Orthiopteris ferulacea (Moore) Copel., Bernice P. Bishop Mus. Bull. 59: 14. 1929a.

Luong, Thien Tam, Hovenkamp, Peter H. & Sosef, Marc S. M., 2015, Revision of the fern genus Orthiopteris (Saccolomataceae) in Malesia and adjacent regions, PhytoKeys 53, pp. 39-71 : 51-53

3. Orthiopteris ferulacea (Moore) Copel., Bernice P. Bishop Mus. Bull. 59: 14. 1929a. Figs 2a , 3l , 4b

Davallia trichomanoides Hook., Sec. cent. Ferns T 64. 1861, non Blume 1828.

Davallia ferulacea T. Moore, Index Fil. (T. Moore): 294. 1861. Type. Based on Davallia ferulacea T. Moore

Saccoloma ferulaceum (T. Moore) R.M.Tryon & A.F.Tryon, Rhodora 84: 127. 1982. 1982a. Type. Based on Davallia ferulacea T. Moore

Saccoloma ferulaceum (T. Moore) G.B.Nair, J. Econ. Taxon. Bot. 16(3): 642. “1992” [1994]. Type. Based on Davallia ferulacea T. Moore

Type.

FIJI. Naviti Levu, Dec. 1855, Milne 315 (holo: K, 2 sheets: K00794861*, K00794862*).

Description.

Rhizome erect, rising at least 2-3 cm above ground, diameter 5-7 mm. Rhizome scales peltate or pseudopeltate, 2.5-3.0 × 0.7-0.9 mm, lanceolate with long falcate acumen. Fronds 30-80 × 10-30 cm; stipes slender, 10-30 cm long, 0.1-0.2 cm across (at base), light brown; lamina deltoid, tripinnate to quadripinnate, 20-50 cm × 10-30 cm, papyraceous, bright green when dry, glabrous; pinnae at 30-35° to rachis, largest at base, overlapping, stalk 0.5 cm, including stalk 15-25 × 6-9 cm, lanceolate, first basiscopic pinnules of the lowest pinnae enlarged; ultimate segments 1-2 × 0.5 cm, sessile or very short stalked, trapeziform, apex acute, margin without or with very weak cartilaginous border; deeply incised to less than 0.1 mm from veins; lobes narrowly oblanceolate, veins in lobes unbranched, light brown and not strongly contrasting with lamina, ending well below apex. Scales on rachis mostly at base of pinnae or pinnule, irregular triangular, basifixed. Sori apical on lobes, symmetric, not reflexed when dried, in one plane with lamina wings, 0.7-1.0 × 0.4-0.5 mm, elliptic, widest at middle or slightly above, wider than the sterile lamina below sorus; inner indusium brownish green, thin and slightly transparent, usually shorter, sometimes equal to outer indusium, apex with narrow 0.2-0.3 mm long tongue, c. 1/2 length of sorus; outer indusium obtuse; sporangia 4-7 per sorus, capsule globose and rounded at apex, gradually narrowed toward base, indurated annulus cells 16-18, ± equal; spores in polar view 26-30 µm, in lateral view 20-25 µm.

Distribution.

endemic to Fiji (Viti Levu).

Ecology.

Terrestrial in dense forest, bank of creek, at 50-1200 m altitude.

Discussion.

Orthiopteris ferulacea is the smallest species in the genus and the most easily recognizable among the species group with finely dissected fronds because of its relative small size and delicate and finely dissected frond. Orthiopteris trichophylla , similarly dissected, has larger fronds and funnel-shaped sori without narrow tongue, whereas sori of Orthiopteris ferulacea are elliptic with a narrow tongue.

Figures

Figure 2. Ultimate segments. Arrows show distance from base of the shallowest sinuses to nearest costule / vein. a Orthiopteris ferulacea, Smith 8932 (K) b Orthiopteris cicutarioides, Carr 13257 (K) c Orthiopteris samoensis, Reinecke 97 a (L) d Orthiopteris trichophylla, Brass 12239 (L) e Orthiopteris campylura var. cautada, Carr 12518 (L) f Orthiopteris campylura var. laxa Mueller s. n. (L) g Orthiopteris campylura var. kingii, Brass 12941 (MICH) h Orthiopteris henriettae, Lam & Meeuse 5892 (L) i Orthiopteris campylura var. insularis Braithwaite 4110 (L). All scale bars 1 mm.

Figure 3. Sori of Orthiopteris seen from abaxial side. a, b Orthiopteris campylura var. campylura (Cuming 119, MICH) c Orthiopteris campylura var. kingii (Brass 12941, MICH) d Orthiopteris trichophylla (Brass 12239, L) e Orthiopteris tenuis (Smith 9154, L) f Orthiopteris tenuis (Smith 7274, L) g Orthiopteris campylura var. caudata (Carr 12518, L) h Orthiopteris cicutarioides (Carr 13257, K) i, j Orthiopteris campylura var. insularis (Braithwaite 4110, L) k Orthiopteris tenuis (small segment) (Degener 14648, L) l Orthiopteris ferulacea (Smith 8932, K) m, n Orthiopteris firma (Schlechter 14890, L) o, p Orthiopteris campylura var. laxa (Mueller s. n., L) q, r Orthiopteris henriettae (Lam & Meeuse 5892, L) s Orthiopteris henriettae. t Orthiopteris samoensis (Reinecke 97 a, L) u, v Orthiopteris samoensis (Vaupel 312, L). All scale bars 1 mm, oi = outer indusium, ii = inner indusium.

Figure 4. a-d Rhizome scales and e-h rachis scales of Orthiopteris. a Orthiopteris cicutarioides (Carr 13257, L) b Orthiopteris ferulacea (Smith 8932) c Orthiopteris firma (Green 1793, K) d Orthiopteris campylura var. kingi (Hoogland & Craven 10162, L) e, f Orthiopteris campylura var. kingi (Larhing 6910, L) g, h Orthiopteris samoensis (Reinecke 97 a, L). Scale bars: 1 mm (a-d), 0.1 mm (e-h).