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Family:

Dryopteridaceae (Pteridophyta)

Primary Citation:

Kew Bull. 65: 168. 2010

Type Specimens:

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

Description:

by: R.C. Moran, J. Prado

Type: Costa Rica. Puntarenas: Monte Verde Cloudforest Reserve, 10º20'19.7"N, 84º47'34.1"W, 1709 m, 1 Feb 2008, M. Sundue et al. 1737 (Holotype: INB; Isotypes: CR, NY, SP, UC).

Description: Rhizomes erect to decumbent, the scales golden, denticulate on both the margin and to a lesser extent on the surfaces (this sometimes hard to see); leaves up to 1.0 m long (estimate); scales of the petiole bases 0.6-10 × ca. 1 mm, linear, twisted, spreading to ascending, yellow or golden, often shiny, denticulate,; laminae up to 0.4-0.8 m long, 4-pinnate to 3-pinnate-pinnatisect at base, 2-pinnate-pinnatisect medially; basal pinnae ca. 0.4 m long, strongly inequilateral (elongated basiscopically); pinna rachises abaxially glabous or nearly so, non-glandular, sparsely scaly, the scales to ca. 1-2 × 0.2-0.3 mm long, linear, flat (not twisted), not tortous, firm, spreading, golden brown, shiny, entire or sparsely denticulate; costules abaxially very sparsely pubescent, non-glandular, without scales, the hairs 0.4-0.6 mm long, 4- or 5-celled, spreading, adaxially densely pubescent, the hairs 0.7-1.0 mm long, 6-8-celled, often substrigose; laminar tissue between the veins glabrous on both surfaces, non-glandular, a few proscales present abaxially; veins visible on both surfaces, sparsely pubescent, the hairs 0.4-0.6 mm long, 4- or 5-celled; lamina margins ciliate, the hairs 0.2-0.3 mm long, 3- or 4-celled, non-glandular; indusia minute, fugacious, apparently consisting of a cluster of reddish proscales, ca. 0.1 mm long, protruding from the center of the sorus.

Distribution: Costa Rica, Panama; wet forests, 1000-1700 m.

Comments: Megalastrum glabrum resembles M. atrogriseum by the firm, yellowish, wide scales on pinna rachises and costules abaxially; however, it differs by the laminar tissue between the veins glabrous abaxially and the sparse pubescence on the costules and veins abaxially (versus dense pubescence). The first characteristic is referred to by the specific epithet glabrum. With the exception of the single collection from Panama, all specimens of this species in Costa Rica have been collected on the drier Pacific side of the Monte Verde Cloudforest Reserve.