Taylor, W. Carl. 1976. Vascular flora of Jonca Creek, Ste Genevieve County, Missouri. Castanea. 41: 93-118.
Dryopteridaceae
Latin Diagnosis - Affinibus in sectione Lepidoglossis similis sed in combinatione et petiolis et squamis laminaribus supernis peltatis, squamis laminaribus infernis longi-ciliatis cor- pore squamale distincto praeditis differt.
Species Description - Plants epiphytic; rhizomes short-creeping, ca. 2.5-3.5 mm in diameter, densely scaly, the scales lanceolate with tortuous tips, lustrous, red-black to black, 1.5-4 x 0.5-0.6 mm, subentire to weakly toothed; phyllopodia indistinct, hidden by the rhizome scales; leaves approximate, to 50 x 1.9 cm; petioles 1/3-1/2 the sterile leaf length, dark strami- neous, densely scaly, the scales peltate, round to ovate, ciliate, 0.5-1.3 x 0.4-1 mm, bicolorous with dark castaneous centers and pale margins, appressed, mixed with a few scales similar to those of the rhizomes; blades linear-elliptic, chartaceous, apically acute, basally narrowly cuneate to attenuate; veins obscure, free, ca. 1 mm apart, set at ca. 80' to costae, hydathodes lacking; blade scales adaxially peltate, round to ovate, short- ciliate, 0.3-0.9 x 0.2-0.8 mm, whitish, appressed, abaxially round to ovate, erect, funnel-shaped, long-ciliate, 0.2-0.7 x 0.2-0.7 mm, orange, costal scales ovate to ovate-lanceolate, flat, short-ciliate, 0.3-1.5 x 0.2- 0.8 mm, loosely appressed, pale orange, the larger scales with dark castaneous centers; fertile leaves unknown.
(Fig. 7 A-J)
This species has peltate scales on the peti- oles and abaxial blade surfaces, and therefore belongs to section Lepidoglossa subsection Microlepidea together with E. tectum and its allies. It differs from all of these, however, in having a distinct scale body on the erect, long-ciliate abaxial blade scales. These scales are similar to those of E. neei in subsection Polylepidia, but the petiole and upper blade scales are completely different, and the relationship between these taxa is probably not close. The type collection of E. ellenber- gianum was made in a relict semihumid forest patch at 2900 m in the mostly deforested Andean valley of the Rio Consata near the town of Sorata. This town was also an important working base for early botanists collecting in the Bolivian Andes, such as M. Bang, G. Mandon, and R. S. Williams. The senior author takes pleasure in naming this species after his mentor Prof. Dr. Heinz Ellenberg, one of Germany's most eminent plant ecologists, and also the thesis advisor of Dr. S. Beck, who collected the type specimen.