Phlegmariurus taxifolius (Swartz) Lo

Øllgaard, Benjamin & Testo, Weston, 2021, The Lycopodiaceae of Panamá, Phytotaxa 526 (1), pp. 1-66 : 38-41

2.­­­ Phlegmariurus taxifolius (Swartz) Lo ̈ve & Löve (1977: 324). Fig. 18A

Lycopodium taxifolium Swartz (1788: 138) .— Huperzia taxifolia (Swartz) Trevisan (1874: 248) .— Urostachys taxifolius (Swartz) Herter (1923: 162) . Type:—A remounted specimen, marked as type, but without original annotation, in the type herbarium in S, is possibly the holotype.

Lycopodium passerinoides Kunth (1816: 41) .— Huperzia passerinoides (Kunth) Trevisan (1874: 248) .— Urostachys passerinoides (Kunth) Nessel (1927: 417) .— Urostachys rubiginosus Nessel (1940 a: 162) . Type:— PERU. Jaeìn: “prope Olleras et Aipate”, elev. 747 hexp., Humboldt s.n. (P-Humb. P00669228 holotype, P-00559263, BONN-herb. Nessel 160 isotypes).

Lycopodium nitens Schlechtendal & Chamisso (1830: 623) .— Huperzia passerinoides (Kunth) Trevisan var. nitens (Schlecht. & Cham.) Trevisan (1874: 248) .— Urostachys nitens (Schlecht. & Cham.) Herter (1923: 164) .— Urostachys passerinoides (Kunth) Nessel var. nitens (Schlecht. & Cham.) Nessel (1927: 418) .— Urostachys schwendeneri (Herter) Herter var. nitens (Schlecht. & Cham.) Nessel (1939: 166) . Type:— MEXICO. Jalapa: ”In arboris vetustis prope Jalapam”, Schiede & Deppe s. n. (B holotype, BM isotype).

Lycopodium herminieri Spring (1841: 514) .— Urostachys herminieri (Spring) Herter (1923: 162) . Type:— GUADELOUPE: L’Herminier s. n. (P00559265 holotype).

Lycopodium schwendeneri Herter (1909a: 50) .— Urostachys schwendeneri (Herter) Herter (1923: 165) . Type:— MEXICO: (indicated as locus classicus by Herter 1923). No type designated.

Urostachys bruelkei Nessel (1934: 184) . Type:— COLOMBIA: Colombia, 1600–2100 m, Killip 11595 (BONN herb. Nessel 399 holotype).

Lycopodium cubanum Herter (1909: 50) .— Urostachys cubanus (Herter) Herter (1923: 165) .— Huperzia cubana (Herter) Holub (1985: 71) . Type:— CUBA: “El Gato, St Yago de Cuba, 1844”, Linden 2185 (P 2 sheets, both annotated later by Herter).

Lax and pendulous, or sometimes recurved from an erect and somewhat rigid stem base, up to 50–70 cm long. Shoots usually gradually tapering from ca. 20–30 mm in diameter incl. leaves at the base, to (3–) 4–7 mm in diam. in terminal, densely sporangiate divisions of fully developed plants, sporangiate from 10–50 cm above the base and upward, sometimes not, or only slightly tapering (juvenile or tardily sporangiate individuals), rarely abruptly constricted. Stems excluding leaves 1.5–3 mm thick at the base, tapering to 1–1.5 mm upward, somewhat ridged by decurrent leaf bases, pale greenish to brownish, usually 4–5 (–7) times dichotomous. Leaves usually reduced and modified upward, borne in alternating whorls or irregular low spirals of 3 or 4, these 1.5–4 mm apart, forming 6–8 indistinct longitudinal ranks. Leaves of basal divisions spreading to ascending or somewhat appressed, often twisting the lamina to a vertical position from the leaf base, narrowly lanceolate, broadest in the lower half, broadly joined to the stem, firmly herbaceous to subcoriaceous, 14–23 × (1.5–) 2–3.5 mm, almost flat or somewhat concave adaxially, with flat or slightly revolute, smooth margins, with evident to somewhat prominent vein abaxially. Leaves of middle and terminal divisions usually gradually shorter, narrower and more appressed, abaxially more convex, with involute margins. Leaves of fully sporangiate divisions often distinctly 6-ranked, with strongly broadened, clasping base, partly covering the sporangia, often abruptly contracted into a short to long, narrow, involute apex, 3–8 mm long, 1–1.5(–2) mm wide. Sporangia 1–1.5 mm wide.

­­­ Distribution:— Central America, West Indies, northern South America, south to Bolivia and Brazil (Paranaì).

­­­ Habitats:— Epiphytic in lower to mid-elevation wet montane forest, elev. 100–3000 m elev.

Notes:— As showed by the number of synonyms Phlegmariurus taxifolius is a variable species. Intermediates between P. taxifolius , P. tubulosus , P. linifolius , and P. homocarpus are frequent. Phlegmariurus oellgaardii , which differs by its larger size, large basal leaves, large sporophylls (6–10 × 2–2.5 mm) in whorls of 4, and sporangia 2–3 mm wide, is closely related to P. taxifolius and sometimes considered conspecific. It is currently only known from Costa Rica but it should be looked for in Panamá.

­­­ Specimens­­­ studied:— Bocas­­­ del­­­Toro: Upper Río Colubre. 2500–3000 m, Gómez et al. 21884 (AAU, UC). Headwaters of Río Colubre, 2300–2500 m, Gómez et al. 22340 (AAU, MO). Caribbean slopes of Cerro Fábrega at foot of Falso Fábrega in Palo Seco Reserve: Pavón Camp, 980 m, Monro & Cafferty 5090 (PMA). Chiriquí: Dist. Bugaba, Santa Clara, 1300 m, van der Werff & Herrera 7118, 7120 (AAU, UC). Dist. Gualaca, Reserva Forestal Fortuna, Sendero Hornitos, 1346 m, Ortiz et al. 1759 (PMA). Near Cerro Punta, 2000 m, Allen 1568, 1569 (MO, US). Upper Caldera River, Holcomb’s Trail, above El Boquete, 1450–1650 m, Maxon 5717 (photo US). Road Cuesta de Piedra–Hato del Volcán, 1400 m, Lellinger et al. 1903 (photo US). El Hato del Volcán, Croat 10661 (F, MO). At Volcán, 1800 m, Hammel 1577 (MO). Piedra de Lino, El Boquete, Killip 5411 (US). Valley of Río Piarnasta, 1550– 1650 m, Killip 5405 (US). Slopes of ridges S of Cerro Pelota, 1700–2200 m, Knapp 1519 (MO). Cerro Horqueta, 8 km NW of Boquete, N slopes, 1800 m, Maas & Dressler 4964 (U, Z). Valley of the upper Río Chiriquí Viejo, near Mt. Lirio, 1300–1900 m, Seibert 130 (MO, US). Around El Boquete, 1000–1300 m, Pittier 3007 (US). Ridge E of Cerro Horqueta, 1700–1900 m, Luteyn & Wilbur 4597 (DUKE). Los Siguas Camp, S slope of Cerro de la Horqueta, 1700 m, Maxon 5430 (photo US). Parque Nacional Volcán Barú, sendero por Paso Ancho, 1961 m, Serracín et al. 176, 181 (PMA). Near Cerro Colorado, c. 3.5 miles along road from Chami Camp, 1350 m, McPherson 8992 (MO). Trocha 3 de noviembre, entre Alto de Guaybo y línea divisoria continental, 1050–1650 m, Correa et al. 2844 (PMA). Camino campamento Fortuna, sitio de presa—trocha 3 de noviembre, entre Santa María y Pinola, 1000–1200 m, Correa et al. 2927 (PMA). Coclé: La Pintada, Palmarazo Río San Juan, Parque Nacional G. D. Omar Torrijos H., àrea de Calle Larguita, 180 m, Espinosa et al. 6149 (PMA). Darien: S of El Real on trail to Cerro Pirre, 550–1030 m, McPherson 7046 (MO). Panamá: Sendero El Cantar, Cerro Azul, Parque Nacional Chagres, Carrasquilla 3622 (PMA).