Phlegmariurus stephani B.Øllg., 2018

Øllgaard, Benjamin, Kessler, Michael & Smith, Alan R., 2018, Prodromus of a fern flora for Bolivia. II. Lycopodiaceae, Phytotaxa 334 (3), pp. 255-294 : 283-287

Phlegmariurus stephani B.Øllg. , sp. nov. ( Fig. 22 )

Differs from Phlegmariurus crassus (Willd.) B.Øllg. by homoblastic shoots, rarely with weak, prostrate, rooting shoots, and by the leaves borne in regular alternating whorls of 4 or 5, producing 8 or 10 fairly regular longitudinal ranks. Leaves arcuate-imbricate, lanceolate to ovate, acute or slightly acuminate, abaxially rounded with a slightly prominent median ridge, without red color, with margins smooth or often minutely rugose by individually protruding cells.

TYPE.— BOLIVIA. La Paz: Prov. Sud Yungas, ascending from Unduavi to Mina San Luis, 16°17’S, 67°55’W, 3600 m, 29 Jul 1995, S. G. Beck 21766 (holotype LPB, isotype AAU).

Homoblastic, erect from an ascending base, forming loose clumps, or rarely with weak, prostrate, rooting shoots, at least to 35 cm tall, to 4(–5) times dichotomous; erect shoots homophyllous or almost so, equally thick throughout, 10–15 mm in diam. incl. leaves, or sometimes tapering to ca. 8 mm upward. Stems excl. leaves 3–5 mm thick at the base (dried), sometimes tapering to 2 mm, usually completely concealed by leaves. Leaves uniform throughout, or somewhat reduced upward, borne in alternating whorls of 4–5, these 1.5–2.5 mm apart, crowded, loosely to closely imbricate, upwardly curved, lanceolate to ovate, acute to slightly acuminate, (5–)7–10 × 1.5–2.5(–3) mm, distally sometimes reduced to 5 mm long, each with an inconspicuous, narrow, long-decurrent basal swelling (air sac), abaxially convex and rounded, with a prominent (dried), often darker colored ridge along the vein, smooth and often lustrous, with margins smooth or usually minutely rugose by individually protruding cells, green, rarely pruinous; sporangia 1.5–2.5 mm wide.

Range: — Peru and Bolivia ( CO, LP).

Ecology: —Fairly common; terrestrial in humid high elevation pastures in upper treeline habitats, Sphagnum bogs; 3050–3950 m.

Notes: —Material here referred to Phlegmariurus stephanii was earlier tentatively placed in P. darwinianus ( Øllgaard 1994: 33; Øllgaard & Gonzales 2014: 125). However, the type of that species differs from P. stephanii by strongly heteroblastic growth, and leaves tinged with red. The type of P. darwinianus apparently is a Peruvian variety of P. crassus .

Etymology: —The epithet honors the great contributions of Dr. Stephan G. Beck to our knowledge of the Bolivian flora.

Paratypes:— BOLIVIA. Cochabamba: Prov. Chapare, ca 4 km northern Maycamayu, ca. 65 km from Sacaba , 17°12’S 65°58’W, 3400 m, Kessler 2924 et al. ( AAU, LPB) ; Prov. José Carrasco Torrico, Km 61 on old road Cochabamba–Villa Tunari , 17°15’S, 65°43’W, 3950 m, Kessler 6872 et al. ( AAU, LPB) ; Chapare, Rd. Cochabamba- Villa Tunari , 3200 m, Hickey & Eshbaugh 812 ( AAU) . La Paz: Nor Yungas, Cotapata, 46.9 km from puesto de transito Chuquiaguliio , 16°18’S, 67°51’W, 3200 m, Solomon 9473 ( MO) ; Nor Yungas, pasando Unduavi antes de llegar a Cotapata , ascending the old trail to Coroico, 3500 m, Beck & Ruthsatz 21471 ( AAU, LPB) ; Nor Yungas, Unduavi , 3300 m, 1931, Buchtien 8864 ( HBG) ; Nor Yungas, trail to Valle de Coscapa, P. N. Cotapata , 16°12’S, 67°53’W, 3450 m, Kessler 11736 et al. ( AAU, LPB) ; Nor Yungas, trail to Valle de Coscapa, P. N. Cotapata , 16°12’S, 67°53’W, 3450 m, Kessler 11738 et al. ( AAU, LPB) ; Nor Yungas, trail to Valle de Coscapa, P. N. Cotapata , 16°12’S, 67°53’W, 3450 m, Kessler 11799 et al. ( AAU, LPB) ; Nor Yungas, Cotapata, ca. 13 km E of Unduavi, along road to Yolosa , 16°18’S, 67°51’W, 3100 m, Luteyn & Dorr 13549 ( AAU, LPB) ; Prov. Larecaja, Cocopunco , 3050 m, Tate 385 ( NY) .

Figures

FIGURE 22. Phlegmariurus stephani, A, growth habit, A1, close-up of sporangiate divisions (Beck 21766, AAU).