Rojas Alvarado, Alexander F. 2009. Two new species and a new combination in
Dryopteridaceae
Species Description - Epiphytic; rhizomes 4-8 mm in diam., compact; rhizome scales 15-25(-35)x0.7- 1.2 mm, linear, concolorous, pink-gold to orange, flat, lustrous, with entire margin; fronds (40-) 11 8-1 72 cm long, approximate; stipes 5-16 cm long, (l/7-)l/10- 1/15 of the frond length, stramineous; stipe scales 4- 7 mm long, subulate, gold to brown, sparse, patent, with entire to denticulate margin, mixed with hairs of 0.3-0.7 mm long, gold, with clávate or acute apex; blades (35- )1 10 - 155 x 3.7-5.5 cm, linear-oblanceolate, charta- ceous, narrowly cunéate at the base, acute to acuminate at the apex; costal scales 3-6 mm long, similar to stipe scales, mixed with dense hairs similar to stipe hairs; abaxial blade scales 2-3 mm long, subulate, gold to light brown, sparse, curved to appressed, with entire margin, mixed with dense and gold hairs; adaxial blade scales similar, but com- monly darker, hairs absent; margin scales same as adaxial scales but more dense; hydathodes absent; fertile fronds 25-35 cm long; stipes 5-11 cm long, 1/4-1/3 of the frond length; fertile blades 18-26 x 1.8- 2.6 cm, narrowly elliptic to narrowly oblan- ceolate, cunéate at the base, acute at the apex; intersporangial scales absent.
Etymology. - The specific epithet refers to its pendent habit.
In Mickel's (1995) key to Mesoamerica Elaphoglossum, the new species could be confused with E. auripilum H. Christ var. longipilosum Atehortua because of its long stipe and blade scales; however, E. pendulum differs by longer (15-25 [-35] vs. 10- 15 [-20] mm), pink-gold to orange (vs. orange to reddish) and flat (vs. commonly with twisted apex) rhizome scales, longer ([40-] 1 1 8- 172 cm vs. 20-90 cm) and pendent (vs. arching horizontal) frons, less dense stipe and blade scales mixed with hairs (vs. hairs absent), longer (3-6 mm long vs. 1.5 -3mm) costal scales, and longer (2-4 mm long vs. 1.0 -1.5 mm) and curved to appressed (vs. patent) abaxial blade scales (Figs 1,2 and 3, Table I). It differes from E. auripilum by longer scales in all parts of the leaf and by denser hairs. Also, the new species is smilar to E. latum (Mickel) Atehortua ex Mickel by its pink - gold, flat rhizome scales and oblanceolate fronds, but differs in evident stipes and longer fronds ([40 -]) 118-172 cm vs. 25-45 [-66] cm)
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