Lellingeria pseudotenuicula Labiak

  • Authority

    Labiak Evangelista, Paulo H. 2013. Grammitid ferns (Polypodiaceae). I. . Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 111: 1--130. (Published by NYBG Press)

  • Family

    Polypodiaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Lellingeria pseudotenuicula Labiak

  • Type

    Type. Bolivia. Dept. Tarija: Prov. Aniceto Arce Ruiz, Reserva Natural de Flora y Fauna Tariquia, campamento Alisos, subiendo por el sendero que va a la cumbre, 22°00' S, 64°34' W, 2130 m, 13 Jun 2004, I. Jimenez 2417 (holotype, UC; isotype, LPB).

  • Description

    Latin Diagnosis - Lellingeria pseudotenuicula a L. tenuicula similis, a qua lamina obovata (vs. lanceolata) et ad dorsalem superficiem rachidi glabra (vs. hirsuta) differt.

    Species Description - Plants epipetric; fronds erect to arcuate, determinate; rhizome short-creeping, dorsiventral, with dorsiventral root insertion, scaly, the scales 2.5-3 x 0.1—0.2 mm, lanceolate, the apex short-attenuate, clathrate, castaneous, ciliate, the cilia simple, present on scale margina and apex; petiole 1-2 cm x 0.6 mm, dark brown, terete, sparsely pubescent, the hairs 0.1 mm long, spreading, simple, 1-celled, whitish; lamina 7-10 cm long, obovate, chartaceous, deeply pinnatisect, 15-20 pairs of segments, gradually reduced at the base with 2-3(-4) basal segments about 2/3 shorter than the medial ones, the lowermost auriculiform, not long-decurrent onto petiole base, broadest near the middle, not showing periodic constrictions, the apex abruptly reduced, pinnatifid; rachis straight, with dark sclerenchyma visible on both sides, slightly pubescent abaxially, the hairs 0.1-0.2 mm long, simple, 1- to 2-celled, whitish to castaneous, glabrous adaxially; segments 0.8—1.2(—1.5) x 0.2 cm, plane, set 70-80° to rachis, more or less symmetrical, slightly widened at the base, short-decurrent basiscopically, slightly cuneate acroscopically, the base attached parallel on the rachis (i.e., both sides inserted along the same radius), not lobulate, the apex acute to obtuse, the margin entire, plane or slightly revolute, slightly pubescent, the hairs simple, similar to those of the rachis, abaxial lamina surface glabrescent, the hairs similar to those of the rachis, adaxial lamina surface glabrous; sinuses narrower than the segments; venation pinnate, with 4-7 pairs of veins per segment; costae with black sclerenchyma obscured or only slightly visible, glabrescent, the hairs similar to those of the rachis; veins simple, without blackish sclerenchyma, ending in hydathodes that lack calcareous deposits; sori medial, rounded, not protruding beyond the costa and margin, 5-8 pairs per segment, superficial; sporangial capsules glabrous.

  • Discussion

    Lellingeria pseudotenuicula is similar to L. tenuicula from the Antilles but differs by having obovate laminae (vs. lanceolate) and a rachis that is glabrous on the adaxial side (vs. hirsute). Additionally, L. pseudotenuicula tends to be smaller and have a more delicate lamina than L. tenuicula. Another similar species is L. ciliolepis, which is distinct by having long-creeping rhizomes and linear-lanceolate laminae.

    The species was not included in the phylogeny presented by Labiak et al. (2010b), but it likely would belong to the tenuicula clade, based on its morphological similarity to the other species in that clade.

  • Distribution

    Endemic to Bolivia at 1820-2300 m elevation.

    Chuquisaca Bolivia South America| Santa Cruz Bolivia South America| Tarija Bolivia South America|