Vandenboschia radicans (Sw.) Copel., Philipp. J. Sci.

Kessler, Michael & Smith, Alan R., 2017, Prodromus of a fern flora for Bolivia. X. Hymenophyllaceae, Phytotaxa 328 (3), pp. 201-226 : 223

Vandenboschia radicans (Sw.) Copel., Philipp. J. Sci. 67(1): 54. 1938.

= Trichomanes radicans Sw., J. Bot. (Schrader) 1800 (2): 97. 1801.

Range: —Antilles; Mexico to Bolivia (CO, LP, SC), Brazil, Paraguay, and Argentina; also cited from the Old World tropics, but these specimens belong to different species, e.g., V. giganteum (Bory ex Willd.) Ebihara & Dubuisson , on Madagascar, Comores, and Mascarene Islands.

Ecology: —Common; hemiepiphytic, on tree trunks in humid forests; (200–) 800–2100 m.

Notes: —Highly variable with respect to blade dissection and degree of reduction of the proximal pinnae; this taxon is possibly a species complex. Ebihara et al. (2005) examined relationships in this complex, focussing on specimens from eastern Asia, especially Japan. However, they included one sample from Bolivia that did not group with some samples of the species from elsewhere. They found both polyploids and hybrids within the complex. Without further more comprehensive molecular sampling of the group, as well as more detailed examination of morphological differences, solid taxonomic conclusions cannot yet be made.