Sticherus salinoi

Lima, Lucas Vieira & Salino, Alexandre, 2018, The fern family Gleicheniaceae (Polypodiopsida) in Brazil, Phytotaxa 358 (3), pp. 199-234 : 228

3.11. Sticherus salinoi Lima (2018: 80). Figs. 9B , 10I–L , 11C , 12F .

Type:— BRAZIL. Piauí: Caracol. Parque Nacional da Serra das Confusões, Gruta do Riacho do Boi, 430 m, 19 July 2012, Fernandes, R.S. 771 (holotype BHCB, isotypes CESJ, MG, TEPB).

Plants terrestrial. Rhizomes 2.15–3.0 mm thick, with golden, rigid, triangular scales, with apex attenuate, base truncate, margins setose. Fronds scrambling, 2–3-forked, petiole 2.12–2.85 mm thick, ultimate branches 15–28.5 × 2.8–5 cm, elliptic, apex long-caudate, base cuneate, with segments reduced to auricles, abaxial surface glabrescent on the rachis, scales hyaline, triangular, apex filiform, base truncate, margins ciliate, segments linear 0.3–2.9 × 0.24–0.31 cm, margins plane, abaxial surface glabrous. Buds with orange-red, linear scales, with apex filiform, base truncate, margins setose, pseudoestipule present. Veins 1-forked. Sori medial, without paraphyses.

Distribution and habitat: —Endemic to Brazil (Piauí) where it grows in cracks of sandstone massivs in the Caatinga domain.

Notes: — Sticherus salinoi differs from the other Brazilian Sticherus by having segments glabrous, strongly ascending, and proximal segments reduced to auricles on the ultimate branch bases. It is only known from the type material, which comes from a region with great deficit of collecting efforts.

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.

FIGURE 12. A–B. D. flexuosa (Almeida 302). A. Globose glandular hairs on the secondary veins of the segments. Scale bar 100 μm. B. Detail of a colapsed glandular hair, due to the herborization processes. Scale bar 25 μm. C–D. D. rufinervis. (Viveros 26) C. Baciliform glandular hairs on the secondary veins of the segments. Scale bar 150 μm. D. Detail of the glandular hair. Scale bar 50 μm. E. Spores of G. pectinata. F. Spores of S. salinoi. G. Spores of D. flexuosa. Scale bar 10 μm.