Pleopeltis lepidopteris (Langsd. & Fisch.) de la Sota in de la Sota et al. (2007: 239)

Souza, Filipe Soares De & Salino, Alexandre, 2021, Pleopeltis (Polypodiaceae) in Brazil, Phytotaxa 512 (4), pp. 213-256 : 232-234

10. Pleopeltis lepidopteris (Langsd. & Fisch.) de la Sota in de la Sota et al. (2007: 239) . Figs. 8A–G , 15A , 20H,K . Acrostichum lepidopteris Langsdorff & Fischer (1810: 5) . Type:— BRAZIL. Santa Catarina: Insula Santa Catharina, Langsdorff s.n. (lectotype LE 00000089! Image, here designated)

Plants terrestrial. Rhizomes short to long-creeping, with scales lanceolate, brown to dark brown, base rounded with a dark brown to blackish point of attachment, apex acuminate, margin castaneous and short-denticulate; fronds monomorphic, 20–60 × 1–6 cm, petiolate, petioles short to long, terete, 1.5–7 cm long, without wings, densely scaly; laminae 18–52 cm long, pinnatifid to pinnatisect, linear to linear-lanceolate, base gradually reduced, apex acuminate; rachises angulate, densely scaly; pinnae 37–57 pairs, proximal 2–7 pairs reduced, auriculate to linear, medial pinnae 0.3–2 × 0.4–0.7 cm, linear to oblong, base adnate to the rachises, auricle present, hydathodes present, apex obtuse, margin entire to slowly revolute, cartilaginous, densely scaly on both surfaces; venation anastomosing; frond scales with base rounded and long-acuminate to the filiform apex or ovate (those of sori), brown to dark brown (those of petioles and rachises) or stramineous to hyaline (those of both surfaces of pinnae), base with a dark brown to blackish point of attachment, margin hyaline to brown, laciniate or denticulate; sori rounded, medial, covered by scales; spores with plain surface to shallowly verrucate with sparse globules.

Selected specimens examined: — BRAZIL. Espírito Santo: Guarapari, Setiba , km 32, 16 May 1988, L. Behar 71 ( SJRP, VIES) ; Paraná: Balsa Nova, São Luiz do Purunã , 16 February 2013, C. Michelon 1664 ( BHCB) ; Ponta Grossa, Parque Estadual de Vila Velha , 11 October 2003, P.H. Labiak 2965 ( SP) ; Rio Grande do Sul: Bagé, BR-153, Km 84, June 1985, M. Sobral 3931 ( SPF) ; Cidreira, Fazenda Azaléia , 19 July 2012, E. Valduga 397 ( VIES) ; Guaibas, Br 116, Km 32, Morro São Maximiano, s. d., E. de la Sota 6371 ( LP) ; Palmares do Sul, Lagoa da Porteira , 12 October 2012, F. Gonzatti 610 ( VIES) ; Porto Alegre, 1906, A. Thier 317 ( SI) ; Sapucaia do Sul, Morro Sapucaia , 29 June 1986, I. Fernandes 149A ( SJRP) ; Steinkopf , 28 June 1949, B. Rambo 42210 ( RB) ; Tapes, Estrada Tapes-Barra do Ribeiro , 16 July 2013, F. Gonzatti 787 ( VIC) ; Torres , 4km S del acceso a Torres, BR 101, 31 January 1994, A. Krapovickas 44727 ( LP) . Rio de Janeiro: Macaé , 9 July 1972, A. Mattos 553 ( RB) ; Maricá, Itaipuaçu, 8 April 1977, L. Krieger 14794 ( BHCB, CESJ, VIC); Rio de Janeiro, Restinga de Itapeba , 11 June 1960, C.M. Chaves 10 (K) . Santa Catarina: Florianópolis, Praia da Joaquina, Parque Municipal Dunas da Lagoa da Conceição , 15 October 2013, H.C. Bloemer 8 ( FURB) ; Garopaba, Praia do Rosa , 29 November 2012, F. Gonzatti 608 ( VIES) ; Imbituba , 18 October 1979, A.T. Silva 157 ( SP) .

Distribution and habitat: — Paraguay and Uruguay. In Brazil, this species occurs in the states of Espírito Santo, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Paraná, Santa Catarina, and Rio Grande do Sul ( Fig. 10A ), mainly in the “restingas” of Atlantic Forest and occasionally in other forest types above 400 m elevation.

Notes: —This species is unique because it has cartilaginous pinnae margins as well as longer scales with base rounded and long-acuminate to the filiform apex on all lamina parts, making it easy to identify. In Brazil, usually occurs in coastal areas, but it is found inland in the states of Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina, and Paraná, as observed by de la Sota (1966). Specimens from Minas Gerais and Bahia determined as P. lepidopteris were reidentified as P. hirsutissima or P. minarum . The specimen Handro 350 (SP) is P. lepidopteris from Minas Gerais; however, it is from a cultivated plant from the São Paulo Botanical Garden and there is no reliable information about the origin of the plant. Therefore, we chose not to record (or mention) the species for Minas Gerais, until new records confirm its occurrence in the state.

Figures

FIGURE 8.A–G. Pleopeltis lepidopteris. A. Habit; B. Rhizome scale; C.Adaxial rachis scale; D.Abaxial rachis scale; E.Adaxial laminar scale; F.Abaxial laminar scale; G. Sorus scale. H–R.P. macrocarpa. H. Habit.I. Rhizome scale; J. Petiole scale; K–L.Adaxial rachis scale; M–N.Abaxial rachis scale; O. Adaxial laminar scale; P–Q. Abaxial laminar scale; R. Sorus scale.

FIGURE 10. Distribution of four species of Pleopeltis in Brazil. A. P. lepidopteris; B. P. macrocarpa; C. P. minarum; D. P. minima.

FIGURE 15. Spores of nine species of Pleopeltis from Brazil. A. P. lepidopteris; B. P. macrocarpa; C. P. minarum; D. P. minima; E. P. monoides; F. P. pleopeltidis; G. P. pleopeltifolia; H. P. stolzei; I. P. trindadensis. Scale bar = 20 mm

FIGURE 20. Laminar scales of eight species of Pleopeltis from Brazil. A. P. alborufula, abaxial scale; B. P. burchelii, abaxial scale; C–D. P. minima, abaxial scales; E. P. bombycina, abaxial scale; F. P. trindadensis, abaxial scale; G. P. hirsutissima, abaxial scale; H. P. lepidopteris, abaxial scale; I. P. minarum, abaxial scale; J. P. bombycina, adaxial scale; K. P. lepidopteris, adaxial scale; L. P. minarum, adaxial scale; M–N. P. alborufula, adaxial scales.