus. C. S. salinoi. D. S. squamosus.