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Family:

Dryopteridaceae (Pteridophyta)

Primary Citation:

Kew Bull. 65: 139. 2010

Type Specimens:

Specimen 1: Paratype -- M. A. Sundue
Specimen 2: Paratype -- M. A. Sundue
Specimen 3: Paratype -- M. A. Sundue
Specimen 4: Isotype -- M. A. Sundue

Description:

by: R.C. Moran, J. Prado

Type: Costa Rica. Puntarenas: Santa Elena Cloudforest Reserve, 10°20'N, 84°47'W, 2 Feb 2008, M. Sundue et al. 1743 (Holotype: CR; Isotypes: INB, NY, UC)

Description: Rhizomes erect to decumbent; leaves 1.5-2.5 m long; scales of the petiole bases 0.6-10 × ca. 1 mm, linear, twisted, spreading to ascending, dark brown, often shiny denticulate on the margins,; laminae 1-2 m long, 3-pinnate-pinnatifid at base, 2-pinnate-pinnatifid medially; basal pinnae ca. 0.8 m long, strongly inequilateral (elongated basiscopically); pinna rachises abaxially very sparsely glandular, moderately scaly, densely puberulent, the glands 0.1 mm diam., globose, sessile, pale yellowish, shiny, the scales 4-5 × 0.5 mm long, lanceolate-oblong, mostly flat (not twisted), sparsely denticulate, dark brown, dull or shiny, the hairs on the abaxial surfaces 0.5-0.7 mm long, 1-3-celled, the hairs on the adaxial surfaces ca. 0.7-1.0 mm long, 4-6-celled; costules abaxially densely puberulent, moderately scaly, very sparsely glandular, the hairs 0.4-0.6 mm long, 1-3-celled, spreading to erect, the scales 1.0-1.2 mm long, lanceolate (sometimes with an acuminate apex), mostly spreading, brown throughout (not just at point of attachment), entire to sparsely denticulate, adaxially pubescent, the hairs 0.7-0.9 mm long, 4-6-celled; laminar tissue between the veins abaxially pubescent, the hairs 0.2-0.3 mm long, erect, acicular, 1-3-celled, glands absent to sparse, yellow to orange, globose, sessile, proscales ca. 0.2 mm long, appressed, sparse, adaxially sparsely puberulent, the hairs ca. 0.1-0.2 mm long, 1- or 2-celled, acicular, erect, glands absent or sparse, globose, sessile, pale yellow; veins obscure on both surfaces, with indumenta on both surfaces like that of the costules; hydathodes evident; lamina margins ciliate, the hairs 0.2-0.3 mm long, 3- or 4-celled, non-glandular; indusia present, 0.5-0.7 mm wide, circular, dark brown, sparsely pubescent and very sparsely glandular, the hairs 0.2-0.3 mm long, 1- or 2-celled, acicular, the glands globose, orangish.

Distribution: Costa Rica; 650-1800 m.

Comments: Megalastrum apicale has long been called M. acrosorum (Hieron.) A. R. Sm. & R. C. Moran (e.g., Smith & Moran, 1995), a species from Colombia, Ecuador and Peru (both sides of the Andes). Both species are alike in several respects. Both may have sori restricted towards segment apices. This character, to which the specific epithet apicale refers, is constant for M. apicale but variable for M. acrosorum (pers. obs.). All other species of Megalastrum have sori distributed throughout the pinnules, not restricted to the apices. Both M. apicale and M. acrosorum also have firm, circular indusia that are minutely pubescent on the surfaces and margins. Their lamina cutting is nearly identical. Megalastrum acrosorum, however, differs by whitish laminar scales that are brown only at the point of attachment (vs. brown throughout) and shorter, fewer-celled hairs on the rachises of the laminae and pinnae (0.1-0.2 vs 0.5-0.7 mm long, and 1-3-celled vs. 3-5-celled).