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Family:

Dryopteridaceae (Pteridophyta)

Primary Citation:

Amer. Fern J. 77(4): 128. 1987

Accepted Name:

This name is currently accepted.

Description:

by: M. Sundue, G. Rouhan and R.C. Moran

Lectotype: Lectotype (here designated): Chile. Juan Fernández Island, "in sylvis umbrosis collium et montium Insulae Juan Fernández, Mar-May 1830," C. L. G. Bertero 1550 (P on three sheets ex herb. Bory barcodes: P0060047, P0060048, P0060049; duplicates: BM-000890150, NY, P, WAG)

Descrption: Plants terrestrial; rhizomes not seen, reportedly forming erect trunks up to 1m tall, 10 cm diam.; fronds 1.2-1.6 m long; petiole scales 3.50 × 0.25 cm, linear-lanceolate, brown, minutely denticulate, several layers of cells thick at the base, opaque or partially translucent distally; laminae 0.4-1.0 m long, 3-pinnate-pinnatisect; basal pinnae 22-50 cm long, inaequilateral; largest pinnules of the basal pinna 9.5-16.0 cm long, short-stalked to sessile; pinna rachises abaxially glandular, pilose, and with scattered scales, the glands sessile, yellow, hyaline, 0.1 mm wide, the hairs 1.0 mm long, hyaline, catenate, with reddish cross walls, 5- or 6-celled, the scales 1.5-2.0 × 0.3-0.4 mm, lanceolate, light brown, translucent, entire, the cells elongate, adaxial pinna rachises densely pubescent, the hairs ca. 0.6 mm long, 5-celled, hyaline, catenate, antrorse; costules abaxially glandular, moderately pilose and with scattered scales, the glands sessile, yellow, hyaline, ca. 0.1 mm wide, the hairs ca. 1.0 mm long, hyaline, catenate, with reddish cross walls, 5- or 6-celled, the scales 0.4-0.6 × 0.2-0.5 mm, ovate, light brown, translucent, entire to erose, the cells isodiametric, adaxially densely pubescent, the hairs ca. 0.4 mm long, hyaline, catenate, antrorse; laminar tissue between the veins abaxially glabrous or provided with appressed uniseriate reddish scales, ca. 0.4 mm long, adaxially glabrous; veins visible on both sides of the laminae, abaxially glandular and moderately pilose, the glands sessile, yellow, hyaline, ca. 0.1 mm long, the hairs ca. 0.8 mm long, hyaline, composed of 6 cells, spreading, adaxially with scattered hairs along the mid-vein, the other veins glabrous, the hairs ca. 0.4 mm long, appressed; lamina margins ciliate, the hairs 0.5-0.7 mm long, 4-7-celled; indusia present or rarely absent, fugacious, ca. 0.2 mm wide, provided with (1)5-10 erect cilia, these ca. 0.5 mm long, and emerging from the center of the sorus in a tuft.

Distribution: Endemic to the Isla Masatierra (Robinson Crusoe Island) of the Juan Fernández Islands in the South Pacific Ocean; 215-660 m.

Comments: Colla appears to have published Polypodium inaequalifolium two places at nearly the same time, Herb. Pedem. 6: 228. 1836, and Mem. Reale Accad. Sci. Torino 39: 49. 1836. According to TL-2 (Stafleau) Herb. Pedem 6 was received between November and December of 1836. A date which Volume 39 of the Mem. Reale Accad. Sci. Torino was received by libraries is not known, but it has come to our attention that the memoire was in fact read by Colla to the society during a meeting on the 29th of November, 1835. A copy of volume 39 at the library of the Accademia della Scienze in Torino attests to this with an inscription on the inside cover that reads "exhibitus die 29 novembris 1835". Effective publication would require that a pamphlet also be distributed at the time of the reading. Megalastrum inaequalifolium is distinguished by massive trunk-forming rhizomes (reportedly up to 1 m tall, 10 cm diam.), large petiole scales (3.50 × 0.25 cm), pilose pinna rachises (the hairs 1.0 mm long), veins of the abaxial lamina surfaces with hairs 0.8 mm long, ciliate lamina margins (the hairs 0.5-0.7 mm long), and fugacious indusia. The latter appear as (1)5-10 erect cilia (0.5 mm long) that emerge as a tuft from the center of the sorus. Indusia are often missing in mature sori, and in some cases apparently absent altogether. The type of Megalastrum inaequalifolium (Bertero 1550) is a mixed collection. Another sheet of this number at BM (no. 000890149) is M. spectabile. Hooker's syntypes for Polypodium berteroanum included both M. inaequalifolium, M. spectabile (Chile, 1831, Anderson s.n. K), and what is most likely M. pleiosorus (Hook. f.) C. V. Morton from the Galapagos Islands (n.v.). The lectotype chosen here agrees with Christensen's (1913) application of that name as a synonym of M. inaequalifolium.

Etymology: From the Latin inaequal-, uneven, unequal, dissimilar, and -folium, leaf.