Lellingeria flagellipinnata M.Kessler & A.R.Sm.
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Authority
Labiak Evangelista, Paulo H. 2013. Grammitid ferns (Polypodiaceae). I.
. Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 111: 1--130. (Published by NYBG Press) -
Family
Polypodiaceae
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Scientific Name
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Type
Type. Bolivia, Dept. La Paz: Prov. Nor Yungas, Parque Nacional y Area Natural de Manejo Integra Cotapata, trocha al valle de Coscapa, a 100 m la carretera, 16°12' S, 67°53' W, 3400 m, M. Kesler 12901 (holotype, LPB; isotypes, AAU, GOET, NY, UC).
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Description
Species Description - Plants epiphytic; fronds pendent, determinate, rhizome short-creeping, dorsiventral, with ventral root insertion, scaly, the scales 3-4.5 x 0.2-0.3 mm, late, the apex long-attenuate, clathrate, golden brown ciliate, the cilia simple, present on scale margins apex (apical cilia sometimes furcate); petiole 3-8 x 0.7-1 mm, dark brown, marginate, slightly pubescent, the hairs 0.1-0.2 mm long, spreading, 1-furcate, 2- to 3-celled, whitish; lamina 30-40(-60) cm long, lanceolate, chartaceous, pinnatisect, 20-40(-50) pairs of segments, abruptly reduced at the base, with 5-7 segments shorter than the medial ones, auriculiform, decurrent onto petiole base, broadest above the base, not showing periodic constrictions, the apex abruptly reduced, pinnatifid, not ending in a conform or subconform segment; rachis straight, with dark sclerenchyma visible only abaxially, covered by laminar tissue adaxially (not visible), glabrescent abaxially, the hairs ca. 0.1 mm long, simple, appressed, 1- to 2-celled, whitish to yellowish, glabrous to glabrescent adaxially, the hairs similar to those from the abaxial side; segments ca. 4—8(—10) x 0.2-0.3 cm, flagelliform, plane, set 35-45° to rachis, slightly asymmetric at the base, long-decurrent basiscopically, short surcurrent acroscopically, the base attached parallel on the rachis (i.e., both sides inserted along the same radius), not lobulate or overlapping the base of the next segment, the apex acute, the margin plane to sinuate, glabrous, abaxial lamina surface glabrescent, the hairs similar to those of the rachis abaxially, adaxial lamina surface glabrous; sinuses more than 4 times broader than the segments; venation pinnate, with 10-15 pairs of veins per segment; costae with blackish sclerenchyma slightly visible abaxially, obscured by laminar tissue adaxially, sparsely pubescent abaxially, the hairs similar to those of the rachis abaxially, glabrous adaxially; veins simple, without blackish sclerenchyma, ending in hydathodes that lack calcareous deposits; sori medial, rounded, sometimes protruding beyond the costa and margin, 10—12(—14) pairs per segment, superficial; sporangial capsules glabrous.
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Discussion
The long and flagelliform segments, the base of the lamina abruptly reduced with several auriculiform segments, and the strongly ascending segments (set 35-45° to the rachis) are good characters to distinguish Lellingeria flagellipinnata from its congeners. It closely resembles L. subsessilis (Baker) A. R. Smith & R. C. Moran, especially in habit, size of the lamina, and ciliate rhizome scales. That species, however, has shorter and nonflagelliform segments (1.5-5 cm long), elliptic laminae, patent or only slightly ascending segments (75-85° to the rachis), and segments gradually reduced to the base. This similarity is reflected by the close relationship between these two species as recovered by the phylogenetic analysis of Labiak et al. (2010b).
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Distribution
Peru and Bolivia at 1600-3740 m elevation.
Peru South America| Cochabamba Bolivia South America| La Paz Bolivia South America| Santa Cruz Bolivia South America| Amazonas Peru South America| Cusco Peru South America| Lima Peru South America|